The Decline of Customer Service

[CaliforniaChief]

Either I'm on a cold streak, or customer service is generally taking a universal dump.

Lately, whether dealing with shipping issues, follow-up, repairs, or just general phone service, it's hard to find satisfaction in this area.

It really is an opportunity for companies to excel at this and draw great interest, but it's pretty rare. What are some companies that still provide outstanding customer support?

In 'N Out and Chick-Fil-A come to mind for food.
MacService has been great for me.

Where do you still get excellent service?

[ModSocks]

Originally Posted by Fruit Ninja

Direct TV has always been aces as well always give me free equippment. I just tell them I been a loyal customer since 98 and when I say that they wave every fee lol

Exactly. I still remember a few years ago when i called in and not only did they reduce my bill, but they set me up with new HD Service and HD DVR receivers in every room at no additional cost.

[Bufkin]

Agreed, good customer service seems to be a rarity these days.

For those who have been around the Warsaw area, you can echo my sentiments on terrific customer service when dealing with Jason's Auto.

[ragedogg69]

DirecTV will give you anything you want as long as you extend your contract. I love DirecTV, but their local contractors are beyond reeruned. I have gotten a lot of free programming from their **** ups.

[Bufkin]

Originally Posted by ragedogg69

DirecTV will give you anything you want as long as you extend your contract. I love DirecTV, but their local contractors are beyond reeruned. I have gotten a lot of free programming from their **** ups.

My father-in-law has gotten NFL Sunday Ticket for free every single year for the past 5 years. Apparently, all he does is complain about something a few weeks before the preseason starts. He says Sunday Ticket is always the first thing they bring up. He politely accepts it and doesn't call them again until the next NFL season.

[Frosty]

Originally Posted by ThaVirus

What issues would one have with a credit card company? Disputed claims?

We had one company (FirstUSA) that would hold our checks before applying credit long enough to kick in a late fee. A couple of times, we even got the check back from the bank before the credit was applied. You would have to call CS to argue with them to get it reversed and that even that credit would take a week or so to kick in. Obviously, that isn't as much an issue now with online pill pay.

A year ago, I signed up to get an alumni card through an Oregon CU (though their card services are a national bank) because they have really good rewards. Then this card gets compromised through the Target hack so we request a new card.

They send us a new card but it has the same number as the hacked one, just a different security code. My wife calls to tell them they messed up and we need a new number as we have gotten in the past when a card number has been compromised. She has to jump through a bunch of hoops and is finally promised that it will happen but then - nothing (my sister-in-law has the same card and the same thing happens to her but she lives in Oregon and was able to finally get a new card after a face to face). This happens two more times, each time ending with a promise of a new card number. Never happens. We don't activate the new card since we figure we are getting a different card soon as promised.

At Christmas, we head out on a trip to visit some family. On the way, our card suddenly stops working. My wife calls the number on the back to tell them we are on a trip and need the card for gas, etc. They tell her that they automatically activated the new card and canceled this one, without telling us. After telling them again that we are on a trip and need this card working and being basically told "too bad", she tells them "Fine. I am officially closing this account and cancelling this card". She was told they would do it.

Nothing happens for months. The account stays active and the wife watches it to make sure no false charges come up. Around late October, it has finally been a year and our rewards ($80) kick in. We would have been fine sacrificing it to close the account, but since they didn't, we claim it.

When my wife calls to work that out (they sent us a check), she asks to close the account again. They tell her "fine" and she asks for a letter verifying it is close. Again - "fine".

A month goes by and nothing. She goes through the exact same conversation again and still - nothing. No letter and the account is still open.

Finally she calls again the first week of January and goes through the exact same conversion. This time, however, a week later, we get a letter saying the account is closed.

Then, a week after that, we get a letter saying they have reduced our credit limit as we have requested (this has never happened).

USAA is the only company that we haven't had a bunch of issues with and it's our main card again.


Sorry for the RIco post.

[ThaVirus]

Originally Posted by Frosty

We had one company (FirstUSA) that would hold our checks before applying credit long enough to kick in a late fee. A couple of times, we even got the check back from the bank before the credit was applied. You would have to call CS to argue with them to get it reversed and that even that credit would take a week or so to kick in. Obviously, that isn't as much an issue now with online pill pay.

A year ago, I signed up to get an alumni card through an Oregon CU (though their card services are a national bank) because they have really good rewards. Then this card gets compromised through the Target hack so we request a new card.

They send us a new card but it has the same number as the hacked one, just a different security code. My wife calls to tell them they messed up and we need a new number as we have gotten in the past when a card number has been compromised. She has to jump through a bunch of hoops and is finally promised that it will happen but then - nothing (my sister-in-law has the same card and the same thing happens to her but she lives in Oregon and was able to finally get a new card after a face to face). This happens two more times, each time ending with a promise of a new card number. Never happens. We don't activate the new card since we figure we are getting a different card soon as promised.

