Customer Service?

[Gene45]

Following is the text of an e-mail I got from Bell.

"I understand that you are still not happy with the resolution provided. I will definitely assist you in this regard.

I would like to inform you that as we do not have any provision to open attached emails we will not be able to assist you."

You can go through this over and over again, and each time they tell you how happy they are to assist and then not do it.

[Keith H.]

Here is my story for today to give a complete opposite side:
My order from LV arrived yesterday, I opened it and one item was not included. I emailed them today at 10am, received a reply by 10:30am, and the missing item will be at my door tomorrow.

How can some companies get it so right, and others so terribly terribly wrong?

Cheers,
Keith.

[Dave in Muir]

Poor customer service is a huge pet peeve of mine. I own a retail store, and pride myself in our customer service. This includes refunds and carry out service on all items, no matter how much $$ you spend in my store.
I came to realize a few years ago that I offer better customer service on a $20.00 item, than I was receiving at my local car stealership after spending $35000.00

I've walked out of 3 stores in the past 2 weeks due to staff not asking me if I'm doing ok, or if I need a hand.......different if they are too busy, but in all three stores I was sick of seing 2 or 3 employees gathered in a huddle talking about their personal lives....too occupied to help a customer. Now I have on occasion complained to a manager and have received varying responses. I feel at least if they don't know, then they can't change it.

Dave

[big mac]

You would think that most companys by now would have gotten the message....it really boggles the mind how Lee Valley Tools can do it and others can't

The only answer is THEY DONT GIVE A RATS ------!!!!

It's gotten to the point now I dread having to go and buy something anywhere

[Lost in the Woods]

Don't get me started on poor customer service from Bell. I'm still with them for our primary telephone in the house as well as my DSL, but when it comes to resolving billing, they are pathetic. Lately, I've noticed they are now using India call centers for tech support, which I've had poor experiences with from call centers there 9 out of 10 times. Can it get any worse with them?

Pet peeve of mine when it comes to customer service in general....is when I'm in line waiting to be served somewhere, and the person at the counter answers the phone and drops everything to deal with the phone caller rather than the people who took the trouble to drive there to be served. That's not fair, and real poor training from management if they allow their employees to do that. I'm not afraid to let the person know how I feel about that behind the counter, of course in a non beligerant manner, or speak to a higher up if easily accessible. It's not the right way to deal with customers.

[charlton]

Kevin, just wait until you switch to Rogers (which is the only choice I have where I am).

[Tee Jay]

I called the Federal Government a couple of years ago about the status of my new passport as it was taking a long time to come. After listening to a bunch of choise lists and pushing the appropriate number I got the message " Your call is important to us, please call back".

I wrote my M.P. about that and got a call from his office a couple of weeks later. By that time my passport had arrived.

Their answering service has not improved however.

TJ

[Wayne - Oakville]

Kevin, just wait until you switch to Rogers (which is the only choice I have where I am).

In the last Consumer Reports, Bell was rated lowest across Canada for Customer Service -- Rogers was marginally better.

I tried contacting Bell on Monday (maybe that's their busiest day) about with some cell phone questions. Using the phone number they told me to contact, it still took almost 15 mins. and 3 attempts to find a route that got me to a real person line. Then once there, I waited over a 1/2 hour on hold, before I gave up. No wonder they're rated lowest.

...Wayne

[John]

Years ago when I was working, Bell routinely called to ask about their equipment and service. I always complimented them on the equipment, but when they asked about Customer Service, I told them it was non-existant. That went on for years but nothing changed.

Recent experiences with an unannounced 50 percent increase in my calling card rates proved that the same lack of caring and service is still their policy.

[master finishing]

Bell and Rogers are having a competition to see who can provide the worst service. its one of the few games where they both win. Bell lost my cel phone and internet service years ago. I jumped to Rogers for home service but after a week of no home phone I went back to Bell. The service sucked but at least I could call to complain. rogers could not even make my phone work.

[aussie]

I called a local tyre place yesterday to confirm they had tyres to fit our car - 245/60/18 which are not something a lot of shops keep on the racks. They told me they didn't have them in the store but could have them by midday today. So I booked in for midday and promptly arrived at 11.50am with my girls in tow. Of course the tyres weren't there.

