The State of Customer Service in America 2013
Over the past few days I have had some customer service experiences that have nearly blown my mind -- from the very good, to the very, VERY bad. This is all absolutely 100% true -- scout's honor.
It all started when I decided to purchase a new computer. As a long time Apple fan, the choice came down to a Macbook Pro, a Macbook Air, or an iPad mini. After a bit of research, the Macbook Air 13" emerged as the winner. I noticed Apple was offering 18 month no-interest financing and applied online while in the Apple store. Within a couple of minutes i got a reply saying that I was not approved instantly, but that my application would be reviewed and I would hear within 10 days. I then asked an Apple employee if I was to buy the computer that day on my credit card and then was approved within 10 days, if I could transfer the payment to the financing. I was told that that could be done within 14 days without a problem and so between my 2 credit cards walked out of the store with my new Macbook Air.
Two days later, I got an email from Barclaycard (the company Apple uses for their financing) telling me I had in fact been approved for $1700 -- not quite the full amount of the computer, but not too bad. I took my new baby to the Apple Store in Cambridgeside Mall in Cambridge, MA to complete the necessary "exchange". The fellow helping me asks for my credit card to credit back the purchase. I explain that the purchase was split on 2 cards and give him both. He asks me how much was on each card. Here's where I'm first starting to feel like I am having to work a bit too hard to spend my hard earned $2200. I tell the Apple employee that they should have that information. The employee goes into the back and while he is gone, I look up the charges online to see how much was on each card. About 5 minutes later the employee returns and to his credit, has found the information himself. He then proceeds to process the return.
After the return is complete, he begins the process of re-purchasing the computer using the approved financing -- remember, I was only approved for $1700 of a $2200 purchase. He asks me how I would like to pay the balance and I tell him I'd like to put it back on the card. Well, now the fun begins -- when he swipes the card, it is declined. I explain to him that he himself just credited my card with $1500 and now is trying to put $500 back on the card. I then tell him that I am trying to spend $2200 in his store and would like him to figure out how to make that happen rather than having to have to do the work myself -- after all I am the customer. He seems a bit confused and disappears in the back again for several minutes. When he reappears, he asks if I would like to try calling the bank. I politely tell him that no, I do not want to call the bank -- he should call the bank and get things worked out, not me. I would be happy to speak with bank to confirm information, but he should in fact take the lead, not me -- I am the customer. He places the call to Discover Card who says that nothing can be done. I then suggest to him that he try to figure out how Apple can make this sale. Clearly they know I have the credit -- they just issued me a refund for 3 times the amount they are trying to charge. I should not have to work so hard to make the sale for them. The clerk comes back a few minutes later and suggest that maybe Barclaycard could increase my line of credit so that the entire purchase could be financed. Nice thought, but I just recently started my own business and do not yet have enough history to get the higher line of credit it turns out. So now the computer that I walked in with is no longer mine -- it is caught in limbo. I am out $2200 -- tied up in the financial system and no longer have a computer. During the course of my dealings with the Apple employee the Manager on Duty has entered the story, but I'm not sure he added anything at all. I expected someone in a managerial position at Apple, one of the most successful companies of all time could actually make something like this invisible to the customer. If I was in this guys shoes, I would have pulled out my credit card and covered the balance personally and figured the rest out later. Apple would have gone from being a zero to being a hero -- huge missed opportunity in my opinion and how much risk would he actually have been taking?
Well here's where the story gets even better (worse?). I realized that the day before I had transferred nearly $4000 from my Paypal account to my bank account and think to myself that if that transaction has cleared, I can go back and get my computer. When I go to Ally banks app to check on my balance, I do not see the funds there so I go to Paypal to check on the status of the transfer. The status of the transfer on Paypal is "Completed" -- strange. Next I call Ally and speak to a representative there who can find no record of the transaction and suggest I get in touch with Paypal. Paypal tells me that on their end, the transaction IS complete, but that it can take up to 4 days for my bank to make the funds available. I explain the situation and appeal to her helping me to figure out a way to get me access to my money -- after all the funds were available until I actually initiated the transfer and now I am locked out for up to 4 days -- something doesn't seem right to me. I tell her I would like to cancel the transaction -- she tells me it will take up to 4 days to do that. I then tell her I would like to close my Paypal account immediately and guess what -- that too will take up to 4 days before I will have access to MY money. Paypal has a tagline, "PayPal. The world's most loved way to pay and get paid." -- not for me it isn't.
