Complaints

[cliffdweller]

Are you one of those people that complains about bad service? I never used to be, but as I get older, rude behavior just doesn't cut it anymore. I'm finding that it's more and more difficult to let piss poor attitudes roll off my back. If you do complain, how bad does the service have to be in order to prompt you to do so? In what kinds of instances have you complained? How frequently do you complain? Do you feel bad about it later?

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by cliffdweller

Are you one of those people that complains about bad service? I never used to be, but as I get older, rude behavior just doesn't cut it anymore. I'm finding that it's more and more difficult to let piss poor attitudes roll off my back. If you do complain, how bad does the service have to be in order to prompt you to do so? In what kinds of instances have you complained? How frequently do you complain? Do you feel bad about it later?

I used to let things slide. But I work hard for my money and things are so damn expensive now that if I'm going to pay a lot for something, I certainly don't expect **** serivce on top of it. What I've found effective is that a lot of the stores have websites that ask for your feedback. Any time I have an exceptional experience (good or bad) I let them know.
Yesterday, I'm in Home Depot and I'm looking for something. There are these two sales women standing at the end of the aisle shooting the breeze. So I decide to go ask them for help but before I can get in shouting distance of them, they see me coming and take off. WTF? I press on anyway and find one of them at a door with one of those code locks and she is having trouble opening it and trying to make her escape. I said "Excuse me" and she whirls around and says "I'll be with you in a minute." I just shook my head and walked off and found someone else to help me.
A few weeks ago, I was at Circuit City looking for a new memory card for my digital camera. I go over to the section where they are but I'm not sure which one I should use. The little booklet that they have there is confusing as hell. So there is this sales guy standing right behind me helping some friends of his and they are just casually shooting the breeze. He could have easily helped me but chose to ignore me instead. Best part: The guy's friend is standing there in a pair of athletic shorts doing some kind of cheerleader semi split. His feet are blocking the aisle where I and other customers are trying to walk. He sees me and others but doesn't move an inch. The worst thing is that I realize he's just standing there in his semi-split letting his balls air out in public. Gag. So again, I go find someone else to help me. This guy is no rocket scientist either. I have a few simple questions about the card and the guy responds with "Uh, I can't remember." I fished this guy out of the computer department, no less. So when I got home, I took their little survey and gave them a few good paragraphs. I haven't heard anything back, though.

[strandinthewind]

I tend to let the people in charge know if something is not up to snuff. I find that most of the time, they are happy to hear it, esp. when it is proffered in a nice way, which, granted, is hard to do sometimes. I do find, though, that if I am a total ass about something, I usually regret my behaviour afterward.

[cliffdweller]

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

I used to let things slide. But I work hard for my money and things are so damn expensive now that if I'm going to pay a lot for something, I certainly don't expect **** serivce on top of it. What I've found effective is that a lot of the stores have websites that ask for your feedback. Any time I have an exceptional experience (good or bad) I let them know.
Yesterday, I'm in Home Depot and I'm looking for something. There are these two sales women standing at the end of the aisle shooting the breeze. So I decide to go ask them for help but before I can get in shouting distance of them, they see me coming and take off. WTF? I press on anyway and find one of them at a door with one of those code locks and she is having trouble opening it and trying to make her escape. I said "Excuse me" and she whirls around and says "I'll be with you in a minute." I just shook my head and walked off and found someone else to help me.
A few weeks ago, I was at Circuit City looking for a new memory card for my digital camera. I go over to the section where they are but I'm not sure which one I should use. The little booklet that they have there is confusing as hell. So there is this sales guy standing right behind me helping some friends of his and they are just casually shooting the breeze. He could have easily helped me but chose to ignore me instead. Best part: The guy's friend is standing there in a pair of athletic shorts doing some kind of cheerleader semi split. His feet are blocking the aisle where I and other customers are trying to walk. He sees me and others but doesn't move an inch. The worst thing is that I realize he's just standing there in his semi-split letting his balls air out in public. Gag. So again, I go find someone else to help me. This guy is no rocket scientist either. I have a few simple questions about the card and the guy responds with "Uh, I can't remember." I fished this guy out of the computer department, no less. So when I got home, I took their little survey and gave them a few good paragraphs. I haven't heard anything back, though.

"Air his balls in public" --- rich

Yeah, I'm just sick of piss poor service. I was at a smoothie stand this morning on campus and had THE WORST treatment from one of the employees who decided that she'd like to give me as much attitude as possible for forgetting to bring my credit card with me. **** happens you know? I ran back to my office to get it, apologized profusely for forgetting it and the employee (upon my return) decided to berrate and harrass me for making her wait 5 minutes! I complained to the division of housing and food here on campus (this isn't my first encounter with their bad behavior either), I wonder if I'll even get a response!

[wondergirl9847]

I despise walking into a store and having to deal with little 15 year olds who don't know crap about the products. I went into Best Buy to look at the cameras last year and had to deal with some guy who didn't have a clue about anything. Yeah, thanks for your help.

If you don't like people and don't like dealing with them (I am one of those. LOL), then don't work in retail! Try to learn all you can about the products you are selling for frick sake. I'm sorry, but we've gone downhill so fast in regards to service and quality of product. It's really sad.

[David]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

I tend to let the people in charge know if something is not up to snuff. I find that most of the time, they are happy to hear it, esp. when it is proffered in a nice way, which, granted, is hard to do sometimes.

That's what I always do: ask immediately for the manager. I tell the manager that I was just about to buy something expensive but because I got no help, I decided to buy the item from a competitor.

Even though it's often inconvenient for me, I leave when assistance is poor or nil. I never make a scene & keep it completely polite. But people are under the grossly mistaken notion that suffering rude treatment in silence is the polite thing to do.

