how to run a business
Jan. 8th, 2002 10:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cellioOffice Depot scored major points with me today.
In October, I bought a new monitor. They had advertised a $100 rebate; when I got home, after shlepping the monitor up the front steps and then down to the basement office, I discovered that the rebate form they had given me was for $50. Hoping that I would not have to return the monitor (it was worth the posted price to me, but not $50 more), I called them the next morning to see about resolving this. They eventually said that they had been in the midst of a price change (well, rebate change) when I came in, but they would honor the posted value. I should send in the $50 rebate, and they refunded me the other $50. So that got them points -- I was in the right, but they didn't make me fight over it. (I did have to spend about an hour explaining it to *four* different people, though.)
Yesterday's mail brought a letter from Phillips: this coupon is for the wrong model, so we're not honoring this. Fix it if you can before the deadline (end of January). Upon closer inspection, I agree that the coupon and the model from the UPC don't match, though the number on the coupon was not listed as a model number and I don't think I can be faulted for not noticing that a stray 107S on the coupon didn't match a 109bc103 (or whatever) on the UPC.
The coupon had a phone number, but it was apparently set to auto-hang-up all day. So this afternoon I called Office Depot and asked if they could do anything to help me out. The reasonable thing for them to do would be to issue a corrected coupon so I could send the thing in again. What they actually did was give me the $50.
Now that's customer service.
In October, I bought a new monitor. They had advertised a $100 rebate; when I got home, after shlepping the monitor up the front steps and then down to the basement office, I discovered that the rebate form they had given me was for $50. Hoping that I would not have to return the monitor (it was worth the posted price to me, but not $50 more), I called them the next morning to see about resolving this. They eventually said that they had been in the midst of a price change (well, rebate change) when I came in, but they would honor the posted value. I should send in the $50 rebate, and they refunded me the other $50. So that got them points -- I was in the right, but they didn't make me fight over it. (I did have to spend about an hour explaining it to *four* different people, though.)
Yesterday's mail brought a letter from Phillips: this coupon is for the wrong model, so we're not honoring this. Fix it if you can before the deadline (end of January). Upon closer inspection, I agree that the coupon and the model from the UPC don't match, though the number on the coupon was not listed as a model number and I don't think I can be faulted for not noticing that a stray 107S on the coupon didn't match a 109bc103 (or whatever) on the UPC.
The coupon had a phone number, but it was apparently set to auto-hang-up all day. So this afternoon I called Office Depot and asked if they could do anything to help me out. The reasonable thing for them to do would be to issue a corrected coupon so I could send the thing in again. What they actually did was give me the $50.
Now that's customer service.
(no subject)
Date: 2002-01-08 08:00 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2002-01-08 08:05 pm (UTC)I tend to be a fairly loyal customer, and I reward good service with patronage. The flip side is that I'm also a fairly loyal boycotter; if a place screws up too many times or is beligerant, they will not get my business again (unless something causes me to think they've reformed). And I'm not afraid to talk to managers; they ought to know why they are losing my business, after all. If it's a persistent problem, maybe enough people telling them about it will help.
(no subject)
Date: 2002-01-08 08:32 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2002-01-09 09:02 pm (UTC)