Customer Service... Remember That?

[Stewart]

Now, I'm a hard one to please, when it comes to customer service, as I think along the lines of 'I'm giving you my money, and can give it to someone else, so I expect you to be nice and treat me as a paying customer all the time'.

However, particularly after the utterly unbelievable and disgraceful way I've been treated, by a certain, to remain unnamed (although I'm sure not unknown) online retailer, I welcome quality customer service more than anything, even competitive pricing.

So I have to praise Gameplay.co.uk for their, quite frankly, flawless RMA procedure, superb after sales staff and very slick system.

Basically, I ordered a Razor Boomslang 2100 from them about 9 months ago, and recently, the scroll wheel started to go. I contacted GamePlay, explaining the situation, and explaining that I'd lost the warranty and the original packaging. They told me to send it back with a covering letter, quoting my account number, choose if I want a refund or replacement, and they'd sort it out.

So, with the Boomslang placed in an old PC game box, I sent it off with a covering letter, only 50% sure that they'd even accept it, and wondering how long it would take.

Posted it yesterday, got an email this morning telling me the item had arrived as would be delt with, got an email this evening, the same day, telling me my item is packed, and has left for my address, via first class post.

How about that then?

With some companies treating you like an idiot when you try to RMA an item, and the troubles you have to put up with, as well as the months of waiting, it’s good to see that there are some places left that actually have a clue about how to treat a paying, loyal customer.

Top stuff.

[Shogun]

However, particularly after the utterly unbelievable and disgraceful way I've been treated, by a certain, to remain unnamed (although I'm sure not unknown) online retailer,

Will teach you not to order from them again, they have a reputation for having crap customer service anyway

[Tumble]

Our company doesn't sell computers.... but if a photocopier goes wrong after we've installed it - we'll do our best to get it replaced/fixed right away. We can get out to a customer's site usually within 2 hours, and most things can either be fixed in an hour or we replace bits/whole machines. The longest a customer has ever had to wait for a complete new machine after his new one nuked itself was 1 day (while we ordered and had a new one delivered). even if the machine was a right pain to get to it's final destination, we'll still haul it out and get another one in. We actually make a point of selling our service, and it seems to work wonders tbh.

[ACiD303]

What I was taught about customer service in one of my first jobs: Make a good impression, they will tell 10 friends, and each friend will tell another 10 friends and so on so. Same goes for bad customer service.

Things have progressed abit since then and now you just type something and the whole world can see

[Michael]

I bought a mini fridge in the gadget shop yesterday, and then noticed a bigger one for £5 less in half price or less after i walked out, went back to gadget shop and asked to return it (Two minutes after leaving the shop), and they simply refused to give me my money back. Unopened box, not even touched. "Company policy". Asshats.

[Apex]

Must say after all the bad storys about OcUK i have a rather better one.

Basicly my rma was accepted with out question and within 4 days i had the replcement card.

The fact there not the cheepist place to buy does not matter now has this showing of customer service has now restoresd faith in them for the time being.

[EvilMunky]

What I was taught about customer service in one of my first jobs: Make a good impression, they will tell 10 friends, and each friend will tell another 10 friends and so on so. Same goes for bad customer service.

Things have progressed abit since then and now you just type something and the whole world can see

There was a study done a while ago and whilst not about online shops, the theory is the same. It was about restaurants. If you have a good meal and good service at a restaurant you tell 3 people on average. However, if you have a bad meal or server, you tell 11 people on average.

Same goes for customer service.

[TiG]

Its not just computer Kit though, I've had a technical issue with a company called Scansoft and one of there software products, we've paid for that plus the technical support, i put a query on a web site, was answered in under an hour for more information, e-mail came through, put the extra information on and within another 10 minutes had a complete documented solution, offering two ways of achieving the aims.

It was absolutely superb. Any time i get customer service like that i'm rather chuffed

Plus i work for a company, that the same is true of, i pride myself in doing everything i can do to keep our customers happy, something i take great pride in. Its not necessarily the company that is the good customer service its the person you get to deal with your problem some of the time

TiG

[EvilMunky]

Thats pretty rare tig...keeep up the good customer service. It must be karma or sumthing.

[Skii]

DFS - Slough

We ordered a sofa, waited the 7 for delivery, phone call on the Wednesday of the 7th week to tell us the delivery would be Friday. Friday arrived, phonecall at 9 a.m. to tell us the driver was half an hour away.

Sofa arrived exactly on time, BUT - wouldn't fit in flat (basically it got through the door ok but wouln't go around the corner past our bathroom - we handn't taken that into account)

So - driver takes Sofa away, and we ring DFS, they organised for a set of Leather sofa-chairs to be delivered to us the next day, and we organise another sofa (this time with removeable arms)

Sofa was again delivered exactly on time.

Brilliant service.


Also - the AA, I can't fault them

[Nick]

Skii, I bought a desk from Argos....

[Skii]

Skii, I bought a desk from Argos....

[Bazzlad]

On a similar point, has anyone been to Riley’s (Brierley Hill)? EVERY single member of staff in there has an attitude problem, to the extent of a friend came up to me about 10 yards away from the bar and asked if I could buy him some honey roasted peanuts (disgusting). I walked to the bar, ordered 3 pints of Fosters and a bag of the peanuts, to which the barmaid replied with;
"You felt the need to order the peanuts because you obviously think I'm stupid."
And ranted for 5 minutes about it.
???? WHAT!
I asked her if I'd accidently ordered a pint of attitude problem and you can imagine how long she went on about that.

People in shops/bars just don't care. Admittedly I'm only at my job for the money, but that's no excuse for rude/impolite behaviour

[ACiD303]

to which the barmaid replied with;
"You felt the need to order the peanuts because you obviously think I'm stupid."

She was flirting with you - missed yer chance now!

[Bazzlad]

She was flirting with you - missed yer chance now!

I had a lucky escape then, this "woman" was Arnie with muscles, an uber uber dyke!

TBH She DEFINANTLY wasn't flirting with me. If she was I'm going to go to Primary school 1 O 1. (If someone hits you they fancy you) so I'll give her a headbutt to show my love

[bertie]

There's just something about receiving great customer service that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside - i've always found gameplay to be spot on too!