I had a wonderful experience this AM. I was adding some minutes onto 3 prepaid cell phones.
Press 1 for English
Press 2 to add minutes charged to a credit card
Please hold and someone will be with you shortly.

A little nice music at a nice volume and a friendly voice answers, "How may I help you?"
She checked the minutes and expiration dates on all 3 accounts. She added minutes to all of them. I could understand her and we even 'chatted' a bit as she was processing things.

She used terms such as please, thank you, and you're welcome
They have the greatest folks on the phones...I always have just a brief wait (if that) and folks are very cordial. They are in the US I assume, and likely make a half way decent wage, I would guess.

Sue

My bad service was the with the company I'd ordered sandals from. Oscar Thompson Shoes Online Store (www.ComfortFeetShop). After waiting an entire month, and making 2 phone calls(and being told both times that the 'Service Rep" wasn't available at this time), and sending 2 e-mails, I cancelled my order on the 8th of April. They were then delivered within 3 days.
The good service was with Zappo's, where I ordered the same sandal after cancelling my order with the other company. I had them in 2 days. Excellent service. I ended up sending these back, and told them of their great service, and that I'd do business with them in the future.
Leslie

I have a policy with Aflac that pays benefits directly to me for certain medical expenses. I've never been big on insurance companies, but I must say that all my experiences with Aflac have been wonderful. I've called them several times with questions and they are always so nice and polite, and they act like they really want to get you as much money as they can. I have been so impressed with them, and believe me, my benefits from them have been a lifesaver! I plan to contact the salesman in charge of my area and tell him that I will be glad to speak for him when he's presenting his insurance to any company in our area.

(Good) I bought an American Standard Reliant kitchen faucet, the kind that has the hose in the spout. Six months later the spout separated from the hose and shot across the room like a missle. It was a two piece assembly that was glued together in some fashion. Called them up, explained what happened, they sent a replacement free. Over a year later the hose started leaking - they sent a free replacement.

(Bad) I was having my tires rotated at BJ's (like a Walmart). One of the studs that holds the lug nuts - and the tire - on broke off. The manager said go to a garage, have it fixed, and we will reemburse you. I took it to Pep Boys and they fixed it. I went and got my money back and went home. Only then did I see that instead of an 'acorn style' lugnut - chrome and covers the end of the stud - they put on a regular 'donut style' lugnut that would be hidden by a wheel cover. My car didn't use wheel covers!

I couldn't believe it - did they really think I wouldn't complain? I spoke to the manager at Pep Boys and alluded to the fact that they might want to improve their hiring practices. The receipt even had the "technician"s name on it, so he was caught red handed.

We live in a small town area ( three towns within 4 miles, so they really are like one town) I couldn't find the kind of razor blades gizmo DH uses at Wal-mart, so called the local drugstore and they carry them. When DH explained thet he doesn't drive any more and I drive, but have to plan my trips around where I can park near entrances because of walking difficulties. This store only has on street parking. They offered to deliver the razor blade gizmo, which they did and only charged the price of the gizmo....no delivery charge. Of course, DH gave the man a couple extra dollars. We were so impressed with this service. Thts good customer service. Dottie

My Scrubbing Bubbles Shower Cleaner stopped working even after I changed the batteries. I called their 800 number and they sent me a coupon for up to $25 to cover the purchase of a new one. They also sent a booklet full of good coupons.

I went to Bed, Bath & Beyond last week for a wedding present and they couldn't have been any nicer. When I go to Target and get one of those print outs I end up feeling so stupid b/c I think their stuff is hard to find. Not only did the gal at BB&B practically hold my hand, then she gift wrapped it free. I'll always go back to them, except this time I won't throw away their $10. coupons!

Steve Spangler Science. I ordered a science fair project kit for DD. When it arrived, a ptri dish was broken. I called and they said they would send out a new one immediatly. I realized yesterday it never came and time is getting tight. I called again and they had no record of sending out a replacement. They said they would send me out a new dish and it would arrive no later than 3 pm today. It arrived at 11 am via Fed Ex. They sent a whole new kit, a handwritten apology, and included a free tube of Insta Snow for DD!

Linda I was going to tell my story of my automatic shower thing.

I had bought 2 - one lasted about a month and the other one lasted a week. I sent them an email telling them that I liked the product but I was just a little disappointed on the longevity of them. They also sent me a coupon for a free one and a check for $20.00 to replace the other. I am now on 2 weeks with this one - keep your fingers crossed.

I am a customer service representative. I take approximately 100 calls a day.

This list may help you understand where Im coming from, give you some tips and get you better prepared for customer service.

