I know I get some what more curmedgeon-like as I grow older. I'm less patient than when I was younger, more naive and less jaded in my expectations (some might even say I was somewhat optimistic in my youth, though not a member of any organized group of same).
Over time though, I've grown to realize that if I keep my expectations low, I probably will be less disappointed.
In politics and elsewhere, it seems more and more that customer service just doesn't really exist any more.
As an example, I'm currently politely arguing with a big name retailer that offers the Best in Buys. They offered a big bonus back in January if I were to purchase a VOIP starter kit -- either of the two major players -- and use a coupon and my special Reward Card that keeps me in the Zone. Between the rebate that made the starter kit free after purchase, and a bonus of some 125,000 points (75,000 + 50,000 bonus) which were supposed to eventually translate into $40.00 in coupons to use for more Buys of the Best type, I figured I was getting a great deal.
Several weeks have gone by though, and I've not seen the coupons that normally would have been here quickly. I have however seen some e-mails that touted some other new deals I might want to check out, and in the process was offered an opportunity to go online and see what my current point status. Imagine my surprise when, after resolving a problem with the number printed on my membership card (it was missing a digit at the end, thank the customer service person that I spoke with on the phone for figuring that out quickly) I logged into the web site and see that back on my date of purchase of the required starter kit I was given NEGATIVE 75,000 (that's -75,000) points. No 50,000 point bonus, no points for the purchase of the actual item, just -75,000 points.
Argh. Spoke with the same customer service person, who was nice enough about my problem and promised to escalate the problem. Since I was experiencing one of those faulty system memory moments and didn't exactly recall the details of the purchase and the offer I had tried to take advantage of, I was originally happy with the idea that the customer service person would resolve the problem and get me the 75,000 points back.
Well, less than a day later, while trying to reload video drivers on my PC systems (thanks to ATI for finally putting out new drivers. No thanks to them for making them such a pain to deal with, requiring almost total cleansing of prior drivers and applications before upgraded ones work correctly) I shuffled through a batch of papers I had waiting to be filed and found a copy of the original coupon and offer for the VOIP starter kit. Nice, just what I needed, documentation that showed the original offer that I was just in the middle of waiting for a resolution of.
I called back that big box retailer's customer service people the next day and offerred to FAX in a copy of the document I had found, figuring that should make it incredibly easy to clear up the matter and get it resolved completely. It was during that call, and my time spent on the web site that day looking at the original transaction that I realized that I had never gotten the original points that I should have. Happy happy, joy joy. I pointed that out as I offered to send in the documentation and got a response of "hold please" while I check to see if I (the customer service person) can accept a FAX. Few minutes of hold music later, I get a response that would frustrate even the most patient of individuals, never mind anyone with a short fuse. Sorry, we can't accept FAX copies, blah, blah. Don't worry, we'll get it fixed. Just be patient and wait the original 10 business days and all will be well. Argh. No promise to correct the missing 50,000 points. Just a half-hearted promise to credit me about 5000 points for purchasing the kit (based on the retail value of the kit).
I know this seems like it's just a personal issue, but I swear this is just the latest in a string of issues that demonstrate to me how badly things are failing around me in the customer service of various things.
My family and I were amazed a few years ago on a trip to Boston, Mass., when we got what seemed like excellent service from a Friendly little restaurant and Ice cream shop (some might even call it a parlor). In our neck of the woods, people joke about the level of total dis-service that is received if someone goes to one of the local shoppes. It's not unheard of to sit for many minutes waiting for the initial order to be taken, and then you could wait a literal eternity for your food to come. Heaven help you if you ask to order desert, even though that is supposed to the specialty of such a place. Instead of hot food for your meal, you get cold stuff that sat before being put on your table, and instead of cold deserts, you get melted goo.
It's not just these places though, it's just as bad, if not worse in the political arena. I've been an activist for a while. I actually write -- well, type really -- letters to my Senators and Representatives and lobby for action in areas I consider important. TV viewer rights for Sattelite TV viewers (more channels, more choice please!, no mandates and restrictions on which markets people can receive channels from). More property owner rights and less restrictions by slow growth local politicians or NIMBY organizations that want to put restrictions on what most property owners can do on their own land or in their own homes. More transportation infrastructure, and a host of other issues that impact myself and many others.
I've gotten back many canned responses from my lobbying efforts, several of which lately indicate to me that the lower level wonks in the staffs of these Senators and Representatives haven't even bothered to read what I've written. Instead, it's obvious that things are being filtered for key words, and discussing more than any one issue will get those filters confused.
Now, I'm all for the use of technology to help make jobs easier. Filters can be a great thing, but much like voice mail systems from hell (which so many systems seem to employ now) everything eventually circles back to the need for a real human to actually read or listen to peoples problems or needs and then act accordingly.
It is so frustrating to see this lack of respect for customers creep farther and farther into society. Too many people just don't seem to care. Perhaps its a sign of low wages paid to many of these front line people, or perhaps it is a sign of a poor up-bringing where respect for others never mattered. I'm not sure exactly which, but in either case, I'm saddened that I have to travel to places outside the D.C. area before I start to see service with a smile performed promptly. I expect I'll be told that the problem is not just in my area, and that seems no better (that would just show what an epidemic this really does seem to be).
I hope things get better, but the pessimistic side in me seems like it'll be the winner here.
