Good Customer Service Experiences

[Portwest]

Just wanted to post about a positive customer experience I had recently with Well.ca.

We go through a lot of Lara bars in my house, and sometimes it’s hit-and-miss whether our local store will have my family’s favourite flavour. So when I saw that Well.ca carried them, I ordered several cases to keep on hand. The price was a bit higher, but I thought it would be handy to have extra boxes in the pantry.

This was my first order from Well.ca.

When the box arrived, it looked like it had been partially run over --- the cardboard was torn, the Lara bar boxes inside were bent and opened, and several of the Lara bars were squashed.

I was pretty annoyed. I e-mailed Well.ca, reported the details and told them I would not be ordering again --- which was true. I truly had no intention of ever doing so.

Not long after, I received an e-mail asking how many Lara bars were squashed (there were nine squashed bars). When I told the customer service rep, she said that I would be given a new box of 16 bars. A few days later, the bars were in my mailbox.

That’s good customer service. It turned around my opinion of Well.ca. If more companies responded like that to customer issues, they’d keep more customers and have healthier bottom lines.

Anyway, we so often post about our negative experiences in these forums; I thought I’d post about a good one. I see that ThatPersianGuy has also posted about a good experience he had (with Jawbone).

Does anyone else have a good customer service experience to share?

[Lauralai]

That's good to hear that they gave good customer service and replaced them. However are you sure it wasn't the delivery company who damaged the bars? It's good that they replaced them, but to not order from them for something that might not of been their fault would of been harsh.

[Portwest]

That's good to hear that they gave good customer service and replaced them. However are you sure it wasn't the delivery company who damaged the bars? It's good that they replaced them, but to not order from them for something that might not of been their fault would of been harsh.

Oh, I'm sure it was the delivery company (Canada Post) that damaged the box, but regardless of the cause, I would not have ordered them again. I mean, if I'm paying for a product to be delivered, it's for my convenience --- if I have to deal with shipping problems and damaged goods, then it's no longer convenient, so why would I ever order again?

Regardless, I thought the company handled it well.

[yogakun]

I had a terrific customer service experience at Canada Computers in Brampton. I can't remember the gentlemen's name, but he was a well built fellow with a black skin colour (sorry, I know that may sound odd, but I'm trying to describe someone). Well versed. He makes sure you are taken care of. I've purchased several things from this salesperson over the year. Canada Computers in Brampton always is a great shopping experience. The Mississauga location, unfortunately, I've had the opposite sentiments.

[Cheap Cat]

Since good customer service experiences seem to be few and far between these days, I'll share the only one I can think of. I had signed up for a free trial on Netflix to get swagbucks. Initially I didn't see anything I was interested and by the time I got around to checking it out again, the 30 days had passed and my credit card had been billed for the second month. I called them up and explained that I never even used it and without any question or delay, the CSR refunded my money. He extremely understanding and acknowledged how easy it was to lose track of time. In my experience, most companies that auto renew/auto bill, don't give a damn and even if you are a minute late, make you pay for the full month. Even though Netflix's terms of service say you are responsible for the full month, they refunded my money. I was impressed and recommend Netflix on that basis alone.

[Manatus]

I had a good experience with Philips, concerning the Sonicare toothbrush. One of the toothbrushes (bought from Costco as a pair) broke after about 6 months or so, the motor was running but some part inside it was out of alignment. I used the web chat on the Philips website and told them that I don't have a receipt or proof of purchase or anything like that because I bought it from Costco and can return it without a receipt, but I wanted to give Philips a chance to fix it first. They sent me a new Sonicare with spare heads, took 2 days to arrive, together with a prepaid box to send back the broken one. I liked that it was no hassle and they didn't expect me to send the broken one back and then wait to get a replacement.

[decode]

otterbox -- my commuter series broke, spoke to a customer rep who replaced one, no questions asked. ended up giving me a defender series instead. best experience ever!!

