Customer service experiences

Hi All,

Wanted to start this thread so that we all can share the best and worst customer service experiences we have had. I am sure there are several interesting ones...

Here is mine that I had today..

Myself and my husband went for dinner at Macaroni Grill, an Italian restaurant chain in the US. As I was looking for things to order in the menu, I had two choices. The tried and tested "Pasta Milan" and the new "Chicken Cantelloni". When I asked the waiter, he recommended "Pasta Milan". But, I wanted to be adventurous and ordered "Chicken Canelloni".

When the dish came, I didn't like the look or the taste of it. It was my fault that I ordered this dish. But I anyway called the waiter and told him "Looks like my selection wasn't a wise one. I don't like the taste of this. Is it possible for me to get a replacement or I am stuck with this dish because I ordered it?"

The waiter politely replied, "I am sorry madame that you didn't like it. But its our pleasure to fix it for you. Do you want the Pasta Milan instead?"

I embarrasingly said, "Yes, please. I am sorry about this".

He replied, "No problem madame. I will be back with the Pasta Milan in a few minutes. Can I remove this plate of Chicken Cantelloni?"

I was so impressed by the polite and friendly way in which he handled this interaction. I am a person who restrains my husband from keeping large tips, but I willingly told him to keep a tip of 25%. Employees like these are gems, who create lasting impression on the minds of customers.

Akalya

Dear Akayla,
are you sure that the dish you got in replacement was fresh? Or is this how you get serviced in US? In India it is not possible to get such replacements. If the dish is not properly cooked or some other problem is there, you may get a replacement here. In Kerala, it is not easy to get anything exchanges. Customer service is worst there. Chennai is good in that sense.
varloo

We went to Hawaii for a vacation and when I came back, the due date for paying my credit card was over 3 days ago. I hurriedly paid off my credit card balance. But after a week, I found that the bank has automatically charged $29 as late fees for me.

I knew very well that nothing can be done, but still I called the Wells Fargo customer care and told them...

"Hi, I was on vacation to Hawaii till Feb 4th and hence missed paying my credit card balance by 3 days. I am not saying it is not my fault, but is there anyway you can waive this fees for me?"

She responded, "Let me check madame". After a few seconds she came back, "You have been an absolutely wonderful customer with a great record. I will go ahead and remove that late fees as a goodwill gesture for you. Have a nice evening."

I was quite amazed by this company/reps gesture. Amidst companies that hawkishly wait for you to miss a payment so they can slap a huge fine on you, Wells Fargo was great. By these gestures, they build a loyalty with us that make us not to think of other banks.

Nitu

Dear Mrs Varloo,

Yes the US is very good at customer service. Every organisation ( shop, restaurant , services etc, ) all work with the motto that Customer always comes first. Yes there a few black sheep in this too. I have lived in the US for more than a decade now, and have always experianced only the best service. Be it a gallon of spoilt milk that was replaced free of cost ( that too after me consuming some of it) .Till more recently when our TV programs stopped coming and the Dish company refunded the full 150 dollars that my hubby had forked out to watch the india pak cricket series( this was after he had watched 3 tests and two ones days) .

I have been coming to India every summer , and must say that the customer service is improving now. The big supermarket chains of course have good service. So do the restaurants that we have visited so far. I recall the we had been to a restaurant in Bangalore last year, and my son ordered something that he did not like. Not only was it replaced without additional charge, but they also treated my son to a free icecream. ( NO special treatment that we were NRIs or something they could not have known as we were talking in tamil only!!!)
So there is hope yet for customer service in INdia.

Hai Vandana,
US sure is a heaven for customers. In TamilNadu it is better. But in Kerala, my native place, it is very bad. When you go to a shop, the salesman will find it a hard task to attend you. Only if you seem to be a very affluent person, you will get a good treatment. I realised all this after coming to Chennai. About 4 months back I had a good experience with Food World Depatmental Stores. They forgot to give me a free item. When I called they told me to collect when I came that way. I could go only after nearly 1 month, but they gave the thing without even asking for the bill. I mostly buy things from that shop. Hope India also becomes like US in good things like customer care.

Hi,

I too agree that India is very much improving in Customer service experience too. But it also depends on to what kind of shops, restaurants, etc. you go that you can expect customer service.

If it is going to be highly crowded market road and shops out there, it is not possible for them to offer customer service as well not reasonable to expect from our part too.

I know the service is improving in all the supermakrkets etc, but let me recount to you my experiance with a small time grocery shop. This was when we were living in Mumbai( back in late 1980s and early 90s). The word customer service was almost non existant in india then. But this one shopkeeper proved so customer oriented he had hordes of loyal customers , am sure right to this day ( i moved out of mumbai in 94).
He was always ready to serve everyone with a smile. He used to exchange/replace bad groceries without any grumbling. He was just one of a kind then. He also had this home delivery service and be it for one item or many, the things were delivered promptly. His sense of service went so far beyond in fact that I got stuck out of my house when the bomb blasts happened in March 93. All the phones lines were down and there was no way to tell my parents I was safe. I just remembered the shopkeepers number and tried calling there. As luck would have it, his number was working and he immediately went over personally to my house and told my parents that i was safe and not to worry.
If there are more people like him in India, We would be high up there in giving good service to our customer.
Vandhana

Dear Vandana,

I buy groceries from the shop nearby. I can get all the items there except some like cheese etc. which I buy from department stores in Anna Nagar (12 kms away from Ambattur). This grocer gives all company (branded) items at reduced prices, some even 10 Rs. less than MRP. But Nilgris gives all items in MRP only. So I always prefer to buy from my local shop than from Nilgris. But Food World gives some discount. But still buying at the grocer is the best bet. I can return or exchange any item anytime.

In Kerala, customer service is an unknown phenomenon. In the Food World in Trivandrum, they never give the complimentary articles. You have to ask them many times while they pretend that they did not hear you, or then come up with a stupid excuse that it got over-- wonder how is that possible.

But customer service is surprisingly good in the Margin Free shops. If you buy a card for Rs 40 per year, you get most items much below MRP. Actually in one shopping trip, you can make up the rs 40. If there is a free gift, they make sure you get it. But best part is reduction in price, that is tantamount to good customer service.

Our family in India recently bought a car. The customer service offered by the dealership was just outstanding. The car salesman brought a new car to our house so that all our family members could see both the interiors and exteriors of the car. He also parked the car in our garage to show that there is enough parking space available in our apartment complex and that taking the car in and out is very easy.

This type of customer service by car dealership is not even offered in the US or any western country. When government doesn't interfere and allows free competition we will see better and better customer service. Hope this practice spreads to many businesses as well.

Uma