Your Worst Customer Service Experience

[SharpMomOfTwo]

I just posted this on the community board, but I thought I'd post it here too because not everyone goes over there...

So what is it - what is the worst customer service experience you've ever had. Preferably in a store, face to face, but I'll take over the phone conforntations too Heres my story:

I was in target one day, and was ready to check out. The check out people stand in front of (or around there) their register if they have no one in line, so I asked one of them if he was open. He grunted something, and gestured to come over. The whole time, he was talking very loudly to himself and was very angry. I had several items, and he was one item away from scanning a shirt I had just at that moment decided against, so right before he picked it up, I told him that I had changed my mind on it. He scans it anyway and throws it to the side. I asked him to take it off because I had just told him I didn't want it, and that was it, he totally freeked!!! Started screeming at me that the previous customer had just yelled at him for no reason, and he wasn't going to take my crap! I said I was sorry that the prevous customer was rude, but that it was no reason to yell at me and make a scene. At that point, he starts screaming for a co-worker to "take this lady away from me" and to ring me out for him because he just couldn't take it anymore. So at this point, everyone is looking at me like I had done something to this poor man, and I'm just standing there like a deer in the headlights, not knowing what to do! I had my daughter with me, so I didn't want to hang around the store to complain, so I called later and gave the guys name. I was SOOOO embarassed..... and its funny, just thinking about this story, it made me remember his name... and his face.... I just realized that a few years later I worked with this guy in another store right down the strip mall from the Target.... thats so funny!!!! I can't believe I never realized that while I was working with him!!! So on a side note, he must have really been having a bad day, because hes a very very nice man usually!!!

Anyway, whats your story??? I know you've got them!!!!!!

 

[F1Julie]

Mine is with Comcast. We had set up cable service last June. The tech came out, installed it and said everything was set and it might take a couple hours for all the channels to download. We were never able to get more than the first 30 channels (out of 300), so we called for help. After spending a lot of time on the phone troubleshooting, we found out the tech had missed the installation of a cable and they would have to send someone back out. We set an appointment time and the tech never showed. Comcast kept rescheduling our appointments without telling us, so no one was home when they would show up. After 2 weeks of this, we told them to disconnect our service and we got DirecTV instead. I continued to get bills from Comcast for months. Every time I would call, the rep would tell me that it was a mistake and that I was owed a refund of $116 and the check would be processed in 4-6 weeks. I kept getting bills for progressively more money each month. I talked to supervisors and managers and it still didn't get resolved. I finally got my refund in October. I'll never do business with them again. DirecTV has been great.

 

[enchantingodin]

I work in face to face customer service. And I just wanted to say people are getting more and more indifferently rude. I know the people who will most likely read this will not be the kind of people to do these things, but my biggest 2 pet peeves when dealing with customers are:

People who don't put money in your hand. This drives me INSANE! It's so rude. Sometimes I politely correct someone my saying like, "The next time you give someone money would you be kind enough to put it in their hand. Otherwise it gives the impression that you think you are better than they are." But most of the time I just put it back on the counter like they did to me, the look I get is always priceless.

GET OFF YOUR FLIPPING CELL PHONE. I swear the next evolution of man will be with one hand permanently attached to the ear. Seriously. Although honestly this one doesn't bother me as much because I don't actually have to interact with this rude person. In fact if someone is on their phone I say absolutely nothing to them. I figure if they can't take the time to be polite to me, I shouldn't waste my energy on them, since they so obviously don't want to be bothered during their oh so important phone call.

 

[GOOFY4DONALD]

Mine was at KMart. I had been noticing customer service issues for some time but tried to ignore it because the store had a variety of the items I needed under one roof. I had been dealing with 10 people in line while 5 cashiers were talking to each other ignoring the customers. Well the final straw came when I was in a hurry and I only needed one thing, a huge bag of dog food that I was holding. anyway I was 8th in line and 3 lanes were open but no one was working they were all standing in a group talking. Well this poor little old lady was patiently without saying a word. One employee looked over at our lane and made some comment about how she should get back to work. The other girl said 'screw it they can wait'. I got out of line and walked over to the screw it girl.I asked if she was working and she just looked at me..I asked if she was on the clock..she mumbles yeah and I shoved the 25lb bag of dog food at her and told her to take this back to the shelf I am taking my business elsewhere. I haven't been back.

