Customer Service
Oct 5th 2005 | 9:36 pm
#31
Love it
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 304
From: NB
Re: Customer Service
Ah, my favourite topic and how shockingly bad it is. My story that is on going at the minute....(this is in the UK)
We found out my wife was pregnant in Jan this year so I said we'd get her a big, safe, reliable car. We chose a very large saloon from a manufacturer renowned for how good their customer service is and how happy everyone is with their cars (the model is a LS and the manufacturer is Japanese). The car was not new but was from one of their franchised dealers and they are not cheap cars...new they cost £56,000.
After a month or so we opened the boot and my coat was soaking wet. I checked around and found a nice big rusty hole! Its been backwards and forwards to the dealers to try to fix it and is back there again (6 months after we've bought it and the 8th trip in to fix it!). The rusty hole is apparently from an extremely poor bodge fix of some previous accident damage and it should have never passed their approved used car checks. They've had the car for two weeks on Monday and still no word of when we'll get it back. The manufacturers customer relations team actually said to me:
"We are just L**** GB, we didn't sell you the car so what do you expect us to do about it?" I said put pressure on the dealers and offer us some form of compensation because as yet NOTHING has been offered. Their amazing offer was L**** GB would pay for us to hire a £39 per day Ford Ka for one day and the dealer that sold it to us would pay for another day. They've had the car for almost 2 weeks and they offer us a replacement hire car which they'll only cover the cost for 2 days and the replacement is soooooooooo small it would virtually fit in the boot of our car so hardly practical!
Its got to lawyer stage now though and I never knew this until now but useful to know, the legal costs are all going to be covered free of charge under the legal protection of our home insurance which is nice so I'm hoping for some action very soon when they start legal action for a full refund.
Argh, I'm angry again now just thinking about it!
We found out my wife was pregnant in Jan this year so I said we'd get her a big, safe, reliable car. We chose a very large saloon from a manufacturer renowned for how good their customer service is and how happy everyone is with their cars (the model is a LS and the manufacturer is Japanese). The car was not new but was from one of their franchised dealers and they are not cheap cars...new they cost £56,000.
After a month or so we opened the boot and my coat was soaking wet. I checked around and found a nice big rusty hole! Its been backwards and forwards to the dealers to try to fix it and is back there again (6 months after we've bought it and the 8th trip in to fix it!). The rusty hole is apparently from an extremely poor bodge fix of some previous accident damage and it should have never passed their approved used car checks. They've had the car for two weeks on Monday and still no word of when we'll get it back. The manufacturers customer relations team actually said to me:
"We are just L**** GB, we didn't sell you the car so what do you expect us to do about it?" I said put pressure on the dealers and offer us some form of compensation because as yet NOTHING has been offered. Their amazing offer was L**** GB would pay for us to hire a £39 per day Ford Ka for one day and the dealer that sold it to us would pay for another day. They've had the car for almost 2 weeks and they offer us a replacement hire car which they'll only cover the cost for 2 days and the replacement is soooooooooo small it would virtually fit in the boot of our car so hardly practical!
Its got to lawyer stage now though and I never knew this until now but useful to know, the legal costs are all going to be covered free of charge under the legal protection of our home insurance which is nice so I'm hoping for some action very soon when they start legal action for a full refund.
Argh, I'm angry again now just thinking about it!
Oct 6th 2005 | 4:28 am
#32
Moderαtor Emeritus
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 30,771
From: Upstate South Carolina
Re: Customer Service
The scarry thing about that is it costs 39 quid a day to rent a Ka! Shit, you could rent a Cadillac here for that, and probably have change for gas!
Oct 6th 2005 | 7:46 am
#33
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 678
From: Christina Lake. BC
Re: Customer Service
Just to state a different opinion on Canadian Tire we had a completely different experience when we purchased a child’s bike in August.
