Customer Service Complaints Gone Wild
In an attempt to look at the lighter side of customer service, we thought you might enjoy a peep into a slightly different angle on this subject. During a 2011 research project conducted in the UK on customer care, part of the research involved the “public’s perception of customer complaints management”. This exercise had more than two-hundred professionals in the customer service industry submitting what they believed were the most outrageous, unusual or funniest recent complaints. The following are a few of the purlers that came to light.
Animals
- After the delivery of a curtain (drapes) rail, one customer phoned to complain as they had not been home when the delivery arrived. The driver in his infinite wisdom decided not to risk having to return, and the UK being what it is, there is a letter flap in most front doors. The pole was duly inserted into the letter-box. However, when the customer arrived home they found their dog pinned to the wall. Fortunately the dog was only pinned, and not impaled.
- A high street retailer had a blouse returned but not only for a refund. The demand was that they also compensate the customer for her veterinarian fees. Apparently the pattern on the blouse caused her dog to bite itself. It must have been one seriously ugly blouse?!
Darwin Awards
- On complaining that his supermarket bill was incorrect – the assistant informed the customer that this was due to a number of in-store discounts being applied to the bill. But – and we have spoken about the poor customer before – this did not placate the customer. He still complained and insisted on speaking to the store manager. Despite the fact that the fact that he would be saving money, he complained until such time as he was “allowed” to pay the higher total amount, and was only then appeased.
- One brilliant computer user complained that her monitor could only be viewed if she lay her head on the desk. The internal helpdesk was compelled to rush to the rescue, in the process rotating the monitor, her problem was thereby miraculously solved.
- On menacing to escalate his complaint, one customer adamantly reiterated that his cell-phone should have been able to withstand a complete wash cycle. After all, the label which was sewn into his jacket pocket stated decisively that that the pocket was “fully waterproof”.
On Good Customer Service
- After receiving a call to say that a contact lens order had arrived early and may be collected if the customer wished. The customer got on the phone to the head office complaining that their ‘overzealous’ ordering system should be re-thought, as this was akin to high pressure selling?
- A customer called their utilities company to complain that less money should be spent on customer service training, and put to use to reduce bills. Their actual complaint was aimed at an exceptionally high quality of customer service. Go figure?
There are many kinds of customer service agent, both, good and bad, and many kinds of customers. But the consensus on taking the majority of these short tales into account – is that there is direct evidence to suggest that the bad customer does exists.”
