Trying to NOT be an SC here...how should I approach this?

[mjr]

Ok, my modem at home recently stopped working. So I call up DeathStar to order another one. I purposefully pay an extra $11 for "one day" shipping.

It was supposed to arrive Wednesday by 4 PM.

I get home from work at around 5:45...no modem.

So I call up DeathStar, and it basically takes them 20 minutes or so (because the girl I was talking to was going back and forth, via IM I assume, with the people who handle orders), to tell me that a BigBrownTruck shipping label had been created...but they have no idea when the package will arrive. DeathStar said it was a "glitch" in their system.

So, I'm thinking since the glitch was on their end, and the modem didn't arrive when they said it would (and that's not the fault of BigBrownTruck), I should at least ask for the shipping charges to be removed.

Should I also ask for a day or two worth of credit? I know it'll only be a couple of dollars worth of credit, and I'm cool with that.

So basically shipping + 2 days is basically $13.

So how should I handle this without being an SC? I'm thinking they should at least refund (or credit) my shipping charges.

[eltf177]

I agree, a refund of the expedited shipping is more than warranted. And a small discount is certainly in order for the delay but please don't go overboard and ask for it free...

[Sandman]

Completely warranted. I had a complaint against my cable ISP. I placed a ticket, was told nobody could get to me until after the weekend. Landlord (who lives on the first floor) called in after me for his service, having the same issue and service, got someone there that day. Come to find out, they needed a bucket truck, which was over doing a job the next street over. Couldn't move him to do the job... so the whole house was out for a weekend. They almost didn't give me a credit until I complained over the phone instead of IM.

[mjr]

I agree, a refund of the expedited shipping is more than warranted. And a small discount is certainly in order for the delay but please don't go overboard and ask for it free...

Oh, I have no intention of asking for a free modem or a free month of service.

I think I'm going to ask for the shipping charges to be refunded/credited, and maybe 1-2 days for the outage. So probably no more than $15 or $16.

[Seshat]

That sounds perfectly reasonable.

Have any documentation in your hands when you call (or rather, at your fingertips); and if you have a file folder or other such organisational tool of stuff-from-that-company, have that on your desk as well.

Speak politely to the call centre staff - hey, might be one of us on the other end!

Have your case organised in your mind, so you can say something like

"Hi, I'm <person> with <precis of problem in one sentence or less>"

<go through whatever bureaucracy is needed - identifying yourself, etc>

"Okay. The problem is that I needed a replacement modem, ordered one, and paid for expedited shipping. Instead of receiving it on <date>, I got it on <date>. Do you want the parcel tracking number or the original issue number? I have both on hand."

(or, y'know, something like the above)



Do you see what I did? Simple, one-paragraph statement of the issue, and an offer of the numbers that should get her directly to the part of your customer file that covers this specific problem.


Then go ahead and make your resolution request (refund of the expedite fee and the fairly trivial recompense-for-lost-service refund) once she's got the problem up on her screen.

Your request, BTW, sounds more than reasonable to me. I would probably expect (but not request) whatever additional credit someone at her level is authorised to give, especially since you're being nice.

You might choose to request a greater credit, simply because some companies don't authorise their staff to give a credit unless requested. Because those companies are stooopid. But that's your choice.


Also: congrats for checking on what is reasonable and how to go about it.


Final statement: the above is a summary of what I've learned from my many, many years of being on this forum. Thankfully, I don't work in a call centre. (Is that the third circle of Hell, or the fourth? I can never remember.)

[mjr]

The issue is, I don't have a Big Brown Truck tracking number. I just have an order number from DeathStar.

I try to be as polite as possible to the call center staff. I realize that the issue I'm having isn't their fault.

I try to make it as easy on the person on the other end of the phone as possible.

I don't know that I'll ask for any additional credit. I will probably just ask for a credit for the shipping, and the time that I'm not able to use the service because of the delay. Which at this point is going on two days, which is basically $1.67 per day.

[Elvaholt]

Having been a customer service rep for an ISP for 5 years in the tech department, I would have to say as long as you make the request respectfully, you cannot be a sucky customer. I know people complain about oblivious customers who ask questions, but asking questions does not make you sucky, it's the manner in which you ask. If you make demands, and act as if the representative or employee is incompetent or uncaring (without giving them a chance), or treat them without respect, then that is what makes you a sucky customer.

When I was a customer service representative the problem I had was that I was held accountable for every other interaction a customer had ever had with any other representative from any other company without them giving ME a chance to fix their problem and to care about it. The second that assumption was made that I didn't care, and they yelled at me about it, honestly, I wanted off that phone as fast as possible.

Give them a chance, explain the situation calmly and with respect. If they think you are a sucky customer, it is a them problem, not a you one. Your request is more than reasonable.

[Yfandes]

I have found that if I they have an option for chatting with a rep via text from their website, rather than calling in, it all goes MUCH nicer for all of us. I don't get stuck in some hellish phone hold and get cranky, I can copy and paste all info so there are no mistakes in the info I give them ("B as in bravo or V as in victory?"), and I don't mind if they need to go verify something because I can tab to something interesting until they come back with no awful hold music. Plus this makes a nice record if needed.

[eltf177]

Agreed, this is perfectly reasonable. Just remember:

1) Don't fly off the handle BUT
2) Escalate to a supervisor if necessary

Remain calm but insistent and you should get results...

[mjr]

Ok, I FINALLY got this resolved...

I talked to FIVE people total...and I was polite to all of them.

I finally got a Big Brown Truck tracking number...it's supposed to get there today.

They knocked off the shipping. I'm not too worried about the $1+ a day for not being able to use it at this point.

So I'm crossing my fingers.

[wolfie]

Bit late with my response, bit I'd say you're definitely justified in asking for

- Refund of the next day shipping charge (service you paid for but didn't receive)
- 31/n of your month's bill comped, where n is the number of days you were without service but would have had service if the device had arrived at the time originally promised.