Monday, 29 June 2015

Big Box Blunders

As I mention on my Introduction page, I worked most of my adult life, close to twenty years in the hospitality industry.  I worked the front desk of motels, hotels, suites, and resorts.  Over the course of my career, I learned a thing or two about customer service.

One of the most important thing I learned was treat the customer the way you would like to be treated.  I also learned it is often the small things that can make the most difference.  So now when I am at a hotel, restaurant, or even a store it is customer service that I pay the most attention to.

This past weekend my wife and I went shopping.  I will not bother mentioning the store or what it was that we were looking for.  All I will say is that it was a fairly substantial purchase.

We started our shopping misadventure on the store's website.  Actually, we started on several stores' websites, my wife is quite the comparison shopper.  However, the best deal to be had was at the store that shall not be named.

The website indicated that there were two units available at the store.  A quick phone call to the store confirm and there were actually four units.  Why the discrepancy,  isn't there an app for that?

With dwindling numbers and a product that was in high demand, we decided that instead of placing the order online we had better get there quickly.  So we got in the car and twenty minutes later we were pulling into the parking lot.  Five minutes later we were standing in front of the shelf in front of the four units, right price...wrong product.

Off to the customer service desk to see if we could figure out where the right product happened to be. All we got was "product number?"  So my wife trecked back to the shelf to get the number.  Wasn't it nice of her to do their work for them.

A quick check of the computer showed that there actually were zero units available. So she handed us off to another clerk who would happy (even if she did not look it) to help us.  Back we go to the aisle to look at other options.

You know it is really sad when you have to explain to staff what sales they are currently running.  My wife asked about another sale listed on the website... "Oh no, that was a one day sale yesterday." Really, then maybe you should update your website because it says that sale price is valid for another three days.

Back to the customer service (a term I am using loosely) desk.  I am kind of wishing I had pulled out my phone and took a picture as my wife took the staff through all the sales on their own website.  It was literally customer service.

After a frustrating twenty minutes, where we learned that there were zero units left in the entire city, we left the store empty handed and disappointed.  We came home and, did what we should have in the first place, put an order in online, figuring even if it was delayed, we would get the sale price.

We did select a different location for pick up, just to avoid having to go back and face that Customer Service team again.  After the order was placed we got an e-mail saying it would be four to five days to place the order.  But apparently the other location could work miracles because it was ready the following afternoon.

We reluctantly approached their customer service desk, only to be greeted with a smile.  We had not brought a cart, as we did not know where exactly we would have to pick up our purchase.  But that wasn't a problem, the young lady went got a cart, and she and a co-worker loaded our purchase into it for us.

In less than five minutes we were out the door.  The store that shall not be named saved by great customer service at the second location.  Yes it is twice as long a drive to get there, but it will be the store we head to now.

I realize that if anyone from the first store read this post, they would not care. Afterall, my wife and I are only two people out of how many that pass through their doors every day.  Yet I have told at least ten people, thus far, about our experience who will likely make the longer trip to the second location.





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