[bylo]

I had a good experience with Philips, concerning the Sonicare toothbrush.
I've had mixed experience with Philips.
1. I bought some Philips CFLs at Home Depot that got dim or failed well before the 7 year warranty. I e-mailed Philips and quickly got an apology plus Home Depot gift cards worth 4x what I paid for the CFLs. Also there was no need to return the bad CFLs.
2. I bought a Philips beard trimmer at FS to replace an old Philips trimmer that I'd both many years before. The flimsy plastic part that sets the cutting depth broke soon afterwards. I again e-mailed Philips but this time they wouldn't send me a replace the broken part. Instead they sent me to a shaver repair store that wanted to charge me almost as much as the cost of a new trimmer.

It's good to know that Sonicare service is more like 1. than 2. My Sonicare is nearing the end of the two year warranty period. The batteries are getting rather weak. I guess I should contact Philips about that and see if I can get a replacement. Thanks for the heads up.

[willdacanucker]

Gameaccess.ca. These guys are GREAT. When there are any issues, within a day, they are solved and they do it with a smile and no attitude. When Canada Post was on strike, they credited account holders time, even though it was out of their control. There are a few other times I had to deal with customer service and EVERY time, I had nothing but a pleasant transaction.

[Portwest]

Just realized another good experience I’ve had with a retailer:

I’ve bought a number of things at Bed Bath & Beyond, and while I’m not one to return things often, I have had to return two things --- a set of cork hot pads that began to peel after a few weeks and a non-stick pan that scratched.

Both times, it’s been an easy return. No request for ID or personal info, no arguments, not a minute of hesitation. Both times, I’ve been given a full refund (which I prompty re-spent in-store plus more).

I'm certainly not a "serial returner", but the fact that I know the store will stand behind the products it sells gives me all the more confidence to shop there regularly.

Anyway, I merely wanted to add BB&B to the list of retailers offering good customer service.

[redpattison]

About 6 years ago owned a Sigma HRM and after owning it for 3/4 years it went belly up.Phoned their number in the States, picked up in 2 rings with a real voice.Explained my broken unit to them.They said return it and they would send me the latest model no questions asked.Rec`d it from them in 8 days.So I continued to buy their product and my latest purchase was a bike computer.Had so many features and could not set it up properly.Called them and again they picked up instantly and answered all my questions and sent pictures of how to set it up.Best service I have ever had from anybody.

[LondonOntGuy]

Years ago, back when DVD burners were still expensive, ($150 or so) I bought one from Future Shop with the extended warranty. About a year later the unit craps out and destroys one of my rare DVD's in the process. Said DVD was also purchased from Future Shop. When I took the burner in for an exchange, I explained what happened to the manager and I got the new drive no problem at all. He also said that he would replace the DVD as well which is something I didn't expect. Since there were no more copies available, (Street Fighter IIv Volume 1) he said he'd give me store credit for what it last sold for, so about $15 and change. This was before their North London store closed up and moved into the Hyde Park business area. Ever since then, I've always had a positive attitude towards Future Shop. I've never had a problem with anything bought from there, and exchanges are always hassle free. Best Buy has been pretty decent as well in my experience.

[Portwest]

I think that, these days, a lot of companies underestimate the value of good customer service. When sales drop, executives and market analysts are quick to blame the economy or Internet shopping or Walmart. Few of them take a realistic look at the way they’ve been treating their customers.

When a retailer ignores or minimizes a customer’s problems, the customer feels unimportant and insulted. People don’t forget something like that.

When a retailer goes out of its way to correct a problem or to please a customer, the customer doesn’t forget that, either.

As someone once said, “Every company makes mistakes, but great companies fix their mistakes and turn potentially disgruntled customers into their ambassadors.” I think more retailers would do well to keep that in mind.

[Insider]

absolutely amazing service from Hugo Boss in Vaughan Mills. gentleman by the name of Walter, probably one of the most laid back and soft spoken guys I've ever dealt with in retail. this post will definitely become too lengthy with the amount of positive things I have to say about him. be my guest, and go see him for yourself, I don't need to say, 'say _____ sent you', he'll help you as if you were his own family.

his attitude alone made me want to buy more from him, and I did. people like this in retail are almost impossible to find.