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by cliffdweller

"Air his balls in public" --- rich

IT WAS NOT ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Originally Posted by cliffdweller

. . . I wonder if I'll even get a response!

I sometimes put in a complaint that I am not seeking anything for free or any kind of compensation. For example, a friend and I were in Bergdoff Goodman a few months ago and she wanted to buy a coat. We were looking for a certain designer. No one would give us the time of day though most of the depts were empty. When anyone could be bothered, they merely pointed the way.

So, I wrote to BG and said that I had been shopping there since like 1980 and this was the first time I had ever been treated like that and that was a shame because I sort of grew up in that store, etc. I clearly indicated I was not seeking anything in the way of compensation for the rudeness - I just wanted them to know. Well, the manager sent me a handwritten page long note about how people like me who go there everytime I am in NYC are their bread and butter customers and that she was implementing these new steps so that no one is ignored again. She also thanked me for taking the time out to let her know of the problems and, under protest, sent me two coupons for a free lunch in their fab cafe. She made a point to say this was not a compensation, but advertisement, which was punctuated by a smiley face.

So, sugar draws more than salt I guess.

[DrummerDeanna]

I never used to complain either - but nowadays if I get bad service or rude treatment I do bring it to the attention of management.

AND many times I get something in return (so not why I do it) like a free soda or something

But I really have to be pushed to complain against a person.

It's sad to me that nowadays it seems bad service is the norm whereas good service is hard to find. So when I get really good service - I try to bring that to management's attention as well.

[HomerMcvie]

Sometimes filling out the online complaint forms will do you no good though.
Kohls, six months ago.
Pick out a pair of shoes.
Go to checkout.
Wait in line for about ten minutes. There's only ONE register open on that end of the store. The associate WAS paging for help, repeatedly. Nobody came though.
Finally, a few customers said, "let's go to the registers at the other end of the store".
We get down there, where there are two registers open.
I wait there, close to another ten minutes.
I get to the register, and guess what happens?

The other register needs a price check, so this STUPID bi*ch tells me, "I'm closing my register now, because she needs a price check".
I informed her (nicely) that I'd waited in TWO lines for 20 minutes total, and NOW she's CLOSING her register, when I'm finally up to it?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

"Sorry. She needs a price check, so I'm closing".

Me> "yeah, well you can keep these god damned shoes"!

Madder than hell, I go online at home, and fill out their complaint form. The store manager finally emails me. Never admits any mistake on their part, only that, "I spoke with the associate concerning this matter".
No "sorry".
Nothing to make any reparations.
Nothing.

Kohls is the best place on my side of town, for clothing and shoes. As a result of this incident, and the UNsatisfactory way in which they dealt with it, they will NEVER get another dime of my money!
Rant off!

[estranged4life]

for assistance, I know exactly what I am looking for when I enter a store...Why bother with a hassle of asking, and receiving poor customer service?

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by HomerMcvie

Madder than hell, I go online at home, and fill out their complaint form. The store manager finally emails me. Never admits any mistake on their part, only that, "I spoke with the associate concerning this matter".
No "sorry".
Nothing to make any reparations.
Nothing.

Kohls is the best place on my side of town, for clothing and shoes. As a result of this incident, and the UNsatisfactory way in which they dealt with it, they will NEVER get another dime of my money!
Rant off!

If you saved that email, I would find out who the regional manager is and forward it to him saying exactly what you have said here. They should have at least offered you an apology.

[jannieC]

As a former restauarant manager, I do complain. But I do it really nicely and I do it because I know that manager would want to know that they have a slack-ass working for them.

Once, when I was in Walmart, they issued a code-whatever (can't think of what it is called) but they described the little boy who was missing and gave his name out over the intercom! So, really, a freak could have walked up to him (based on his description), said his name and grabbed him out of there! I called the manager from my cell phone later in the day and explained how upset I was over the whole thing. He didn't really give me a satisfactory answer, so I emailed their corporate offices and got a phone call from some upper management person. He agreed with me that it was handled totally incorrectly (they didn't even block the exits/entrances like they were supposed to), and that he was scheduling a training class for all managers and employees of that particular Walmart! Go me!

P.S The little boy was fine, btw.

[HomerMcvie]

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

If you saved that email, I would find out who the regional manager is and forward it to him saying exactly what you have said here. They should have at least offered you an apology.

And not that I was seeking compensation, but a coupon or SOMETHING would've made me feel a little more forgiving about them wasting time.

Either admit your guilt, and offer an apology, or make it up to me. Your choice!
They chose neither.
I no longer choose them.

[The Tower]

Since I've worked in customer service for the last 20 years, I really know what it's like to deal with jerkwad, asshole customers. With that said, I never complain about poor service, ever.

If I receive poor service or attitude or any of that crap, I just leave the store and never shop there ever again. I don't give management the opportunity to recover my business, because if they actually cared, the poor service/attitude wouldn't have existed in the first place.

Case in point: Home Depot. I went there one time. Horrible service. Never went back. I always shop at my local hardware store for all that stuff now. When I walk in the store, an associate walks up to me (without asking) and says, "Can I help you find something?". They always get my business and I tell them why.

When I get good service, I always communicate it- when I get bad service, I just leave.

Same thing with restaurants. If I get poor service or if the food is crappy, I never go back there again. I only go good restaurants. And I always tip 20%.

[cliffdweller]

Originally Posted by HomerMcvie

And not that I was seeking compensation, but a coupon or SOMETHING would've made me feel a little more forgiving about them wasting time.

You know, I wasn't even thinking about this after what happened in my episode this morning. I was just fuming at the dehumanization and rudeness of the employee and wanted their boss to know about it. But now that you mention it, I wouldn't mind a free smoothie!

And yeah, I know it was only a smoothie, but it's the principal of the thing dammit and also, I'm sick of the constant rudeness over there.