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Two stories - both related to services we use where I work.
DHL -
Shipped a critical package International Express to China. Not valuable, but it was a timely matter.
Came in and tracked the package the next morning. Tracking number pulled up nothing.
Called Customer Service very concerned and perturbed. This was not the first time DHL had lost a package of mine. Was told by Customer Service that they would check with the driver and the local facility and get back with me.
NEVER received a call back.
In the meantime, I sent the package out again the same day using Fed Ex and the package arrived without a hitch. To this day I have no idea what happened to my package.
About a week later I get a call from a DHL salesperson wanting to know how DHL might persuade us to give them more of our business, lol.
So I tell him the whole story. He is "shocked" and "outraged." Promises he will "investigate" and "get back with me." NEVER heard from him again.
Yesterday, I get our DHL bill and we were charged for the shipment.
LOL, and I was not surprised at all for this was not the first time they had billed us for the delivery of a package they had lost.
And I took no satisfaction from calling the poor girl in billing and demanding short payment confirmation after relaying the whole story once again.
Needless to say, I will not be using DHL again for any of our shipments.
But, I think I will write DHL a letter about it. Thanks for the inspiration, ng.
Zephyrhills Water -
We've had a water cooler in our office for about two years now and they deliver water once every other week.
One week they didn't deliver and we ran out of water so I called Customer Service to request they drop us off at least one or two bottles in the interim before our next scheduled delivery and they proceeded to tell me that the driver had reported a regular delivery to us and that if we wanted "extra" water we would have to pay extra for an unscheduled delivery. Ooh. Then I got mad. And after going around and around with this woman for about 10 minutes with her implying that I must be lying about not getting our water, I asked to speak to her manager. The manager apologized and arranged for some water to be delivered the next day. But then, sure enough, two weeks later we get a bill charging us for the water we didn't receive AND the "extra" water and the unscheduled delivery. I was furious! I did manage to speak with someone who assured us we would not have to pay for neither the water nor the deliveries but it took two invoices and two phone calls to finally get it all straightened out. Unbelieveable.
I realize that most jobs kind of suck. I don't "like" my job. But I don't see that as a reason to be rude or not care at all. If anything, you can take some satisfaction out of being kind and helpful to people who are looking for your help to make their own day a little less tiresome and stressful. It's a reciprocal thing, but many people these days aren't imaginative enough to see it that way. These days, when you come across a person in a Customer Service role who is truly thoughtful, it's like a novelty. You want to send them candy and flowers. It's kind of a shame.
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Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce
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