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AAARRGGHH...Ree's phone rage (long)

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  • AAARRGGHH...Ree's phone rage (long)

    Oh man...I finally was able to get time this week to make my calls to the manufacturers for warranty issues.

    Some of the stuff has been sitting there since we opened in April, and I simply haven't had time, but this week, after hiring new pricing girls, and getting some extra help with my returns paperwork, I am caught up!!!!

    The pricing was done in only 2 days. For the last 3 months, it has been going over to late Thursday, and even into Friday.

    Anyway, my excitement over that fact didn't last long once I started making calls after lunch.
    • I made my first call. I had to press a series of buttons to get where I needed to go, after hearing everything in French first, and then English, and then being told to press "1" if I wanted to continue in English.

      I finally got to the right department and it immediately went to the automated message saying all lines were busy and I would be transferred to the first available operator. I sat on hold, being told my call was very important to them, and to please remain on the line.

      I was on hold for about 5 minutes, then someone came on and I finally got somewhere.
      I was told I neded to fax in a form for claiming accessories for hot water tanks, but the only form I had was for claiming the whole unit.
      Apparently, I had old forms, and nobody had bothered to send me updated ones. They said they would fax me new forms.
    • I called the second company about a wood chipper. All I really needed was a bolt, but in order to replace it, that would mean unscrewing and removing the whole head, and as far as I know, since we are not a service depot, that voids the warranty, so I was requesting return authorization.

      It also went immediately to the automated voice thingy, saying that "all operators are busy", then sat on hold, being told my call was very important to them, and to please remain on the line.

      I was transferred twice, sat on hold each time for short periods, again being told my call was very important to them, then finally got through, telling my story each time, and finally being told that the person who handles these things was on holidays until next week. I was transferred again to his voice mail.
      I had originally sent the fax 2 weeks ago, and there had been no response, so I can only assume he was gone for a 2-week holiday. I left a message, so I hope I get better results next week.
    • I called another company that I had spoken to in mid-July about a replacement part, yet to be received from them.
      I got a recording saying they were closed, and their hours of operation.
      I was within those hours, so I figured maybe there was a time zone problem. I left a message.
      Today, they still hadn't called me back, so I called again, a little later this time.
      Same recorded message. I am assuming the company shuts down for holidays.
    • I hung up and called the next company. This was for a faulty remote for a satellite dish.
      I waited through all the automated instructions in French, then again in English, being told to press a certain number to continue the call in English.

      I sat on hold, finally got through, and then I told her my story. She then asked for my dealer ID. I gave her the same store ID that we use all the time, only to be told that it was the wrong one.
      Apparently, what I was giving was our corporate ID, and this company assigns specific ID's to their accounts.
      I had thought, if I gave her our store name and address, she should be able to look it up, but I guess I was wrong.

      I said that I had no idea what she meant, since I did not handle the selling or the returns for this product at our old store. I did call one time, on behalf of a customer, and had no problems just getting a replacement remote for the guy. That call was less than 10 minutes and I got no hassles at all, nor was I asked for the dealer ID, so the company must have changed their processes.

      I checked with the manager, and he gave me the ID from his memory. (It's been a while since we actually sold the item, but we still carry accessories for it.) I called back to exactly the same number, got a different person, told my story, and was immediately told that I had called the wrong number.
      I said, "Excuse me, but I only hung up less than 5 minutes ago after speaking to a different person and explaining the same story, and as far as I knew, all I needed in order for her to help me was to have my dealer ID.
      He asked me for the ID, and then I was told that it was the wrong format, because there were no letters in it.

      He gave me another number to call. I explained the story again, and was told that I needed to fax in a claim request on their form, which I did not have on file at all. I got her to fax it to me.

      When I got it today, I saw that the form said it was for requesting a replacement or credit for the satellite receiver only, and didn't even have a place to claim for parts. I filled it out anyway, so I will see what happens.
    • So, knowing that there was nothing more I could do until she had faxed me the form, I made my third phone call of the day.

      This was for a couple of power washers that have been sitting in my returns since our grand opening. They were a door crasher.
      One was damaged when it came in, and we had used the parts from it to fix up our customers. We had over 100 of them for our sale, and there were 3 of them that were damaged. The warranty is actually only 90 days, but because things were so crazy, I hadn't been able to get to them, so it was a little over that time period.
      The other was a different model, but it had been bought shortly before the old store closed, and the man returned it within the first 3 weeks, but, again, because I had neglected it, the warranty period was long over.

      Anyway, I called the first number, gave my story, got transferred twice. "Oh, you need to call this number."
      I called that number, got transferred a couple of times. "Oh, you need to call this number.


