Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Remember When the Customer was Always Right?

I bought a new dress for an upcoming wedding.

I loved the description in the catalog:

Steeped in color as a frost-touched plum.............the description writer should get a raise for coming up with that analogy!

....Twirled in a gentle jacquard, not "a jacquard fabric", no, it's "twirled" in a gentle jacquard....I love it!

The cute part is the back which is cut out to allow skin to show through.



Why, what's that big white blemish on my skin?

Ah, it's the big ugly label! Now why would they stick the label here? It's totally crazy because it must come out. So I had to carefully cut it out and pray that I didn't cut the lace with it. Couldn't they have stuck it in a hidden side seam? No, that would be too logical and customer friendly.


Why is it that companies today go all out to make their product inconvenient for the consumer?


I have already written to Campbell's soup to complain about opening those pop top cans of tomato soup. It's impossible to open them without breaking a nail. I now use a spoon to stick under the tab, but the tomato soup never fails to splatter all over the counter when the top pops. It's also a pain to get all the soup out of the can with that lip in the way. But since the supermarket shelves are still all pop tops, my complaint did not inspire Campbell's to change the can design. :) They did at least send me a letter along with some coupons for their other products. It was a canned letter, but it was better than no response.


Since I am on a rant, here are two more things I hate:

#1 Hand blow dryers in rest rooms.

EVERYONE knows that consumers HATE these. Why do businesses insist on using them? I always get a kick out of the engraved signs on the blowers that say something like, "For the Convenience of our Customers we Have Installed.....". The only reason it was installed was less cost for the business - they save labor for towel installation/cleaning and replacement paper towels. Who cares if it's inconvenient for the customer? How many times have you dried your hands on your pant leg?

#2 Recordings instead of real people answering the phone.

I don't know of one single person who prefers recordings. Yet companies just keep using them. How frustrating is it when your question does not match the numbers you can push? At many places, it is impossible to get to a human to ask a question. THey need a "If this is the last time you will do business with us, push 9" button.

Remember gas stations pumping your gas AND washing your windows? The gas stations make way more profit today than they did then. Why could they afford to do it when they made small profits, but can't now that they make mega-billions? Once the Goober-owned "filling" stations disappeared, so did the service.

I hope I live to see the day they bring back customer service!

14 comments:

  1. Oh, Zoey, don't even get me started on this one! H used to teach "Customer Service" and it's a big thing in our house. H does not hesitate to "give feedback" to anyone who does a lousy job in this area. My personal pet peeve is the cashier at the grocery store who holds a conversation with the bagger while totally ignoring the customer standing in front of her. I could go on and on.

    ReplyDelete
  2. And, the tags itch! Pretty dress though and I love your new shoes!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Not sure where your dress was made, but I'd say that in a busy factory, the seamstresses just sewed them in where they always sew them in, at the neck! I hate those blasted tags myself!
    I think if you are going through the entire menu of an automated call, if you hit the Operator button, you should get a live person, that's what I try anyway.
    I've been having trouble with getting late charges on this one store bill. Same store had a due date on a holiday! I know I mail it in plenty of time to get to the Baltimore, MD address-it's only a few hours from me. I call and tell them that and the woman said that they pick up mail 7 days a week-I don't think so. They take off the charges, but I also took the card out of my wallet. Any finance charge that does over 20% is too much anyway.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I knew that was Coldwater Creek as soon as I read the line! Whoever describes the clothes is very creative.

    It is pretty, by the way.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Giddy, that one gets me, too! Many times I have been standing at a counter or register and the two employees just carry on a conversation like I am not there. Very rude.



    lkayanne, Yes, they do itch. I actually remove all tags from my clothing.

    Dianne, Good for you in getting rid of that card. The only way to get change is not to patronize.

    Sandy, do you like Colwater Creek? This was my first purchase from them. I also bought two shirts, which I do like.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I think you're right Zoey. The days of customer service have been left behind for the most part.
    I've noticed that many clerks in stores seem to feel that they are doing you a favor by answering a question, or helping you find a product.
    Cute dress BTW!
    xo

    ReplyDelete
  7. Here Here! Customer service has taken such a nose-dive. I miss the "good ole' days". Cindy at Rosehaven Cottage

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wow - you're getting in some good rants lately!! ;)
    I love your dress - the color is yummy. But totally agree about the tag placement - and I also agree that tags itch.
    I hate getting only voicemail options. One of our credit cards actually tried to charge a fee if you ended up talking to a real person! You had to explain that the computer messed up. Unreal!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh - and I agree about the soup cans too - I HATE those pop tops - and you're right - you can't get the soup out of the can!! Have these companies never heard of market studies??

    ReplyDelete
  10. You've got to be joking, Kris. That beats all--having to pay to talk to a person!

    Yeah, I have been on a rant roll lately, haven't I? :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Although the phone messages can sometimes be helpful, they often take so long to go through. Even more than those, I hate the ones which say "I can understand what you say. How can we help you?" Then I stand there thinking "What the hell can I say that a machine is going to understand?"

    ReplyDelete
  12. hmmmm....
    I have ordered from that company several times, but the things are sooo short!!
    I hope you love your dress and it's not too short on you, Zoey!! I know you will look fabulous in it!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Pretty dress, Zoey, and I recognized the Coldwater Creek description too! They do have a way with words, don't they?

    I usually try hitting 0 on those automated calls too, sometimes it works. Or pretend you're on a rotary dial phone and don't hit any buttons, many times a person eventually comes on the line.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I find your rants such fun Zoey :)
    You're absolutely right...if more businesses thought about what makes the customers happy (which, after all, is what it's all about!!!) they would do better business!
    The same applies to companies treating their employees well. It's a no-brainer!
    Oh those hand dryers are such a pain! I'm sure elderly people hate those pop tops on soup cans. They're really hard to open sometimes!
    I love your new outfit!!!! Great color and style. I'm sure you look like a femme fatale in it :)

    ReplyDelete

I appreciate you taking the time and effort to leave a comment. I will try to answer any questions you have. Please note due to Blogger changing word verification so almost nobody can read it, I have had to change to no word verification and only allow registered users to comment.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...