 

[eliza61]

Ok, my story is from the other side of the desk.
I worked as a customer service associate at Sears for a very long time. One year a elderly man came to the desk, I swear he had to be 90 if he was a day and all of 4 ft tall. He wanted to return a package of Fruit of the loom boxers. Our policy at the time was to ask if there was a problem with the merchandise.
He said that they were cheaply made and didn't support his "boys" anymore. He then tried to take his pants off to show me the difference in quality.
I immediately started screaming "that's ok, I believe you, I believe you"

 

[SharpMomOfTwo]

Ok, my story is from the other side of the desk.
I worked as a customer service associate at Sears for a very long time. One year a elderly man came to the desk, I swear he had to be 90 if he was a day and all of 4 ft tall. He wanted to return a package of Fruit of the loom boxers. Our policy at the time was to ask if there was a problem with the merchandise.
He said that they were cheaply made and didn't support his "boys" anymore. He then tried to take his pants off to show me the difference in quality.
I immediately started screaming "that's ok, I believe you, I believe you"

 

[SharpMomOfTwo]

Wait wait, I have an even better one that the pants dropping story!!! DH is a pharmacist, and one day this elderly man came in very upset. Seems that he had gotten these capsules, but they didn't dissolve.... the med from the capsule was gone, but the actual capsule was still there when he.... pooped...... So he fished them out and brought them in, in a little plastic baggy to complain to DH!!! I think my DH flipped out telling the guy that he didn't want him to take them out of the bag, and that the med was in his body, just not the capsule!!!! How nasty is that?!?

 

[everylastbreath]

I work in face to face customer service. And I just wanted to say people are getting more and more indifferently rude. I know the people who will most likely read this will not be the kind of people to do these things, but my biggest 2 pet peeves when dealing with customers are:

People who don't put money in your hand. This drives me INSANE! It's so rude. Sometimes I politely correct someone my saying like, "The next time you give someone money would you be kind enough to put it in their hand. Otherwise it gives the impression that you think you are better than they are." But most of the time I just put it back on the counter like they did to me, the look I get is always priceless.

GET OFF YOUR FLIPPING CELL PHONE. I swear the next evolution of man will be with one hand permanently attached to the ear. Seriously. Although honestly this one doesn't bother me as much because I don't actually have to interact with this rude person. In fact if someone is on their phone I say absolutely nothing to them. I figure if they can't take the time to be polite to me, I shouldn't waste my energy on them, since they so obviously don't want to be bothered during their oh so important phone call.

While we're talking about Pet Peeves- mine is cashier's who do not say "THANK YOU", Drives me absolutely INSANE, I have to conciously tell myself not to say thank you after they hand me back change, because my automatic response is to say "Thank you" when someone hands me something, but I guess it's not everyones. DRIVES ME CRAZY, I think it's the rudes thing.

 

[snowman1035]

Last year my daughter fell at Walmart. There was a liquid on the floor and down she went. We were by the prescription counter and the girl called for help several times and no one came. After 20 minutes finally someone came and then left again to go and get papers for us to fill out. The never called for a ambulance which was needed since my daughter had injuries to her knee and leg. After filling out the papers they told us to hold on that they would get help, which never happened. My daughter's knee was getting bigger so finally I got her out to the car with no help from anyone at Walmart. We drove her to the hospital ourselves. I did call the manager that night to complain but of course got the I don't give a crap attitude. I was told the procedures for someone falling in the store from someone that works there and after being told everything I called again and got the same attitude. We were told a manager was to stay with the person at all times (which never happened and a ambulance was to be called and wasn't. Getting the doctor bills paid was even worse. We had to pay them and then be reimbursed. You can imagine what the bills cost. Our daughter had to then have therapy and they didn't want to to pay for all the visits. She did get a settlement from them but hardly covered the doctor bills. So please be careful should anyone fall in a store. The staff at Walmart were not caring at all and never followed procedures.

