Background:
Three year old television displaying 3 vertical lines on screen.
One service repair visit and 40 million phone calls later, the manufacturer of said TV decides it is not worth repairing. Exchange for a new TV approved and arranged. Thank God for extended warranties.
Saturday morning:
Enter HUGE well-known store where TV originally purchased (and which has been notified of the exchange) and go to Customer (Don’t) Care Desk.
State business in a pleasant and friendly manner.
C.C. Dude: “The guy who deals with this kind of thing isn’t in until later this afternoon.”
Me: “Well, I’m here now. It’s a simple exchange – just bigger than usual.”
C.C. Dude repeats: “…the guy’s not in until…”
Me: “But I’m here now. I don’t see why it can’t be done.”
He starts up again with the same friggin’ line.
I interrupt. “I see 2 customer care people who aren’t busy, 2 salesmen over by the TVs, I have all the necessary papers with me and the store was notified of the exchange.”
Stare down.
He caved. I won. Deal done.
New TV to be delivered Wednesday.
Moral of the story: Go in with a chip on your shoulder and every damn scrap of paper you possess regarding the exchange/deal because you know they will mess with your head – especially if you’re a woman.
My shoulder is getting bruised from all my self-congratulatory pats.
Three year old television displaying 3 vertical lines on screen.
One service repair visit and 40 million phone calls later, the manufacturer of said TV decides it is not worth repairing. Exchange for a new TV approved and arranged. Thank God for extended warranties.
Saturday morning:
Enter HUGE well-known store where TV originally purchased (and which has been notified of the exchange) and go to Customer (Don’t) Care Desk.
State business in a pleasant and friendly manner.
C.C. Dude: “The guy who deals with this kind of thing isn’t in until later this afternoon.”
Me: “Well, I’m here now. It’s a simple exchange – just bigger than usual.”
C.C. Dude repeats: “…the guy’s not in until…”
Me: “But I’m here now. I don’t see why it can’t be done.”
He starts up again with the same friggin’ line.
I interrupt. “I see 2 customer care people who aren’t busy, 2 salesmen over by the TVs, I have all the necessary papers with me and the store was notified of the exchange.”
Stare down.
He caved. I won. Deal done.
New TV to be delivered Wednesday.
Moral of the story: Go in with a chip on your shoulder and every damn scrap of paper you possess regarding the exchange/deal because you know they will mess with your head – especially if you’re a woman.
My shoulder is getting bruised from all my self-congratulatory pats.
28 comments:
You Go! It is that whole perceived nice girl thing, which is good, until you have to be....well not nice, in a firm, not bending way. I can so relate and patting you on the back lots of times.
XXXXXXXX
Way to show'em.
You are so right...there was no reason why it couldn't be done. That guy just didn't feel like doing it. You held your ground. We can all take a lesson from this.
I hate dealing with BB -- they drive me nuts but my kids love it there and they have the worst policies.
FS isn't much better if you ask me.
Hopefully you weren't dealing with either of them!!
it's ok to pat yourself on your own behind when your shoulder gets sore, but maybe wait until you get home...
i'm proud of you! the service rep was out of line for telling you to come back "later this afternoon." your time is just as important as his, argueably even more important since you are ultimately paying his wage.
and after all, YOU are the one being inconvenienced by the whole defective product ordeal, not him.
yep, proud of you for sticking to what's right, beth.
cheryl:
It's the nice thing - and the underestimating a woman thing.
Thanks for the pats.
travis;
Yet again...
sherry lee:
Big surprise - it was BB!
seraphine:
A pat on the back, a kick in the a** - body parts can get a little sore dealing with stuff like this!
I bow to your higher authority. I have never been able to get anything but horrid service at those big box stores. They must send potential employees for training in how to ignore and disparage customers. Bravo! And good luck with the new set.
Good job . Bad service sucks.
'Ave it! (means Well Done ;) )
Some guys are just such dinks. Honestly.
Glad you got it done.
Go for the Catalan gesture, put the tips of your fingers to your mouth and kiss them, like one of those French gestures for delicious food, but instead of blowing that kiss apart like the French, keep your fingers bunched and deliver the kiss to one of your cheeks, repeat for the other.
Gives your shoulder a break, and you can still show yourself how impressed you are.
bhodi chicklet:
Got a new extended warranty in the deal!
No "higher authority" - have just become more feisty.
maggie may:
Bad service + Beth = post title
amc:
I knew that one! ;)
oreneta:
Love that gesture. Have just done it about four times. For practice!
(Would have been great to do it in the store. Crazy lady...)
Good for you. I probably would have caved. I'm 'that girl' that sometimes doesn't know how to stand up for myself.
Let me get my pencil. [writing note] ...take paperwork.
Got it. :o)
Have fun watching NO extra lines on Wednesday.
Go, girl!!! And I love the Customer (Don't ) Care Desk!!! Ha!
You have shown that the system can be defeated. Chips (of all types) are good to have around.
Ugh. I can't stand dealing with CC Reps. My friend once told me this story about dealing with her cell phone provider. There was a huge mistake on the billing and she was asking what compensation she would get (the provider commenced to harrass her daily for monies she did not owe). They replied 'Compensation is a very big word mam'. Can you imagine? I would have lost it. Good on ya for TCBing!
Way to go Nova. Assertive and honest and armed with evidence. I would have served you instantly.
charlotta-love:
Start young - no more caving. It gets easier each time.
barrie:
That actually came to me while standing at the counter. ;)
laura:
Well, I'm learning that "systems" can be manipulated - and that the chips do come in handy.
reeny:
Had someone said that to me, the big BAD words would emerged.
gary:
You would never have tried to thwart me in the first place.
(I like the "Nova.")
The easiest way to win is with love and kindness. Although, reason works wonders too! Keep moving forward, Beth!
Sometimes you just gotta knock people around to do the job they are being paid to do.
What disturbs me is that companies find it easier to discard a product rather than fix it. Same thing happened to my wife with her nintendo DS.
time to go to baskin robbins and reward yourself :)
Good job! Wanna call Roger's for me? This is the 2nd month in a row that they have screwed up the bill.
You go, girl.
(Um, can you give me some of that confidence? I never forgot when I went in the car dealership to buy a car. They think women are suckers. THough I don't have to worry about buying cars anymore, other products like TVs (and warranties) can be a pain.
Thanks for sharing. (Here I thoght maybe you were going ot say your shoulders were bruised from squaring your shoulders and staying tough.) :)
woohoo! Way to go Beth. Nothing ticks me off worse than poor customer service, and really, those big box stores are the worst offenders.
I think they'll mess with you regardless of sex. Whenever it comes to bureaucracy, there's always someone telling you why something can't be done.
The cell phone that I got as a Christmas gift, for instance, stopped miraculously stopped working several months after its purchase, and while I'm entitled to a new one AT&T has made just getting through to the right people so difficult that I haven't gotten it yet.
Good for you for standing up to them and getting the job done.
No, moral of the story is....NEVER mess with a woman, unless you're prepared to loose.
Good for you! Woo-hoo, new TV!
you go with your bad ass self!!!!!
Even I, a small fish in a pond, have been able to circumvent the leaders to get the job done.
That is why I've decided the Better Business Bureau is my friend. They take the chip on my shoulder and give it some authority!!
Ha! I figured it was BB which is why I mentioned them first...they are the Worst! No, wait...I'm with Psych Grad -- R.O.G.E.R.S. rates very highly on my "I'm sorry but I have to rip you a new ass" list...I did that yesterday...they make me c.r.a.z.y!!!
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