(Please donÂt say, "Get out of the job" or "itÂs not our fault you have that job".)
I really like my job, but the question was asked.
DonÂt get hurt feelings, IÂm being honest.

A) Sometimes the service you get is NOT even based on you (sometimes the person before you just cussed me out)
B) Sometimes IÂm just not in a good mood either, but I still have a job to do.
C) Sometimes people pick the craziest things to argue about (does this issue require you to yell and cuss at me?)
D) If you have a serious issue, donÂt call from your cellphone while driving. ItÂs not safe for you to review material while driving and hard to concentrate.
E) Please, ask first what information the representative needs from you before you tell them your story. Many times IÂm looking at a blank screen, listening to a story for 5 minutes before I get what I need to access their account.
F) Please get to the point, I would love to chat with you all day, but the company has strict quotas for us to meet.
G) Be as nice as possible, even when angry, it will get you farther. Think, "Would I want to help myself?" The answer should always be yes!
H) DonÂt call from speaker phones or using Bluetooth. A lot of your words are cut out; I have to ask to repeat information over and over again.
I) Some people complain they canÂt understand our operatorÂs accent. 50% of my callers have accents of their own that I canÂt understand.
J) Understand that I am customer service representative, I do not have super powers, I cannot read your mind, nor can I forecast the future, and what ever your problem is, I PROMISE I didnÂt do it on purpose.
K) Now, if you have a difficult or unusual name, please spell, or donÂt give a nasty sigh when I ask you to spell it.
L) Most likely the customer service representative is looking at your personal information as you talk. SSN, birthday, addresses etc. Be warned that someone could do vindictive things with your information if youÂre rude or belligerent.
M) DonÂt bad mouth the company and expect me to bad mouth it also, they sign my paycheck.
N) Ask to speak to my supervisor when I do something good! 99% of supervisor calls are bad. Rarely do we get compliments.
O) DonÂt DEMAND or TELL me what IÂm going to do. Help from me will be minimal at that point.
P) Having more money than does not entitle you to treat me like dirt.

Q) DonÂt call when youÂre busy!! If you donÂt have time to review information with me and keep telling me to hurry up, then call back when you do have time.
R) Do you want true or false expectations? Would you rather hear 2 day turn around time when itÂs really 30? DonÂt be angry with the information we give.
S) DonÂt expect you are more important than everyone else. Honestly, there are another thousand people waiting also.
T) DonÂt call a large company and say "Is Mary there"? We have 100,000 employees, Mary WHO?
U) Realize ahead of time, there will be personality conflicts, which are life; your ultimate goal isnÂt to make a best friend.
V) Stop doubting what I tell you. If I say I cannot do something, I canÂt. If I "could" have done it, do you really think I would listen to an additional 5 minutes of complaining?
W) If you wait until the last minute for information, donÂt blame me. You should have requested it earlier.
X) Please reduce background noise, itÂs hard to hear you when a baby is screaming in the background or youÂre on a busy street.
Y) Please donÂt compare or ask how my competitors do things. I donÂt work for them and I honestly donÂt know. Just because they did things one way, doesnÂt mean everyone else can or will.
Z) All in all, be reasonable and understanding with your requests. Make me "want" to service you, (you donÂt have to) but it would make my day and yours too!

Thank you for reminding us that you are doing the best you can. I am one of those talkers and most of the time, the rep. kindly reminds me others are waiting.
Of course there are those who for various reasons are -----

Thanks pawprint for reminding us there is a real person at the other end of the phone and to use our manners when calling.
Kathy G in MI

I'm the receptionist & hoo boy! Pawprint1 is right on! The cell phone calls are the worst... the background noise and cutting in & out... fast talkers, mumblers drive me nuts... And I monitor the general email account.. I just love the messages where they want something sent & it takes 3 more emails to get a complete address ...
Can you tell it's FRIDAY?!!!!!