 

[Ellester]

Last year my daughter fell at Walmart. There was a liquid on the floor and down she went. We were by the prescription counter and the girl called for help several times and no one came. After 20 minutes finally someone came and then left again to go and get papers for us to fill out. The never called for a ambulance which was needed since my daughter had injuries to her knee and leg. After filling out the papers they told us to hold on that they would get help, which never happened. My daughter's knee was getting bigger so finally I got her out to the car with no help from anyone at Walmart. We drove her to the hospital ourselves. I did call the manager that night to complain but of course got the I don't give a crap attitude. I was told the procedures for someone falling in the store from someone that works there and after being told everything I called again and got the same attitude. We were told a manager was to stay with the person at all times (which never happened and a ambulance was to be called and wasn't. Getting the doctor bills paid was even worse. We had to pay them and then be reimbursed. You can imagine what the bills cost. Our daughter had to then have therapy and they didn't want to to pay for all the visits. She did get a settlement from them but hardly covered the doctor bills. So please be careful should anyone fall in a store. The staff at Walmart were not caring at all and never followed procedures.

Wow! That's terrible! I hope your daughter is doing better now.

Mine is nowhere near that bad, but it does stick out in my mind. It was several years ago and I was on a business trip in Phoenix. I bought a scarf at Dillards as a gift for my mom. Once I found a cashier (she was an older lady), the entire transaction went by without either of us saying ONE SINGLE WORD. When she continued on her phone conversation (very obviously not work related), I simply handed her the scarf and thought "I wonder how long it will take for her to speak to me?". She took my credit card, gave me the slip to sign and handed me the bag all without addressing me at all. She did end her phone call part way through the transaction. Once she handed me my bag, she just walked away without a word!

 

[Poohbug]

While we're talking about Pet Peeves- mine is cashier's who do not say "THANK YOU", Drives me absolutely INSANE, I have to conciously tell myself not to say thank you after they hand me back change, because my automatic response is to say "Thank you" when someone hands me something, but I guess it's not everyones. DRIVES ME CRAZY, I think it's the rudes thing.

I do the same thing. I bothered my for a while but now I figure It's never wrong to be polite even if the other person is not.

 

[TheRatPack]

We rented a vacation home in Florida one year (yep....staying Off property, GASP!!! LOL). We had rented from this place before, GREAT houses....great locations and wonderful customer service/prices. Well, they'd moved and grown much much larger, no longer did you talk to the one person in the office....there were atleast 10, and the houses they'd acquired were all over town, needing major maps to get you to your 'rental' house. We'd rented one with a pool and a hot tub, same amount of bedrooms as before...etc. We arrived and they gave us a map to the house after we'd waited 2 hours....said that the house was being cleaned, even though it was after 'check in' time. So we drive 20-30 minutes away to get there....WOW and find out it's a trashed out home, dirty inside and out and backed by a trailer park. No pool, no hot tub and a sewer pipe leak in the backyard...blechhh!! I quickly phoned them and told them we were coming back and we needed the house we'd reserved. They told me they'd take the money off for the pool and the hot tub, but that all the houses were booked up, there was nothing to move us to. Ummmm, right....I had overheard a group of teenagers getting one (without prior reservations) while I was waiting on our key.

So we drive back to the office, and I told them that we were not staying there.....they needed to find us a cleaner home. They absolutely refused, so I asked for a refund. They said it would take a few days to get it back on my card, but they'd process it the next business day. So here we are, stuck in Orlando with no place to stay and limited funds until our money was placed back on our card (lesson learned...never use your debit/credit for ressies).

We finally found a place to stay, sweetest guy in the WORLD and he forbid me to cry about the 'ruined' vacation. He gave us a GREAT deal, and just kept on saying how it wasn't going to ruin our vacation...etc. The bank we used at the time had Orlando branches and again, the next business day the credit was 'pending' but it was coming up on the weekend and it wouldn't make it in for a few more days, the bank manager let it go in there anyway....such a lifesaver.

Want to know the real issue I had with it all. When we got home I contacted the BBB about the home rental company. The representative from the home rental company had the nerve to say that we'd stayed in the house a full day and night and then notified them that we wanted a full refund as we didn't like the home. I couldn't believe they had the nerve to lie like that.....what a CROCK!

 

[TheRatPack]

I do the same thing. I bothered my for a while but now I figure It's never wrong to be polite even if the other person is not.

Speaking of that....my son has always heard me say "You treat others as you want to be treated". He of course is just sooooo smart (said with a touch of sarcasm) and he asked me one day when someone had been rude to him, "if that person was rude to me, does that mean they want me to be rude to them?"

