Tag Archives: customer service

Jul 4 2011

Grrr, Vodafone people.


Angry much ?

We changed our Telecom account to a Vodafone account. Which was easy as. Fill in a form, flash your ID, and voila like magic you have your number on a different carrier. When I did this the wonderfully helpful assistant really was helpful and everything happened like it was supposed to.

One of the reasons to change was costs, when the said phone was mainly a text device for mother and children. All on the same network now, all lovely jubly.

The ‘plan’ was to get with the network and then transfer to the appropriate plan a couple of months later. Which it turns out would be a pre-pay plan, just because the phone is not in high use and a minutes plan wouldn’t work out so well.

Well the sulking broody moody assistance in Westfield Vodafone on Sunday needs to have a serious think about why she should keep her job. Clearly she was having angst sitting with head in hand avoiding any eye contact, and certainly not willing to get off her behind and help anyone milling about in the store. Talk about a waste of space, someone clearly trading their time for money, and that’s about it.

And unhelpful much? I’ll say that her complete and total interaction was limited to “call customer service”

Why yes of course that’s why I came to the store, so you can tell me to call a service desk, and then sit head in hand moody and broody. Don’t offer me the desk phone, or to help me get what I want, just “call customer service”. Useless.

I get it, you’re on minimal wage, it’s a weekend job, but really I’m wanting to purchase something not hunt around trying to find you, or listen in to your gabble with your colleagues whilst you pick your nails in the far back corner of the store. Worse of course is the “hello, how are you” assistance, as if that’s like the magic abracadabra of retail.

 I know that this is a personal preference thing, if I’m in a shop and need you I’ll come find you, don’t hover. If I come find you I need you, and I need you to need to help me

Anyway it’s instances like these that make me regret changing, better the devil you know, and that this instance has left me feeling less than complimentary about Vodafone’s otherwise wonderful service.

Either that or I’m just old and cranky. But Mrs Pdubyah wasn’t too impressed either so I’m picking not.

Jul 2 2011

Kathmandu how I’m annoyed at you


Daughter invested in a $450 khathmandu jacket, when I say she I mean “I”.

It gets a lot of use on cold mornings, between games, and in the waiting around at hockey.

It also got a tear in the sleeve.

Now to their credit Kathmandu do make repairs, you take your stuff back to the shop and they send it back to the factory and lo! it returns as new.

except

After 10 days we get a call, it’s been sent back unrepaired, the factory have deemed the jacket ‘dirty’and would like it cleaned. This is despite the shop inspecting the jacket and making out a report that on the condition and the remedy we required.

Apparently not good enough. For both of us.

Sep 15 2009

Customer Service


The Mantra for my staff, for my company, is “Legendary Customer Service”. That’s our mission. Not our 5 year mission, the whole mission, not going where people have never been, just doing the right thing first time every time. Legends.

So I have two things

1. It’s annoying to find shop oiks who don’t seem to care. Granted usually minimal wage earners but don’t congregate at the back of the shopping gabbing on when you can be serving someone and making someone else happy.
2. When you get good customer service it’s often a surprise and
2(a) It’s not usually as good as I believe that my team delivers

Now I may be biased, and they may be rubbish at it. But I believe “Legendary Customer Service” Exists.

Recently I had to buy a spare part for a fridge. The Door shelf thingy that holds jars. Being as how I can I bent down wrote the model number of the fridge down and hopped on the good old interweb to F&P

Naturally the bit I wanted wasn’t describes, but then I didn’t expect it to be really, but there was a handy “email me” option which I sent off.

The reply came, asked be a question, I replied, it came back giving me the part #, price and where I could go collect it, or If I wanted to have it shipped how to place an order.

I went to the factory to pick it up. Seemed like a great way to spend some time at lunch. I knew what I wanted bish bosh bash done!

When I get to the Customer Service desk however it was occupied by an oaf. A lummox with scraggly hair, cascading down from under his leather hat. Beard that looked like it had mice in it. Ginger too! Trousers that could not have been hitched higher if he tried.

“I want the bit that goes in the freezer for the shelf” he said “This is the model number, BUT I want it for the “elegance” model instead”
“What’s that model number?” said little old small lady behind the counter

“well it’s this model BUT for the Elegance model instead” said oafy man
“What’s that model number?” said little old small lady behind the counter

“well it’s this model BUT for the Elegance model instead” said oafy man

It could have gone on. She hefted ring-binders onto the counter turning pages and pointing to line diagrams of freezers “is it this bit?”
“well it’s this model BUT for the Elegance model instead” said oafy man

Eventually she had to go get yet another book. Oafy turn around looks at me and the other chap patiently waiting and says “can you believe the poor customer service you get?”

I looked at him like you do, with that puzzled look, he turned away muttering.
The helpful lady turned back up with some more books which they proceeded to look through with much the same conversation.

For me? Someone from the back room came up to help at the counter, luck or re-enforcements? Who knows. I asked for the bits I needed by part number, she toddled off, and within 5 minutes done!

I wonder if the oaf and the very helpful staff member are still going at it.