At Christmas, we head out on a trip to visit some family. On the way, our card suddenly stops working. My wife calls the number on the back to tell them we are on a trip and need the card for gas, etc. They tell her that they automatically activated the new card and canceled this one, without telling us. After telling them again that we are on a trip and need this card working and being basically told "too bad", she tells them "Fine. I am officially closing this account and cancelling this card". She was told they would do it.

Nothing happens for months. The account stays active and the wife watches it to make sure no false charges come up. Around late October, it has finally been a year and our rewards ($80) kick in. We would have been fine sacrificing it to close the account, but since they didn't, we claim it.

When my wife calls to work that out (they sent us a check), she asks to close the account again. They tell her "fine" and she asks for a letter verifying it is close. Again - "fine".

A month goes by and nothing. She goes through the exact same conversation again and still - nothing. No letter and the account is still open.

Finally she calls again the first week of January and goes through the exact same conversion. This time, however, a week later, we get a letter saying the account is closed.

Then, a week after that, we get a letter saying they have reduced our credit limit as we have requested (this has never happened).

USAA is the only company that we haven't had a bunch of issues with and it's our main card again.


Sorry for the RIco post.

Wow. Sounds pretty bad.

[Frosty]

Originally Posted by ThaVirus

Wow. Sounds pretty bad.

I actually am thankful for FirstUSA. They kept pulling that trick until they finally jacked our interest rate up to 24% and wouldn't lower it. I got so pissed, I sold a bunch of stuff and took a second job and worked my butt off to pay off the account just so I could close it and tell them to **** off. Since then, I haven't carried a balance and am debt free except for our house.

[notorious]

DirecTV's freebies are going to go away.



It was odd that Direct used to throw deals at me without putting up a single fuss but this last time I flat out told them I'm gone if they don't give me the new customer deal and they told me to no (4 times)! "There is nothing we can do". I couldn't believe it.

I gave them every chance to keep me and they dropped the ball. 15 years and $105/month down the drain, and since I went to their direct competitor I am loving it.

All good companies will erode eventually.

[mdchiefsfan]

Amazon has great customer service. They shipped me a Maguire's car care kit and the soap was damaged, causing it to leak over everything in the package. They sent me a whole new kit without having to send back the old one.

I also had a faulty xbox one charger come in; they sent me a new one with a UPS label that I didn't have to mail in for a month after I received the replacement.

Every run in with them has been outstanding, especially for such a big company.

[Al Bundy]

I typically get excellent customer service wherever I go. I have noticed a recent trend where people are shittier and shittier to the guy or girl working behind the register.

[EPodolak]

The customer service side of businesses are more enlightened than ever before. A lot more effort and strategy goes into pleasing customers. Mixed results happen because of policies, but also because a lot of personalities who do that kind of work aren't suited for it. Talking mainly about the bigger operations now. In cases of smaller companies and mom and pop, I've had some pretty dismal experiences recently because a clueless family member is put in a position they have no aptitude for. Same problem at both ends of the spectrum.

[Psyko Tek]

Originally Posted by Detoxing

About two months ago my bill for Internet spiked up to $70 a month. Just for Internet alone. Granted, i have the good shit, but still....that's a stupid price.

So I call and talk to them about it and they offer me their absolute fastest internet and will do it for $50 a month for 12mo's (then it spikes to $99 a mo). I say, "ok, fine, w/e, i just wanna pay less right now".

I get home, do the speed test....it's exactly the same....

I call them back..."Oh, it's because you need this new expensive modem to go with it. That's an additional $300 we can bill to your account if you'd like".

**** YOU COX.

SERIOUSLY...**** YOU.

Worst ****ing company ever. Every time i call them i walk away pissed.

Here in AZ they know you got no other option, it's them or Century Link, formerly qwest, formerly AT&T so either way you are ****ed

[The Franchise]

Originally Posted by Psyko Tek

Here in AZ they know you got no other option, it's them or Century Link, formerly qwest, formerly AT&T so either way you are ****ed

**** Quest. They keep sending me a bill saying I owe them $70.....from 13 years ago. Funny....I never got a bill when I lived in AZ.

[Jiu Jitsu Jon]

Originally Posted by Al Bundy

I have noticed a recent trend where people are shittier and shittier to the guy or girl working behind the register.

I've had this conversation with multiple people now. EVERYONE, as part of a high school curriculum, needs to be required to work a year (part-time) in either some sort of retail or food service business. I worked in retail management for twelve years. As a general rule, I'm convinced that people who have endured the douchebaggery of the general public are less likely to be nightmare customers.

I'm not saying that people don't drop the ball and provide bad service. But the entitlement level of people today seems to be off the charts. Everyone believes that they are special and therefore exceptions should be made for them. People actually think it's rude these days to be told "no". This is particularly a problem in places like Johnson County, where people have some money, and they're glad to tell you how much money they spend.

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by Al Bundy

I typically get excellent customer service wherever I go. I have noticed a recent trend where people are shittier and shittier to the guy or girl working behind the register.

If there is anybody that I'm overly pleasant to, it's retail or cash register clerks. I know they have a long monotonous day. Being friendly just makes the transaction go quicker and less awkward.

Can't say I have noticed any trend, but I don't really see or hear what people say to those working registers.