We also have an issue with people not saying 'Good Morning' on our walks. We walk M/W/Friday early in the morning and most people say hello, or atleast smile. We run in to some people though that are just plain rude. They hog the path, don't say hello or Good morning....and even my little ones gather the rude vibes. We realize some people are out of breath and can't really speak....we've been there ourselves LOL, but still a nod or something is just a nice gesture.

 

[Kenenitz]

When my sister was still in high school I took her shopping for clothes for a date. She was all excited and we went to American Outfitters.. not to be confused with am eagle.. I don't even know if they are around anymore. Anyway, we are looking through the racks and I found a few things and we are standing there just waiting at the dressing room. So i called up to the resgister and there are three girls standing there giggling. They turned and looked at me and then turned back to their conversation. Since Tania was looking at a few pair of shoes, I just stood there and minute or two longer. When they still ignored us, I asked again, can someone please get me a dressing room and the girl turns to us and says Yeah in a minute, we are having a conversation. And turned around and they all giggled.

I had about $300 worth of clothes on my arm that we'd already decided on plus the clothes tania was holding too and threw them on the counter and I said nice attitude girls and we walked out, and the one girl grabbed everything and threw it back at us and said thats not where it goes. One of the hangers hit my sister in the head and cut her a little. Then the girls laughed hysterically. Unfortunately for them, I used to work in that mall in college, so i knew all the security, I called the office and had them meet me a few store up and they called the police.

My sister didn't need stitches or anything but the girl who threw the clothes was arrested for disorderly conduct and something else, I can't remember anymore, it's been at least 10 years. Oh, and all three were fired. Probably not too smart to throw clothing at a customer on camera. lol

As a funny side note, when my sister started working at the gap a few years later and was promoted to store asst manager, one of the girls came in for a job. Tania got to interview her and then tell her to leave because she lied on her application. ( She said she left Am outfitters on her own for a better job) Hahahaha I guess that is what you call karma.

 

[SharpMomOfTwo]

I put this on the other thread on the community board, but I wanted to post it here to becaues it really mad me mad... even madder just thinking about it!!
Walmart.... my most HATED place in the world!!! I swear everyone that works there shares one brain!!! DH and I went there to buy our DDs a Mustang just a few weeks ago. We go pick it out, and then have to wait for a worker with a cart thing to come help us get it to the register. I swear anyone we asked looked at us like we had 3 heads - like they had no idea what we were talking about, nor cared about what we needed. I went to the "customer service" area and asked them to call someone... 20 minutes later still no one came. I went back, asked again. There were two girls standing there chatting, and god forbid I disturb them - they looked at me like, "How dare this ***** interupt our conversation!" I ask they to call someone again, and they just roll their eyes at me, but did it. I go back again to wait, and DH has found a janitor who has actually gone and gotten someone for us. So the guy loads it... very poorly... he picks it up, and just drops it onto the cart!!! He looks at us and jokingly says, "I think its broke now!" I swear I thought I was gona lose it!!!! Not only had we been waiting about 30 minutes for this idiot to come over, he thinks its funny to mis-handle what we wanted to buy (and it was the only one they had). So we get it up to the cashier, and they can't scan it.... are you suprised... so the cart guy reads the scu to the cashier and it comes up at $279, not the $249 its priced as in the store. At this point I'm getting really steamed - DH, who is sitting in the car at the entrance waiting for us to come out calls me on the cell asking my why its taking ANOTHER 20 minutes to pay for it, and I tell him that its ringing up $30 more than its supposed to, and someone is supposidly on the case, but they have yet to come back. DH gets supper pissed, park the car, comes in the store, walks all the way back to where the cars are (really really far away) rips off the sticker stating the correct price, and slams it down on the register. In the mean time, I've asked another supervisor what is going on, she contacts the first supervisor who was suposted to be getting someone, and she says that she asked "Mike" to go look, but he never responded!!!! She tells supervisor #1 that he never responded because ITS HIS DAY OFF!!!! So she was just going to leave me waiting there!!! OMG both DH and I were ready to kill someone, and the worst part of it, is NO ONE in that store cares at all - all they care about is goofing off, and when one of the "annoying" customers bugs them with a question, wow are they put out!!!! I HATE WALMART!!!!