Me and eldest sun went to purchase a new bike for him standing in the isle and looking rather bemused a sales assistant approached us and asked if we needed help as we had no idea what size frame wheels etc we should be getting proceeded to take half an hour showing to us and explaining different bikes. In the end we came to a decision on a bike only for sales assistant to say wait there a moment I just want to check some think, well when he came back he told us that the chosen bike would be on sale in two days time reduced by $100 and that he would save one in the warehouse for us.
On collecting two days latter found same shop assistant and he took us to his workshop and spent another hour setting and adjusting bike up and then showing my son how to maintain it properly. Now I realise the service I received may be the exception rather than the rule. I think the service I have received in Canada weather from coffee shops to department stores has been much better than I have experienced in the UK.
Me and eldest sun went to purchase a new bike for him standing in the isle and looking rather bemused a sales assistant approached us and asked if we needed help as we had no idea what size frame wheels etc we should be getting proceeded to take half an hour showing to us and explaining different bikes. In the end we came to a decision on a bike only for sales assistant to say wait there a moment I just want to check some think, well when he came back he told us that the chosen bike would be on sale in two days time reduced by $100 and that he would save one in the warehouse for us.
On collecting two days latter found same shop assistant and he took us to his workshop and spent another hour setting and adjusting bike up and then showing my son how to maintain it properly. Now I realise the service I received may be the exception rather than the rule. I think the service I have received in Canada weather from coffee shops to department stores has been much better than I have experienced in the UK.
Oct 6th 2005 | 8:00 am
#34
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 9,606
Re: Customer Service
Originally Posted by seacreature
It's a boring job admittedly, but it's very well paid.
Oddly enough, you never see immigrants doing it, presumably it's just reserved for sour faced Ontarians.
Oddly enough, you never see immigrants doing it, presumably it's just reserved for sour faced Ontarians.
Oct 6th 2005 | 8:32 am
#35
Thread Starter
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 919
From: Toronto. ON
Re: Customer Service
Hi,
Funny that, another of my sub standard customer service experiences was with Superstore. Their managers seem to be unable to acknowledge that excellent customer service is the one and only key to success.
On a positive note though, I must say I have been very impressed with both Sears and Kent (Irving owned) home improvement stores.
SAW 04
Funny that, another of my sub standard customer service experiences was with Superstore. Their managers seem to be unable to acknowledge that excellent customer service is the one and only key to success.
On a positive note though, I must say I have been very impressed with both Sears and Kent (Irving owned) home improvement stores.
SAW 04
Originally Posted by Cowtown
My worst customer service experience lately (yesterday) was at the Superstore. Now I can almost hear you saying - 'ah, but the Superstore pay their staff really low wages and you dont get good service at $7/hour". The problem was that I was speaking to the store manager(who just happened to be on the shop floor at the time) who
a)didnt care about the problem,
b) blamed it all on someone else,
c) was just plain rude,
d) didnt know when it would be resolved!
That wasnt multi-choice - it was all four!
Now compare that to the same problem in the same store the week before. Junior member of staff couldnt have been more helpful or more polite. He went out of his way to be helpful and make sure I had the product I needed.
Now jump back to yesterday and contrast it with the fact I had to go to Safeway to get the product the Superstore manager had completely failed with. So I'm on a lucky day as the Safeway manager was on the shop floor too. Bear in mind I'm still looking for the same two products. I find one easily but cannt find the other. Manager passes so I ask for help finding it. They dont stock it - which was OK as he explained this and the reasoning - but he was polite and helpful.
In this case it had nothing to do with low paid employees with no prospects. It was attitude!
Now if I had a chip on my shoulder I would say it was because I'm an immigrant and it is obvious from my accent.......but lets not go there!
a)didnt care about the problem,
b) blamed it all on someone else,
c) was just plain rude,
d) didnt know when it would be resolved!
That wasnt multi-choice - it was all four!
Now compare that to the same problem in the same store the week before. Junior member of staff couldnt have been more helpful or more polite. He went out of his way to be helpful and make sure I had the product I needed.
