PetPlan companion animal insurance. There was a snafu with my card; their system said it had expired a month before it actually did and the charge for both of my dogs didn't go through. I hadn't noticed until 3 weeks later. They were very relaxed about it, said they NEVER charge a late fee (I had offered to pay one, my bad for not checking), and problem solved. Plus, their turnaround time for processing claims is pretty speedy.
Very surprising, but my health insurance company gave me the best service once. I had an error in billing that spanned a few months. Luckily for me, the right person answered the phone. She took the time to research back far enough, and the errors were corrected.
I'm in customer service so this topic is dear to my heart. The best advice for dealing with issues is to demand to speak to a manager if you are not getting the service you need. The first person who answers the phone is NOT a person with the authority to subvert the company's policies. So if you're asking for something outside of those policies, don't argue with the lowest person on the totem pole. I don't want to argue with you, but I can't volunteer my manager to speak to you. You have to ask for them. You wouldn't believe how many people go round and round with me, asking for an exception or service I can't provide or authorize, just frustrating us both.
My next advice is PLEASE read store policies before you make purchases online. They are right there for you and frequently you have to agree with them to place your order. When you call and tell a customer service person that you do not like and never read the return policy, etc., you do not make a sympathetic friend.
My last advice is BE NICE, be calm, remember you are talking to another human being. Most people aren't nice on the phone and so a gracious customer is always going to stand out and get the best possible service from a grateful customer service rep.
My best customer service moment (on the other side of the phone) was with Delta. A CSR helped me purchase tickets for an international flight that was offered on their site, but couldn't be finalized online due to issues with the international partner. She had to jump through quite a few hoops with their international partner airline and it took almost 2 hours, but I will always remember the lengths that a Delta rep went to in helping me with a very important trip.
Amen, sister! You really know what is going on! Parents who sit back and do nothing are the cause of failing public schools. Teachers is public are generally good. They really do care, but you can't find the overwhelming odds that some kids face at home. You can take the student to the water, but you can't make them drink.
I’ve gone to the dollar store plenty of times for wrapping paper. Also found fun little pieces to add to my Christmas Village. I never thought to go there for Tupperware though. I’ll have to keep my eye out for it next time.
I have to agree with shopping for glassware at Ikea. I’m sure the dollar store has great deals, but I prefer Ikea’s selection. 6-pack of tumblers for $2.99? Yes, please. I went there for my mugs and dishes too, not to mention furniture. That place is addictive…
i have always had a horrible experience trying to fix the system errors and dropped calls with my virgin phone. i expected the worse when i called this week about a mistake on their part. the guy was so knowledgeable and nice. he also had a british accent although he mentioned he's in columbia. i thought how horrible it is that virgin mobile has a call center in columbia. what do they pay employees with, coffee and cocaine? but seriously, i had a problem. he fixed it. was just so pleasant. about 15 minutes after call ended, i got a text from virgin asking if i would please rate my experience with the recent call between 1-5, 5 being the best, 1 as the worst. instead of rating them a lousy 2, i gave this great guy a 5. sure felt nice to be nice. :o)
I was born in the dial age. So when my email would not pull up, I called wildblue to ask for help. A very pleasant woman walked me through the process slowly, and I was able to learn a new trick!
My best experience was with a hotel just after college. I was coming back from a business trip and I was up for over 2 days straight. My friend was suppose to pick me up and drive me home but couldn't make it so it was up to me. I realized at 4am I wasn't going to make it, but the only hotel with a room available was a 5-star at well over $300 a night; way more than my budget could handle and sleeping in a car was illegal. The agent at the counter went out of his way trying to find a cheaper room available. I bit the bullet, got the room and some sleep. Shortly before 7am, I was ready to drive again. Passing the same agent still at the counter, he gave me a free breakfast (very nice) and I continued on my way home. For a full year, I dreaded seeing my credit card bill, but I was never charged. To this day I wish I could properly thank the agent, and dread what would have happened if I tried to keep driving.
I ordered contacts from 1-800 contacts and their first question was asking if I had a price they 'needed to beat'. I didn't have one but quickly did a search and found a cheaper deal on Walgreens that they matched. I got a 6 month supply of daily wears and after a month I started to have problems (it was my eyes, not the contacts). They sent me a free shipping label to return the unopened boxes and sent my new prescription (FREE RUSH delivery). I tweeted about their great service and a week later I got a free T-shirt in the mail because I had tweeted about them. I'm a customer for life.
It's terrible to say but the bad experiences are more prominent in my memory. I have had some good experiences, like with AAA calling me (with a real person) to renew my service and Blendtec was great when I needed to replace a part under warranty. Anytime a real human (that speaks english very well) answers the phone is a great start!
A major department store's customer service representative took my word for a sales price available in the store, but not online and honored that price for a handbag.
My dentist's office is always so wonderful. They have a Keurig machine for you to use when you come in the door, and Netflix goggles for you to watch when you're getting a dental procedure done. It's never fun getting your teeth examined, but they make it as relaxing as possible!