[cayros]

This is a good reminder that really good customer service experiences are just not very frequent these days. Sure, most of the people wish you a good day and the like, but it's often mechanistic, sometimes bordering on feeling forced and is sure not enough to make one go: "Wow, I want to do more business with them". I think it's the personal touch that's missing from huge chains of anything really, be it banking or clothing stores. Often the employees are not very motivated (and that's just one problem) and it shows. This is not something to be solved with motivation seminars or whatever said chains come up with. This is about hiring the right people first and making them happy at their work palace a somewhat distant but still important second.

[stuntman]

B&H Photo has excellent sales support and fair policies.

They avoid dealing with problems by avoiding them in the first place by having staff that is passionate about the store, its products and photography (even if they are not photography pros) and the client purchase experience.

to me that is the best customer service.

[litebrite]

Clarks shoes really won me over with their customer service. I bought a pair of black Indigo by Clarks flats from the Clarks Outlet at the Premium Outlets in Waterloo, NY. Wore it to work occasionally, on weekends occasionally (I'm a girl! lots of other shoes in my wardrobe to choose from!) and discovered after about a month that a seam on the bottom side of the shoe was splitting. It seemed more like a superficial seam split, but nonetheless that type of defect shouldn't be expected from an almost brand new pair of shoes! I emailed Clarks about the situation sending them pictures. They responded very quickly letting me know that since I purchased them at the outlet, they don't have any other pairs they can send me and if I could choose another pair from their current collection. They asked me for the style I wanted, size, address and sent me a brand new current season pair of shoes! Very thrilled with that. I've since bought more from their Indigo by Clarks collection. :)


Another time was with a Wamsutta duvet that was purchased at the Bay. Pretty much new and barely used. The down started shedding and getting on my clothes and furniture even with the duvet cover on. I emailed the company giving them the details and they took the time to call me back to let me know they'll send me a better quality (albeit discontinued) duvet. Even though my original duvet wasn't the highest end one, I didn't expect it to shed like mad and the company understood.

My two best experiences to date. :lol:

[Snickles]

This is a good reminder that really good customer service experiences are just not very frequent these days. Sure, most of the people wish you a good day and the like, but it's often mechanistic, sometimes bordering on feeling forced and is sure not enough to make one go: "Wow, I want to do more business with them". I think it's the personal touch that's missing from huge chains of anything really, be it banking or clothing stores. Often the employees are not very motivated (and that's just one problem) and it shows. This is not something to be solved with motivation seminars or whatever said chains come up with. This is about hiring the right people first and making them happy at their work palace a somewhat distant but still important second.

I agree! Good customer service stands out! This thread should be longer. The fact that it is not speaks volumes.

As you say, it's more than un-motivated employees. It's something that filters from the top down. In any corporation, bad or indifferent customer service reflects the attitude of the top executives.

Companies overlook the value and often cut costs by ignoring customer satisfaction. They don't seem to realize that their profits could be so much better if they would only take care of their customers instead of treating them like sheep.

[bylo]

I agree! Good customer service stands out! This thread should be longer. The fact that it is not speaks volumes.
It does speak volumes but it probably says something different than you may imagine. I agree that good customer service isn't as common as it used to be. But another explanation for the brevity of this thread is simple human nature. People like to complain but they're often reluctant to praise.

If you took all the threads on RFD that lambaste stores to heart you'd think that you'll get screwed every time you enter a store or buy something online. And yet most of us buy stuff regularly at the same stores that are common targets of RFD posters without incident. Go figure...

[Avenger]

Had a good experience with Apple here: http://forums.redflagdeals.com/apple-positive-customer-service-experience-1153767

Hi,

First, let me preface this by saying I am not an Apple fanboy. To be honest, I haven't ever really even liked or had an interest in anything Apple. I prefer Android, have only an old Ipod Nano, and have never been a fan of them or their devices. I also never post about service received very often. This time, however, I feel it is worth mentioning, as it is rare in this day and age to receive customer service, let alone good customer service.