 

[DumboPrincess]

People who don't put money in your hand. This drives me INSANE! It's so rude. But most of the time I just put it back on the counter like they did to me, the look I get is always priceless.

GET OFF YOUR FLIPPING CELL PHONE. QUOTE]

I AGREE with both of these. Even if I put my hand out, customers don't always put it in my hand.

As far as the cell phone goes, I've started treating it like they are in the store, too. As in, " Hey, welcome to ****, xyz is on sale, tell your friend she needs to come check out the sale! Let me know if I can help!"

But the worst is when they're on the cell, you've greeted them and are then helping someone else when you hear "EXCUSE ME, Can I get some help over here?!" And it's like, okay, now you're ready for me? Because I started helping someone else while YOU were on the phone. You'll have to give me a few minutes!

 

[TKERBELL]

I HATE WALMART!!!!

So I'm thinking that WalMart is not your favorite place to shop -

I am not a big fan of WalMart myself but for different reasons - I hate to be judgemental about people but where I live there is Mountain Shopping Saturday Night - I will leave all descriptions to your vivid imaginations!!! I DO NOT SHOP ON THE LAST SATURDAY OF THE MONTH!!! The thing is they mainly trash the place - leaving messes around the store , the parking lot and the carts - and theses are ADULTS!!! (supposedly) It is sad that some of the unfortunate people of the world make it seem like they all live in squawler and then become angry at those who are not so less unfortunate - (was I PC enough)

 

[eyeheartgoofy]

My worst experience was at Kohl's. There was a knife set advertised in the circular that I was interested in, so I went into the store to look and saw a display of knives with the sale price I had seen in the circular. It was an awesome deal, so I took the knives to the front. They did not ring up for the sale price, so the register operator called a manager over. I told the manager that the sign was above the knives ... he walked back with me and with a flair, PULLED THE SIGN and said, "It isn't there now."

 

[my*jck*luv]

Mine is currently w/ Xbox live. dh had 3 unauthorized charges to his cc totaling almost $100 so he calls them up and asks why he was charged for gamer points he never purchased. Well, he was told we would rec. a credit in 3-5 business days. A month later, 6 calls later and quite a few people later (in the Asian Pacific) nothing. Lastnight dh was on the phone w/ them asking for a supervisor and he kept getting switched to the next customer service rep being told he couldn't speak w/ a supervisor. After an hour he was passed to the billing supervisor who kept telling him it's been escalated and we would rec. refund in 3-5 days. LOL, dh asks him who he can talk to that has some pull to give refund now and he said there were no phone #'s of those people. I started making fun in the background saying "TELEPATHY! WOW! xbox went extreme hi-tech!" being sarcastic. I was so mad. Finally an hour and a half later dh gets off the phone, 3-5 business days we would rec. refund, he told the guy he would call him back on mon. so we can do this all over again.

I have no clue what else to do. Everytime he calls, they say the same thing over and over again. "It's been escalated, you'll rec. credit in 3-5 business days, youcant speak to anyone higher up because there are no phone numbers to call them...ect."

 

[HerdOHuds]

I was working my first job and my car was older than any students I was teaching. My dad had mentioned that the 'new' Geo Prisms looked pretty reasonable and I might want to stop by and look at one. So I went to the grocery store after work and stopped by the dealership after shopping. I lived about 30 min. from the store so it wasn't like I could stick around and take a test drive and I kind of figured the dealership would be closed by then anyway.

So I pull into the lot next to the Prisms. I hop out and tool around perusing the features and the cost and dreamed of having a new car. As I was studying the car, an old coot of a salesman hobbles (seriously had a limp) down the hill to where I was.

When he was about 20 feet from me he starts yelling and asking if I was in the market. I smiled-despite being yelled at because he was older and maybe he was hard of hearing????-and said I had groceries in the back of my car, but wanted to check out the Prism.

Then he got beligerant (sp?) and yelled even louder that if I wasn't ready to buy a car then I shouldn't be in the dealership lot!

I quickly got in my car and fumed all the way home. When I got home I called the dealership lot and described the guy as "older, white, short, balding man" and the gal on the line said, "Honey, you just described about 10 guys that work here!"

I did buy a car soon after and NOT from that dealership!