Wait, we are just getting started. My next run in with corporate America is IKEA where that same afternoon I am shopping for a couple of clients purchasing about $600 of furniture. I am returning about $100 of product for one client so need to come up with about $500 in credit to complete the purchase. Remember, Apple, Discover Card and Chase (I hadn't mentioned them yet, but that was the original 2nd card that about $700 had been charged to and that now had a $700 credit from Apple pending) have tied up $2200 of mine and Paypal has tied up an additional nearly $4000. After nearly 4 hours in IKEA I am able to cobble together enough credit to purchase one of my clients furniture -- in fact I had already purchased the other clients furniture but in order to complete the bigger order I had to return that to get the necessary funds (Thank god IKEA issues you your credit on a gift card making it instantly available -- Apple take note if you had done this, I'd have had NONE of the problems I did -- NONE). While trying to figure out how I was going to be able to overcome the IKEA phase of my adventure I explained my situation to the cashier and the Manager on Duty, asking them if I could pay by personal check (by the time the check cleared the funds would be available -- the Ally representative was even the one to suggest doing this). Guess what, IKEA doesn't take personal checks -- not even in special circumstances such as mine. Again, if I were the MOD and heard this story, I'd have reached for my own credit card, payed the balance and taken a personal check. Another missed opportunity, this time on IKEA's part to convert a disgruntled customer to a fan.
Cut to Tuesday Aug 20 -- Budget Rent A Car calls me to let me know that I need to stop in the office, because there is no longer any credit on the card I used to rent my car. I told them I would be by later in the day - hoping things would work themselves out by then. To add a bit more pressure to the situation, I had a reservation to fly to Portland, OR Wed 8 AM so would absolutely have to figure out a way to pay for the car by then when I would need to return the car. Luckily Budget took my word that I would be in later in the day. They also allowed me to drop off the car at the airport instead of the Cambridge location where I had picked up the car and did not charge me a drop off charge -- yea Budget!
Checking availability of funds in my various accounts throughout the day, by around noon I finally have the transfer from Paypal in my account -- I can now pay for everything once again. I call the Apple store to speak with the MOD I dealt with the day before, telling him I would like to give him my debit card over the phone so that all I have to do is come in and pick up my computer and be on my way. He informs me that they cannot do that, that they physically need to swipe the card. I tell him that I have already had to pay for parking twice while spending $2200 in their store and that I would appreciate it if the could arrange to expedite my transaction (come on Apple, California Pizza Kitchen was able to give me free parking with any order -- figure out how you can provide free parking for a paying customer). Before I get back to Apple a different manager called me in response to the survey I had filled out online with regards to my "Apple experience" the day before. I tell her I'd love to sit down and tell her all about my experience and she tells me that she will keep an eye out for me when I arrive on the floor -- OK, now we are getting somewhere -- a little customer service, better late than never. By the time I actually get to Apple it's after 8 PM and I am fried -- I still need to go to IKEA and pickup the piece of furniture I had to return the day before for client number #2 to fund the purchase of client #1's furniture (btw, one of the pieces of furniture for client #1 was the wrong color, so had to bring that back as well) IKEA closes at 9 PM and is a 40 min drive, so I see I'm not going to make it, make the necessary texts to clients informing them of the delay and just want to get my computer and go home (still need to clean out the car, do laundry and pack for my trip the following morning). I told the manager that I'd have to come back another time to talk with them about my experience and she understood and was very solicitous (finally). I have to apologize (and in fact already did) to the clerk who helped me finalize the purchase as I was a bit short with him. If you can believe it I almost left my debit card when I left the store, but the clerk cam running after me to return it -- thanks.
OK now for the final piece of the story. I flew yesterday morning from Boston to Portland, OR on Jetblue. The TV at my seat wasn't working -- no matter which station I turned to the same video played and I wasn't able to turn the video screen off. I called the flight attendant, Lori and told her the problem. She checked to see if she could resolve the problem, came back to me and told me that unfortunately she couldn't fix the problem, but that maybe I could use the opportunity to read, sleep, or even have a conversation with her. She said it in just the right way that I immediately was on her side. I then drifted off to sleep and when I awoke, on my tray table was a credit voucher for $15 and a note of apology from Jetblue. Now that's the way to do it -- Apple, DIscover, Paypal, IKEA take note -- that is customer service -- fix the problem and if you can't make amends -- just treat people they way you would like to be treated if you were in their shoes -- it's not that hard.
Corporate America needs to get back to the basics. Too many companies are so full of themselves that they treat the customer like they don't matter. Well, the customer does matter and we have a voice. With social media we can speak out and get satisfaction. If you've had a bad experience customer service wise or even if you've had a good experience, let other's know about it. They are a few companies that truly shine when it comes to customer service -- right now at the top of my list is Jetblue and Starbucks. I genuinely feel cared about and valued by these two companies -- the workers I have dealt with clearly take pride in what they do and it is clear that they have been exceptionally well selected and trained. As for the other companies I have mentioned above -- not so much. I suggest you vote with your wallet. Don't deal with companies that don't treat you properly. Apple is my biggest disappointment. Their products are stellar, but the attitude of much of the staff there really gets in the way. I find that many of them are so full of themselves that they act as if they are doing you a favor waiting on you. I think Steve Jobs would be very disappointed too.
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