Today is the day
Of bad customer service.
Point #1: Last week, I cancelled an order with a supplier I use within minutes of placing it. The supplier and I have a good relationship, and she responded to the cancellation immediately. We’re good with the transaction, and I was fine with purchasing from her in the future.
Three days later, she charged my credit card. It processed through yesterday (10 days after I cancelled the order).
So I call her. I indicate my displeasure. Her immediate response is to deny everything, then blame me for not going through the proper channels (which I did indeed pursue), then chastise me for calling in the cancellation instead of via e-mail (which I did not do).
Patience is a virtue, and I practice hard at maintaining it.
I got my money back. I then confirm with her that nothing was actually shipped. She says, “oh, yeah, things ship out right away, on the same day. You’re in Seattle, you’d have had it in 2-3 days.”
“You mean on the day you charged my CC?”
Silence.
More silence.
“So I’m going to process that credit now, you should be seeing it in just a few minutes.”
Point #2: TIVO arrives today. And Tomorrow. Existing TIVO has been gifted once already, and soon will be gifted a second time.
Existing TIVO was formerly paid for. I was willing to write off the month of service I paid for on box # 1, since I have effectively been writing it off since June of last year. I gave the box away, and $7 is really not going to break the bank.
However, I made sure that my service on the other box (plus the one I gave away Tuesday) was cancelled properly yesterday. At that time, there were no other charges associated with my account.
I checked.
Twice.
I was on the phone with the rep (multiple reps, in fact) yesterday to ensure that everything was properly cancelled, accounted for, and closed out.
Today, I see two charges in my account. One, for the box that has not even arrived yet, which somehow is recording diligently from the back of a UPS truck somewhere in Salt Lake City, UT. This seems to be a pretty standard practice from service providers these days, and frankly it’s starting to affect my equanamity.
Mind you, both charges were apparently made, and resolved, on Monday. A bank Holiday. And a day that should have been dutifully recorded
In.
MY.
ACCOUNT!
I am not overly angry about this on the phone.
I explain to the drone what has happened, what will happen, and what I want to happen.
She goes away for three minutes. There is jaunty jazz music on the telephone. My mood does not improve.
She comes back with, “You’re bleeped.”
Apparently, up unitl I cancelled BOTH accounts yesterday, I could have received a credit for service unused. I could also have transferred that service to the new boxes, or even received a big fat check.
But now, “we cannot issue a credit to an account that is closed.”
Silence. the Silence is mine, as I imagine a scene from The Wall.
“Will you please apply the money I’ve already paid to my active account.”
“Sorry, there is no way we can apply a credit to an account that is already closed.”
“I’m not asking you to. I have an active account. Please apply a payment to it.”
“The person who handled your cancellations yesterday should have explained to you that you would lose that money.”
“He did not. And as of Yesterday, I had not paid it. My next payment was not scheduled until Friday”
Silence.
More Silence.
“I’m sorry, but we cannot apply a credit to an account that is already closed.”
(hopefully) To my credit (hah), I do not utter any harsh language until I Hang Up The Phone. Prior to that, I explain in what seemed like a calm and rational tone that I am not angry at her, but this situation and her response to it have severely damaged my desire to purchase things from TIVO in the future.
People around me look a little nervous when I get up for a glass of water.
Raindrops on roses.
Brown paper packages tied up with string.
Good-bye, blue sky
now, we eat fruit