Now jump back to yesterday and contrast it with the fact I had to go to Safeway to get the product the Superstore manager had completely failed with. So I'm on a lucky day as the Safeway manager was on the shop floor too. Bear in mind I'm still looking for the same two products. I find one easily but cannt find the other. Manager passes so I ask for help finding it. They dont stock it - which was OK as he explained this and the reasoning - but he was polite and helpful.
In this case it had nothing to do with low paid employees with no prospects. It was attitude!
Now if I had a chip on my shoulder I would say it was because I'm an immigrant and it is obvious from my accent.......but lets not go there!
Oct 7th 2005 | 1:50 am
#36
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 6,713
From: Windsor, ON; Chicago, IL
Re: Customer Service
Superstore lied to me. I like their range and it's cheap so I still shop there, but know I needn't bother asking for assistance with anything.
I wanted some meringue nest thingies to crumble in a sundae, couldn't be bothered to make my own. Asked in Superstore, nope, never heard of them. Got home, looked up on the web and saw that Superstore did indeed stock them. Box of 8, marked "imported". Printed off their information, including their own PC product stock code, took it in to customer services. Confirmed in the computer that they do indeed exist. Boy on rollerblades duly despatched to find them. After half an hour, he brought me some sponge cake. Off he went again. Another half hour, toddler wrecked their charity display by this point in sheer boredom, still can't find them. I kept saying "but I've given you your own stock code, can't you look up somewhere and see where they are in the store?" - apparently not. Phonecall to manager from customer services desk, manager says "they're seasonal, we don't have them now" (August). I ask customer services lady what season meringue nests belong to and, despite the fact that she's never heard of them until my query, she suddenly becomes adamant that they're an Easter and Xmas item (!).
I give up.
Try another branch of Superstore, same rigmarole. Told to look in the freezer section this time.
I give up.
Mr B goes to get cookies and happens to notice boxes of 8 PC meringue nests next to all the cookies.
Hallelujah. Sundaes all round
I wanted some meringue nest thingies to crumble in a sundae, couldn't be bothered to make my own. Asked in Superstore, nope, never heard of them. Got home, looked up on the web and saw that Superstore did indeed stock them. Box of 8, marked "imported". Printed off their information, including their own PC product stock code, took it in to customer services. Confirmed in the computer that they do indeed exist. Boy on rollerblades duly despatched to find them. After half an hour, he brought me some sponge cake. Off he went again. Another half hour, toddler wrecked their charity display by this point in sheer boredom, still can't find them. I kept saying "but I've given you your own stock code, can't you look up somewhere and see where they are in the store?" - apparently not. Phonecall to manager from customer services desk, manager says "they're seasonal, we don't have them now" (August). I ask customer services lady what season meringue nests belong to and, despite the fact that she's never heard of them until my query, she suddenly becomes adamant that they're an Easter and Xmas item (!).
I give up.
Try another branch of Superstore, same rigmarole. Told to look in the freezer section this time.
I give up.
Mr B goes to get cookies and happens to notice boxes of 8 PC meringue nests next to all the cookies.
Hallelujah. Sundaes all round
Oct 7th 2005 | 3:36 am
#37
Part Time Poster
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 4,219
From: Worcestershire
Re: Customer Service
Originally Posted by iaink
The scarry thing about that is it costs 39 quid a day to rent a Ka! Shit, you could rent a Cadillac here for that, and probably have change for gas!
yep... too true... but all that change would only provide enough gas to move a cadillac about three feet...
don't Cadillac owner calculate with gpm not mpg
Oct 8th 2005 | 5:43 am
#38
Ambiroadious
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 216
From: Scotland till March 06, then the Okanagan
Re: Customer Service
Originally Posted by SAW 04
Hi,
Is it just me or do you find customer service crap in Canada?
