What company gives the best customer experience?

kab

jflail2 wrote: »

...purchased a Breitling Superocean about 6 months or so ago...The 1st store I went into (for the life of me I can't remember the name, but maybe that's indicative of the poor service I received as well) did not do a great job...

Did you think less of Breitling (as a brand) because its product was being sold by a poor retailer?

hearingimpared

reeltrouble1 wrote: »

My two recent downer companies....., well who really cares.

RT1

I once had Caremark for pharmacy for about 5 years and I agree they had great customer serivice but I do want to know who your two downer companies are so I don't trip over them.

Danny Tse

Expedia.com

Last July, I was to go to Las Vegas with my gf and her 2 friends. Less than 24 hours before the trip, my gf's mom felt seriously ill and we had to postpone the trip. Since I was the one who originally booked the trip, I called Expedia.com to see about postponing the reservations until August. Given that it was less than 24 hours before the trip, the penalties for changes on each part of the trip (hotel rooms, rental car and airline tickets) would be $$$ (more than $1,000). To make a long story short, the CS rep at Expedia.com was able to waive all penalties, except for the airline tickets (charged by the airlines @ $100.00/ticket), and in fact credited us with some discount because our postponed reservations in August would've cost us less. The CS rep was in the Philippines and he was able to solve our problem from half a world away. I asked to speak to his supervisor and complimented on her staff....which resulted in another $25.00 discount credit on our next booking through Expedia.com.

Strong Bad

I purchase alot of photography equipment from B&H Photo in NY and Alienbees studio lighting.

B&H is legendary in the photography world with just about every aspect of their company. I call today and can get most anything they have in stock, tomorrow. There is ZERO sales pressure while on the phone ordering. Prices are fantastic. They are very kind and courteous to everyone. If there is a problem with said item when I get it, I call them back and there is no hassle what-so-ever. I had a problem with a lens I purchased. No questions asked. They took it back and shipped a replacement immediately.

Alienbees lighting is the same way, although I personally never had a problem with any equipment from them.

In the audio world, Polk and SVS are my standouts. You guys make great products and if I have a question, I just call. I once called Ken about the poly switches on my SDA SRS 2.3's. He shipped out some new ones free of charge to me. No hassle what-so-ever!

John

jflail2

kab wrote: »

Did you think less of Breitling (as a brand) because its product was being sold by a poor retailer?

Interesting question there. At first I was going to say "OF COURSE NOT, ITS BREITLING!!!", but then got to thinking, why would they put their watches in a store that didn't give the utmost care to their customers to begin with?

No, in the end I don't think any less of Breitling for it, as they weren't aware of my situation (and I never made them aware with complaints or anything.) And since this was another chain jeweler, it is very likely the poor service I received was indicative only of that store; not the company as a whole.

(Now if this had been specifically a "Breitling store", I'd have walked out, went right to the Rolex counter of the next store and grabbed a Submariner, regardless of the extra cost....)

That being said, if I had walked into Schwarzchilds after that and they had started a pitch for a different brand, I'd have been more apt to listen to them after the non-response I got at the 1st store. I was pretty well set on a superocean or a colt from Breitling, but if an "informative salesperson" had given it a good go, I may have been persuaded to "upgrade" to a Rolex...

I guess my long rambling point is that I was already somewhat aware of Breitling quality (and grew up with my dad in the AF so that was the pilot's watch to have) so I kind of had my eyes on that prize already. Now if I HADN'T been aware of them, the 1st store would have done ZERO to spark my interest in them.....


Does that help, or am I longwinded and batty from too much excel today?

hearingimpared

kab wrote: »

Did you think less of Breitling (as a brand) because its product was being sold by a poor retailer?