I was scheduled to fly to China for a study abroad summer class and my laptop screen broke the day before my flight. We rushed to Staples and found a great, recently released laptop, but only the floor model was left. The official policy is to not sell the floor model for new laptops because you might lose a couple of sales before new stock comes in. But the manager was a really nice guy, and just took it right off the sales floor and gave it to us as the store was closing.
Zappos! I was looking for a specific pair of shoes in my size, and emailed asking them about the likelihood of them being back in stock. I got a response within hours. And they pointed me to other websites where I could find those shoes. Wow! So personalized, and all about taking care of their customers, even if it doesn't result in a sale that time.
Every time I've been into the Apple store, I've gotten amazing customer service. Last year, my mom bought my 2 college-bound sons each a MacBook. A new version was released shortly after, and according to Apple's policy, if that happens within 30 days of purchase, you can upgrade for free. We did, and they each also scored a $100 iTunes gift card - just because it was a promotion going on at the time! We didn't know about it, and didn't ask for it - they just GAVE it to us. The Genius Bar people are always helpful, cheerful, and actually seem to care about their customers.
My best service is from my DSL carrier, Sonic. They always have a human answer the phone instead of a phone tree. I get a service rep that's based in the US not India so they understand me. And they resolve problems quickly and politely.
Amazon is consistently my experience with customer service. I've never had any issue getting a product replaced or getting a refund. They know how to treat their customers right.
Usually my best customer service experiences have been with Amazon and worst have been with AT&T. My best CS experience was when I received my grandparents' Christmas present from Amazon a couple months ago, but it arrived completely damaged. I started a chat with a CS representative, who informed me that there would not be any more in stock to replace it in time for Christmas. He stayed on the chat with me to search for alternatives available on Amazon (none), then also searched local businesses to see if any of them might have it (none). In the end, my only option was to find someone to weld the item back together, and he even offered to search for someone in the area who could do that. He refunded the entire price of the item plus added more for the cost of welding. Just the fact that he was willing to do so much to find a solution, and stayed on the chat for so long with me instead of rushing me through, meant a lot.
I would love to buy water in glass bottles. Shame water companies don't start water stations - you turn up with your glass bottles, you fill up, pay and go. I've seen it done with wine - why not water?
Purely by coincidence, my best customer service experience is always with Amazon. My Kindle stopped charging. I had a very brief online chat with a CSR, and a brand new Kindle was at my door the very next day. I have had other similar experiences with Amazon as well. They are awesome.
Right on:-) Minimalism by necessity isn't such a bad way to go, especially in a city where there's so much to do!
We have sub zero temps and I don't have a car. I love being able to order dog food from chewy.com and have it arrive the next day. It's a life saver.
PetPlan companion animal insurance. There was a snafu with my card; their system said it had expired a month before it actually did and the charge for both of my dogs didn't go through. I hadn't noticed until 3 weeks later. They were very relaxed about it, said they NEVER charge a late fee (I had offered to pay one, my bad for not checking), and problem solved. Plus, their turnaround time for processing claims is pretty speedy.
Very surprising, but my health insurance company gave me the best service once. I had an error in billing that spanned a few months. Luckily for me, the right person answered the phone. She took the time to research back far enough, and the errors were corrected.
I'm in customer service so this topic is dear to my heart. The best advice for dealing with issues is to demand to speak to a manager if you are not getting the service you need. The first person who answers the phone is NOT a person with the authority to subvert the company's policies. So if you're asking for something outside of those policies, don't argue with the lowest person on the totem pole. I don't want to argue with you, but I can't volunteer my manager to speak to you. You have to ask for them. You wouldn't believe how many people go round and round with me, asking for an exception or service I can't provide or authorize, just frustrating us both.
My next advice is PLEASE read store policies before you make purchases online. They are right there for you and frequently you have to agree with them to place your order. When you call and tell a customer service person that you do not like and never read the return policy, etc., you do not make a sympathetic friend.
My last advice is BE NICE, be calm, remember you are talking to another human being. Most people aren't nice on the phone and so a gracious customer is always going to stand out and get the best possible service from a grateful customer service rep.
My best customer service moment (on the other side of the phone) was with Delta. A CSR helped me purchase tickets for an international flight that was offered on their site, but couldn't be finalized online due to issues with the international partner. She had to jump through quite a few hoops with their international partner airline and it took almost 2 hours, but I will always remember the lengths that a Delta rep went to in helping me with a very important trip.
Terrible advice for people watching their sugar and carbohydrate levels.
Precooked bacon from CostCo is excellent and can be eaten straight from the fridge. It's my go-to breakfast.
Amen, sister! You really know what is going on! Parents who sit back and do nothing are the cause of failing public schools. Teachers is public are generally good. They really do care, but you can't find the overwhelming odds that some kids face at home. You can take the student to the water, but you can't make them drink.
Great list, Paul!
I’ve gone to the dollar store plenty of times for wrapping paper. Also found fun little pieces to add to my Christmas Village. I never thought to go there for Tupperware though. I’ll have to keep my eye out for it next time.