I have had numerous really bad experiences since being in Canada, the latest being today at Canadian Tire. I went in with a $1000 budget to but winter tires and rims. After being kept waiting for 20 minutes without an acknowledgement in an ever growing Queue I enquired about package deals only to have the rude automaton behind the desk throw a flyer at me to read in front of an ever growing queue he wouldn't even talk me through the deals and explain the different types of tyres etc. I'm sure I'm no different than the average Brit in that I know nothing about winter/ice tyres? Now I know in shops its probably unreasonable to expect world class service, however a basic level of courtesy and interest, especially when I have $1000 to spend wouldn't be unreasonable to expect. I got so pissed off with the guys attitude I asked to see the manager. 10 minutes later and with no apology the manager listens to my concerns (with a not interested look on his face) then takes me back to the counter and passes me to another autom standing next to the original autom and tells him to "sort me out". The second autom was just as bad as the first. In the end I thought I would cut my losses and spend the cash elsewhere.
I thought British customer service was bad when living in the UK and assumed that as Canadians were generally friendly and patient things would be different over here. How wrong I was!
Anyone else had any experiences?
Is it just me or do you find customer service crap in Canada?
I have had numerous really bad experiences since being in Canada, the latest being today at Canadian Tire. I went in with a $1000 budget to but winter tires and rims. After being kept waiting for 20 minutes without an acknowledgement in an ever growing Queue I enquired about package deals only to have the rude automaton behind the desk throw a flyer at me to read in front of an ever growing queue he wouldn't even talk me through the deals and explain the different types of tyres etc. I'm sure I'm no different than the average Brit in that I know nothing about winter/ice tyres? Now I know in shops its probably unreasonable to expect world class service, however a basic level of courtesy and interest, especially when I have $1000 to spend wouldn't be unreasonable to expect. I got so pissed off with the guys attitude I asked to see the manager. 10 minutes later and with no apology the manager listens to my concerns (with a not interested look on his face) then takes me back to the counter and passes me to another autom standing next to the original autom and tells him to "sort me out". The second autom was just as bad as the first. In the end I thought I would cut my losses and spend the cash elsewhere.
I thought British customer service was bad when living in the UK and assumed that as Canadians were generally friendly and patient things would be different over here. How wrong I was!
Anyone else had any experiences?
Having lived in various countries for years at a time including the UK (6 years) I can say that in my experience only one country provides great service on a more general level than Canada. That country is the USA. My experience in the UK is that about 1 in 10 service people give you good service. In Canada I would say about 9 in 10 do. That you ran into the 10th is probably just bad luck.
If you find that you constantly seem to be running into that 1 in 10 then I would have to question on which side of the equation the problem lies. If I find 9 out of 10 are willing to help me and you find 1 out of 10 willing to help you, are we just shopping in different stores?
Oct 8th 2005 | 5:49 am
#39
Banned
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 400
Re: Customer Service
Originally Posted by iaink
The scarry thing about that is it costs 39 quid a day to rent a Ka! Shit, you could rent a Cadillac here for that, and probably have change for gas!
Not only that, for that kind of money, you can even rent one of the latest trucks, or vans. I mean...isn't the ka a 2 door car? I wouldn't pay 56k pounds for a car though, haven't even got that kind of money to start with.
Oct 8th 2005 | 6:44 am
#40
Happy in Canada.
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 1,440
From: Winnipeg, manitoba
Re: Customer Service
The funny thing is that when my started in the bay they gave her a training manual which had worked out that just by greeting and offering to help there is 60% increase in sales.
So you would think that they would have enough people to manage that greeting. But the truth is 9 times out of 10 they only have 1 person who is under pressure to just ring the cash in let alone help.
They are reliant on individual pride as a rewarding factor rather than pay and training.
But that's not only in retail, most situations that I've spoke to people about it's not ideal to improve current staff as HR will need to
1. work on that training.
2. deal with the need for new people when you move on.
So they are motivated NOT to enhance staff but to keep them in the same position forever.
So you would think that they would have enough people to manage that greeting. But the truth is 9 times out of 10 they only have 1 person who is under pressure to just ring the cash in let alone help.
They are reliant on individual pride as a rewarding factor rather than pay and training.
But that's not only in retail, most situations that I've spoke to people about it's not ideal to improve current staff as HR will need to
1. work on that training.
2. deal with the need for new people when you move on.
So they are motivated NOT to enhance staff but to keep them in the same position forever.