We own a mobile home park.Have only 3 mobile homes in it right now.Seems like people are putting their M/H's on their own land now days.Anyway,since the big blow up at our local refinery crews are coming in by the hundreds looking for places to park their RV's and travel trailers.Everything is full and there are people even putting in parks.We are only 3/4 of a mile from the refinery and have about 20 spaces that we can utilize for that purpose,but they aren't set up at this time for electricity.So,I called the electric company to see what I had to do to get meters put in those spaces.First off,I got a lady that I could barely understand,not a foreigner,just couldn't understand half of what she was saying and had to ask her to repeat several times.I think that must have annoyed her but not my fault.I explained to her what I wanted,what the meters were for,etc.I was on the phone with her for over an hour and I still don't think she "got it".She told me the deposits on each meter would be $2300.(YIKES!!) but if any of the previous meters had ever been in the park name they would be less.So we/she finally found a record of some of them that were in the park name and told me the deposits would be waived on those.Then when I asked her how much the deposit would be on the others she said she couldn't tell me unless she knew the square footage of the trailers that would be parked there! HUH??? How the heck would I know that? By this time I was getting a little perturbed and she was starting to get testy and began to talk to me like I might be some kind of idiot or a child,so I thanked her and hung up,realizing that she still didn't have a clue what I wanted.That was my bad experience!
Next day.......I called again and this time asked to speak to a supervisor,explaining the experience with the rep from the day before and the sweet little girl said,"I can help you with that!" I explained what I wanted,she looked up my information,waived deposits on all the meters,gave me her name,her supervisors name,fax numbers and all the information needed to get it done and that was that! Took every bit of 30 minutes,if that! I thanked her profusely and told her how much I appreciated her help and her patience.During our conversation I asked where she was and she said East TX,and that was the week of the big storms down there,I think a couple of days after,where so many were out of electricity.She told me how many thousands of people were without power and that they had restored like 35,000 homes and business that day! So I know she must have been a pretty busy lady but still had the courtesy to take care of my needs. Nice to know there are still some courteous people in the world.That was my good experience!

I had an experience with Great Cust Serv this AM~~

I had placed an order with Starcrest Of Calif for $51---when my order came,one of the items didn't work & the other had a moldie smell to it--total was $24--Asked him if I had to pay for return postage & he said let me check something for you-----DANG---he said--throw both items away, no need to return them, your ck will be in the mail in 7 days!!!! DUH-- Never had that happen to me!
That was the 1st time I ordered from them & it sure won't be the last!

Donna (^_^)

Sorry, this is long.

I just changed orthopedists. The one who just did my surgery in March will not be treating me anymore, all because of his office staff. This man is an EXCELLENT doctor. I love him, and will miss him, but those girls are so totally incompetent, it's not funny.

One girl, Maddie, is just unreal! She told me three times that she had changed my phone number in the system, and three times, she didn't. I've called for a prescription refill and days go by and I call again, and they say they sent it, and the pharmacy is saying they didn't. That's happened at least twice, and once, they refilled one prescription, and not the other, so I had to call them back. I was furious! The one they didn't refill was my pain medicine, and I told them I was O.D.ing on Aleve because they wouldn't call it in. I finally got it...two days later.

I called once because I was in severe pain, and needed to get an excuse for a few days off work. I called back the next day. Maddie said that all she could do was "put the request back there and wait", which is bull, because I've worked for a doctor, and they count on their staff to make them aware of things like this. A week later, I was called by another girl in the office, asking about my request. I told her it was too late now, that I had gone to work all week in severe pain, because Maddie had never called me back. She said they didn't have my number, that they had to call my Worker's Comp rep to get it because the store wouldn't give it to them. Both my rep and the store say they never called them.

Then there was the week before my surgery, when I filled out all the papers to take with me and spilled coffee on them. I called and got Maddie, of course, and asked her to send me another packet. No problem, she said. I didn't get it. Two days before the surgery, I called, and Nicole asked her if she had mailed it, and she said yes. I have never gotten it to this day. The day before my surgery, Nicole had to fax over a copy of it to the surgery center, and I had to fill it out there.

Then there was the time that the nurse called to set up my surgery and Maddie never faxed her what she needed. She called back, and Maddie said that she was faxing it then. It never came through. She called back, and Maddie once more said "I'm faxing it now", and the nurse told her that she was sitting right next to the fax, and that something was wrong if she was faxing it right then. FINALLY, she got it faxed to her.

They have an annoying habit of saying that "we tried to call you three times" or "for three days". It's always three. No more, no less. I keep asking them why it is that everyone else that calls gets through, and there are no messages on my machine if they actually called. They don't know.

I finally had to call the office manager about these things, and after that, every time I would go in, they would all give each other sly little looks and snicker. I've never been treated so badly in my life!

So the other day, I had a man show up at my door to pick up the ice machine they gave me after surgery. He said that they said they tried to call me for three days. I laughed out loud! I asked if it was Maddie, and he said yes it was. I called the office, furious, and talked to Nicole, who said that Maddie had on the computer that she had tried to call me three times, and if she had it on there, she did it. I just hung up, called my WC rep and had her change my doctor. She said that they had had so much trouble with this office that they were thinking about not using this doctor anymore. She said that they were the hardest ones to get reports from. PLUS, they told her I didn't need physical therapy, but they had a trainer looking at me when I went in, charging them mega bucks for ten minutes.

So I'm seeing my new doctor on the 30th, and hopefully, he has a competent staff. I hate to change doctors right after surgery, but I was so stressed out by his staff, that I couldn't take it anymore.