    It was 5 minutes before time for me to leave, and I was sick of the phone, so I left. I had put in about 2 hours on the phone, sitting on hold. I was being interrupted in between wiht other silly things, so I wasn't on hold the whole time, but it was still frustrating that it took me so long to deal with things that have been sitting for weeks, and I still wasn't any further ahead.

    I came in today to start all over again.
    • I called the company with the power washers, and got transferred again at least 3 times, only to be told that it was the wrong company. They no longer dealt with this item.

      I finally found the right company after a bit of searching.
      Problem solved.

    • Because I ran out of time the day before, I still had a gas-powered weed trimmer that I hadn't dealt with. It was malfunctioning.
      It was sitting in my returns after I got back from holidays in June.
      These things are usually repair only, but there was a note from the manager on it, saying he had been given permission to replace it, but he had no contact info or authorization numbers to say who had approved it.

      I have been trying to get somewhere with it, but because he didn't get a name, nobody from the company will take my word for it that it was approved. He doesn't remember who he spoke with either.
      I figured I would try again.

      I looked up to see which of their company reps dealt with our company.
      I called and explained exactly which company I was with and asked for the guy by name 4 different times, and was transferred 4 different times.
      Then I was told, "Oh, you have the wrong number. You need to call..."

      I called, and I was told, "Oh, you have the wrong number. I don't know why they would tell you to call Georgia. You need to call Arkansas. (I am in Canada.) You need to call..."

      I called the number, and was again told, "Oh, you have the wrong number. You need to call..."and IT WAS EXACTLY THE SAME NUMBER I HAD CALLED THE FIRST TIME!!!!

      I kind of lost it with her, but then I apologized and said, "I'm sorry, but this is very frustrating."
      I told her how many people I had dealt with and she was very nice.
      She looked it up for me and got me in touch with the person who handles the Canadian accounts that she thought might be able to help me, or else he would know who to call. I had already told all of the previous people that I was from Canada, since I knew it was a US company, but that was the first person who even attempted to get me in touch with a Canadian contact.
      Since I got that person's voice mail, and I never heard back from them, I can only hope I got the right place this time.


    I returned a few more calls and got nowhere and faxed a few things in.

    Of all the calls I made, I think I was only able to resolve 3 issues.

    There was one bright spot when I called a company today and got a live person who did not give me the runaround at all.

    I had to send back the defective item and she is sending me a new one.
    With the way things are going, it's probably too good to be true and it will get lost in shipping.

    Anyway, I am so sick of the phone and automated messages that I have no desire to use the phone for a long time, and I just needed to vent.
    Last edited by Ree; 08-12-2006, 12:30 PM.
    Too tired of living and too tired to end it. What a conundrum.

  • #2
    sorry for laughing

    Why don't you get a old phone and break it in half then walk around work with it
    I've lost my mind ages ago. If you find it, please hide it.

    Comment


    • #3
      Quoth LostMyMind View Post
      sorry for laughing
      Yeah...all my guys were standing around laughing at me as they could see my level of frustration increase, and I kept having to press more buttons, or it was obvious I was sitting on hold again.

      After I exploded and said to one person, "You've got to be kidding me..."
      the guy beside me said the same thing to me.
      He said, "No way, You're joking, right?" when I turned and said, "I have to call a different number," for about the third time.
      I said to him, "I couldn't make this sh*t up!!"
      He laughed and said, "No, you couldn't."

      It was like every cliche from every comedy show ever written about calling companies for help.

      What bugs me is when I get that, "We are currently experiencing a higher than normal volume of calls," every time I call.
      Excuse me, but if that happens every time, then that is the normal volume of calls for your company, and you need to hire people to handle them.
      Last edited by Ree; 08-12-2006, 02:18 PM.
      Too tired of living and too tired to end it. What a conundrum.

      Comment


      • #4
        Something that could be worse...going through the English automations and finally getting to speak to a human being...who only speaks French.
        Unseen but seeing
        oh dear, now they're masquerading as sane-KiaKat
        There isn't enough interpretive dance in the workplace these days-Irv
        3rd shift needs love, too
        RIP, mo bhrionglóid

        Comment


        • #5
          Yeah, that really ticks me off.
          I have to listen to all the intros and instructions in both official languages, then I am told to select a number to continue the call in English, but then when I get through, I get someone who doesn't speak English, or I am greeted again with an introduction in French as well as in English.

          I am not complaining that the services are available in both languages, but what is the point of having to press a certain number for English service if one doesn't get that service?
          Too tired of living and too tired to end it. What a conundrum.

          Comment


          • #6
            For all the insurance companies that we call, we write down what numbers we have to push to get a human, and keep them logged in the 3rd party info section of our database.

            But then, we're also calling the same companies more repeatedly than you might, Ree.

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