I have to agree with shopping for glassware at Ikea. I’m sure the dollar store has great deals, but I prefer Ikea’s selection. 6-pack of tumblers for $2.99? Yes, please. I went there for my mugs and dishes too, not to mention furniture. That place is addictive…
i have always had a horrible experience trying to fix the system errors and dropped calls with my virgin phone. i expected the worse when i called this week about a mistake on their part. the guy was so knowledgeable and nice. he also had a british accent although he mentioned he's in columbia. i thought how horrible it is that virgin mobile has a call center in columbia. what do they pay employees with, coffee and cocaine? but seriously, i had a problem. he fixed it. was just so pleasant. about 15 minutes after call ended, i got a text from virgin asking if i would please rate my experience with the recent call between 1-5, 5 being the best, 1 as the worst. instead of rating them a lousy 2, i gave this great guy a 5. sure felt nice to be nice. :o)
I was born in the dial age. So when my email would not pull up, I called wildblue to ask for help. A very pleasant woman walked me through the process slowly, and I was able to learn a new trick!
My best experience was with a hotel just after college. I was coming back from a business trip and I was up for over 2 days straight. My friend was suppose to pick me up and drive me home but couldn't make it so it was up to me. I realized at 4am I wasn't going to make it, but the only hotel with a room available was a 5-star at well over $300 a night; way more than my budget could handle and sleeping in a car was illegal. The agent at the counter went out of his way trying to find a cheaper room available. I bit the bullet, got the room and some sleep. Shortly before 7am, I was ready to drive again. Passing the same agent still at the counter, he gave me a free breakfast (very nice) and I continued on my way home. For a full year, I dreaded seeing my credit card bill, but I was never charged. To this day I wish I could properly thank the agent, and dread what would have happened if I tried to keep driving.
I ordered contacts from 1-800 contacts and their first question was asking if I had a price they 'needed to beat'. I didn't have one but quickly did a search and found a cheaper deal on Walgreens that they matched. I got a 6 month supply of daily wears and after a month I started to have problems (it was my eyes, not the contacts). They sent me a free shipping label to return the unopened boxes and sent my new prescription (FREE RUSH delivery). I tweeted about their great service and a week later I got a free T-shirt in the mail because I had tweeted about them. I'm a customer for life.
It's terrible to say but the bad experiences are more prominent in my memory. I have had some good experiences, like with AAA calling me (with a real person) to renew my service and Blendtec was great when I needed to replace a part under warranty. Anytime a real human (that speaks english very well) answers the phone is a great start!
A major department store's customer service representative took my word for a sales price available in the store, but not online and honored that price for a handbag.
My dentist's office is always so wonderful. They have a Keurig machine for you to use when you come in the door, and Netflix goggles for you to watch when you're getting a dental procedure done. It's never fun getting your teeth examined, but they make it as relaxing as possible!
Saddleback Leather has pretty darn good service.
I was scheduled to fly to China for a study abroad summer class and my laptop screen broke the day before my flight. We rushed to Staples and found a great, recently released laptop, but only the floor model was left. The official policy is to not sell the floor model for new laptops because you might lose a couple of sales before new stock comes in. But the manager was a really nice guy, and just took it right off the sales floor and gave it to us as the store was closing.
Zappos! I was looking for a specific pair of shoes in my size, and emailed asking them about the likelihood of them being back in stock. I got a response within hours. And they pointed me to other websites where I could find those shoes. Wow! So personalized, and all about taking care of their customers, even if it doesn't result in a sale that time.
Every time I've been into the Apple store, I've gotten amazing customer service. Last year, my mom bought my 2 college-bound sons each a MacBook. A new version was released shortly after, and according to Apple's policy, if that happens within 30 days of purchase, you can upgrade for free. We did, and they each also scored a $100 iTunes gift card - just because it was a promotion going on at the time! We didn't know about it, and didn't ask for it - they just GAVE it to us. The Genius Bar people are always helpful, cheerful, and actually seem to care about their customers.
My best service is from my DSL carrier, Sonic. They always have a human answer the phone instead of a phone tree. I get a service rep that's based in the US not India so they understand me. And they resolve problems quickly and politely.
I recently had a great customer service at Marriott hotel.
Amazon is consistently my experience with customer service. I've never had any issue getting a product replaced or getting a refund. They know how to treat their customers right.
Usually my best customer service experiences have been with Amazon and worst have been with AT&T. My best CS experience was when I received my grandparents' Christmas present from Amazon a couple months ago, but it arrived completely damaged. I started a chat with a CS representative, who informed me that there would not be any more in stock to replace it in time for Christmas. He stayed on the chat with me to search for alternatives available on Amazon (none), then also searched local businesses to see if any of them might have it (none). In the end, my only option was to find someone to weld the item back together, and he even offered to search for someone in the area who could do that. He refunded the entire price of the item plus added more for the cost of welding. Just the fact that he was willing to do so much to find a solution, and stayed on the chat for so long with me instead of rushing me through, meant a lot.
I would love to buy water in glass bottles. Shame water companies don't start water stations - you turn up with your glass bottles, you fill up, pay and go. I've seen it done with wine - why not water?
Purely by coincidence, my best customer service experience is always with Amazon. My Kindle stopped charging. I had a very brief online chat with a CSR, and a brand new Kindle was at my door the very next day. I have had other similar experiences with Amazon as well. They are awesome.