I purchased a $50 gift card for someone as a Christmas gift. They finally got around to using it, and indicated it was not working. Not having the receipt, and after hearing they tried 5 times, I asked for a photo of the card. I also googled about redeeming, and found some tutorials which indicated there was some form of confirmation prior to redemption. My intent was to get to that point, decline, and advise them the code works, with a screenshot.

Well, don't be fooled - Apple does not ask you to confirm, they just add the $$ to your balance. You cannot gift it nor purchase gifts with that balance according to their site. I figured for sure I was SOL, but wanted to try anyhow, since I have no use for iTunes credit in any way, shape or form.

I emailed Apple this AM with my photo of the card, an explanation, and my request to move it to another account. Shortly after I was asked some identification questions, which I answered. Upon doing so they advised me they have made a one time exception and would provide a code to be redeemed on the proper account. Not only did I get the response I wanted, I got a rep who wrote proper english, acknowledged the exact issue (not cited the closest match in their manual which was not my issue), and responded to me like a real person.

I have to say, as much as I hate on Apple, and love Google (Android), my experiences with Google have been downright horrible. I think other companies need to take a moment and re-evaluate their service - it certainly makes me want to work with Apple more given the high level of support - I wish this sort of service existed everywhere.

Even if I hadn't gotten what I want, the fact they acknowledged my issue was great - most places give you the canned BS response, fail to address your issue, and frustrate you to the point of giving up.

Kudos to Apple!

[bonterra]

Home Depot has come through for me above and beyond on many occasions.

I had a light fixture with glass shades in my bathroom, I smashed one of the shades when the top flew off a cleaning product. I called HD, told them what happened and asked where I could order a replacement. They told me to come in and they would GIVE me a replacement. They opened a New In Box fixture and handed me a shade. No charge.

I also bought a high end toilet, when installed, we noticed the bowl was cracked. HD had none in stock, they ordered it in and gave me a "loaner" toilet in the meantime. When the order came in for the toilet that cracked, they said I could keep the loaner, they didn't want it back.

I also bought a pedestal sink on clearance that I changed my mind about using, but by then I'd had it for almost 6 months. I asked them what they could do for me, acknowledging that it had been a clearance item, I'd had it for a long time and I had lost the receipt. They took my word for what I had paid and refunded me that amount.

Thanks Home Depot!!

[batye]

puritan.com - always buy from them good service if any problem they resolved it right away

[cayros]

It does speak volumes but it probably says something different than you may imagine. I agree that good customer service isn't as common as it used to be. But another explanation for the brevity of this thread is simple human nature. People like to complain but they're often reluctant to praise.

If you took all the threads on RFD that lambaste stores to heart you'd think that you'll get screwed every time you enter a store or buy something online. And yet most of us buy stuff regularly at the same stores that are common targets of RFD posters without incident. Go figure...

I somewhat disagree. If people feel that they were wronged they will certainly be likely to complain, however, if someone has an outstanding experience, they would also be likely to share it. They may be less likely to make a special thread on RFD for that, but still, this thread here does show something.

Also, I forgot to include this in my previous post - I had good experience with newegg where they took care of a problem while the manufacturer tried to shift responsibility.

[bibowski]

Meineke has been awesome every time I go there. The specific location is on Fairview in Burlington, Ont. $20 oil changes, and they never try to get me to buy any extras (although they'll warm me if wipers or tires are getting worn out), whereas at Mr. Lube it's $40+ and they constantly try to convince me I need this and that... even though I know I don't.

Owner is super nice and I've never had a single issue in years. Just thought i'd give my 2 cents.

[bylo]

I bought a Philips Sonicare toothbrush from my dentist almost 2 years ago. The batteries no longer hold a charge for more than a few days. I opened up an incident using the online Chat on their website. The agent asked for a copy of my invoice. I e-mailed them a PDF of it and now I'm getting a brand new toothbrush (presumably with some spare heads too.)

Also when I mentioned that my old model's charger works only on 110VAC, making it useless for travel overseas, the agent said I'll be getting a newer model with a dual-voltage charger.