So we sit and wait for an hour and finally I go up to counter and am about to be served when the phone rings and buddy answers it just as he has said "Can I help you?" to me! Finally he gets off the phone and I ask what the delay is with getting these tyres. He takes my details and disappears out the back. About 10 minutes later the guy who took my keys from me an hour before appears and says the wholesaler only sent over 3 tyres. I tell him I'm driving an Edge, not a bloody tricycle! He says they won't have stock in for another couple of weeks - in other words after Xmas.

So I ask him if he has done anything with my car and he says no. In other words this clown has me and my girls waiting for well over an hour in his dingy waiting area for no reason and doesn't have the sense or courtesy to come and tell me he can't help me. So I left....... NOT QUIETLY!

Walked into another tyre store and after some banter back and forth with the Pom behind the desk I bought better tyres for the same price and I will be having them fitted Saturday morning. The customer is very often wrong but it's their money retailers are trying to get their hands on. Even I know that!

[Rizak the Really Horrible]

Remember, we're not satisfied until you're not satisfied.

[Paul O in Paris]

There's a simple solution to avoiding the "out of country" customer service adviser/tech rep......just press '2', or whatever, for French. All the csa's have to be bilingual, and you then have two choices. Either give them the common courtesy of a simple "bonjour, est que possible a parler en anglais", or try to explain the problem in such butchered french that they take pity on you. Either way it beats talking to some person half way around the world who, IMO, is paid to use the language barrier to frustrate you, make you hang up and allow Bell to avoid the problem.
If enough of us do it, and tell the rep why (they have a window for additional customer comments) maybe something will happen.
Paul

[Paul Woodrow]

For the last couple of months or so when in a big box or a Zehrs e.t.c. & have to undergo the checkout speech, I allways answer " No " to the caring question, "Did you find everything you were looking for today " ? or " Will that be all " ? Nobody has yet picked up on it !!! It's not the staff, it's the way they are trained. The corporate mantra.

[Paul Woodrow]

I called a local tyre place yesterday to confirm they had tyres to fit our car - 245/60/18 which are not something a lot of shops keep on the racks. They told me they didn't have them in the store but could have them by midday today. So I booked in for midday and promptly arrived at 11.50am with my girls in tow. Of course the tyres weren't there.

So we sit and wait for an hour and finally I go up to counter and am about to be served when the phone rings and buddy answers it just as he has said "Can I help you?" to me! Finally he gets off the phone and I ask what the delay is with getting these tyres. He takes my details and disappears out the back. About 10 minutes later the guy who took my keys from me an hour before appears and says the wholesaler only sent over 3 tyres. I tell him I'm driving an Edge, not a bloody tricycle! He says they won't have stock in for another couple of weeks - in other words after Xmas.

So I ask him if he has done anything with my car and he says no. In other words this clown has me and my girls waiting for well over an hour in his dingy waiting area for no reason and doesn't have the sense or courtesy to come and tell me he can't help me. So I left....... NOT QUIETLY!

Walked into another tyre store and after some banter back and forth with the Pom behind the desk I bought better tyres for the same price and I will be having them fitted Saturday morning. The customer is very often wrong but it's their money retailers are trying to get their hands on. Even I know that!

Common knowledge Aussie. If a Pom's in charge you'll get good service.

[hwgill]

Ahhh...what's a Pom?

[Lost in the Woods]

Ahhh...what's a Pom?

No idea. It's not english AFAIK.

There's a simple solution to avoiding the "out of country" customer service adviser/tech rep......just press '2', or whatever, for French. All the csa's have to be bilingual, and you then have two choices. Either give them the common courtesy of a simple "bonjour, est que possible a parler en anglais", or try to explain the problem in such butchered french that they take pity on you. Either way it beats talking to some person half way around the world who, IMO, is paid to use the language barrier to frustrate you, make you hang up and allow Bell to avoid the problem.
If enough of us do it, and tell the rep why (they have a window for additional customer comments) maybe something will happen.
Paul

I'm fleuntly bilingual, and really am not comfortable faking not being able to speak english to avoid speaking with the less than adequate seemingless speaking substitutes on the other side of the planet. It just ain't right, nor is it fair. OK, ok, , when I'm desperate....on a rare occasion,,, I'll do such. But honestly, can't remember the last time I did such, It just ain't fair!

[Steve in Ayr]

Pom:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alterna..._British#Pommy

[charlton]

That may be true. I'm not saying Bell is really good. I'm just saying that Rogers is equally bad.

We need some more competition here in Canada. Maybe we should open up our market to the Americans (heaven forbid).

[charlton]

That's sheer genius! I've never even thought about doing this.