I remember when Bryn Mawr Stereo (BMS) was selling Polk products. They were a retailer of mid to hi -end equip. That is where I purchased my first SDA/SRSs and considered Polk in the upper mid-fi to lower hi-end strata. When BMS was bought out by Tweeter, I was under the impression that Tweeter sold mass marketed products and never would consider any products sold by them as any more than that. As a matter of fact I was in a Tweeter one time in the past 17 years and my impression of Tweeter hasn't changed.

I don't know if Tweeter is or isn't a "poor" or good retailer but I think that a consumer's perception of a reseller will reflect in the consumers perception of the manufacturer's wares sold in that store.

steveinaz

SVS sub-woofers and Kevin @ Upscale Audio. I have also been very pleased with Audioadvisor, though I've never had an issue.

AsSiMiLaTeD

reeltrouble1 wrote: »

Well besides Polk, Sprint and Discover Card along with a mail order pharmacy called Caremark

I'm surprised to see Sprint listed...

I actually work for Caremark as Director of Clinical Benefits - my team builds the benefits that allow your local pharmacy to process your claim. I worked previously in the mail pharmacy area, and helped design some of the QC processes currently in place that allow us to get your order through the pharmacy and out the door as quickly and accurately as possible.

Glad to see that Caremark is on the list...

reeltrouble1

Danny,

Sprint does make mistakes and they may not be the best, I don't know about that, but, when I call then they more than satisfy me, usually correcting an error and throwing a freebie in for some kind of credit. Once they thought I was going to quit them, connected me with a lady who has lowered my total bill for life, well, for as long as I do not change the current contract.

Dropped calls, yea that still happens occasionally. But my phone works, I talk to Polkies for hours on the effer.

Keep up the good work at Caremark, we had some problems right in the beginning but you guys jumped on that fast, with both training and extra hardware.

Excellent.

Customer Service is important to me, but so is getting a product or service that works reliably.

RT1

jflail2

On the flip side, Comcast is the perfect example of p!ss poor customer service....

cfrizz

Joe, the customer also has a responsibility to ensure good customer service. And your statement just reeks of condecension & bad attitude. If you walk into any store with that kind of attitude, 9 x out of 10 you will receive poor service.

If a retailer has a product that you like & want to check out, it shouldn't matter if it's a mass market store or not. Walk in, be pleasant to whomever steps up to help you & I'll bet they will bend over backwards to do just that.

hearingimpared wrote: »

I remember when Bryn Mawr Stereo (BMS) was selling Polk products. They were a retailer of mid to hi -end equip. That is where I purchased my first SDA/SRSs and considered Polk in the upper mid-fi to lower hi-end strata. When BMS was bought out by Tweeter, I was under the impression that Tweeter sold mass marketed products and never would consider any products sold by them as any more than that. As a matter of fact I was in a Tweeter one time in the past 17 years and my impression of Tweeter hasn't changed.
I don't know if Tweeter is or isn't a "poor" or good retailer but I think that a consumer's perception of a reseller will reflect in the consumers perception of the manufacturer's wares sold in that store.

cfrizz

I had a fairly decent experience with Verizon DSL CS a few weeks ago. I lost my connection & had to call for help. Well it was obvious that I was speaking to someone in India, but he helped me troubleshoot & walk me through several screens & scenarios until we narrowed the problem down to either a bad network cable or network card. (turned out to be the cable.)

He was curteous, patient, polite, & helpful. I was very impressed.

TroyD

LL Bean

I LOVE LL Bean. When you talk to someone on the phone there, they know the answer you are looking for even if you aren't sure what it is you are asking (if that makes sense)

Plus, they unconditionally stand behind thier products. True story, a few years back I was in the store and was wearing a pair of Bean shoes that I had been wearing well over a decade. They had a hole in the toe seam and the soles were worn (they were, again, over a decade old)......an employee noticed the shoes as I was talking to him about something else, asked what size they were and went and got me a brand new pair. No questions asked. That was in, oh, 1998 or so and I still have those shoes.

I actually think that decent (not good but decent) CS is an increasingly RARE commodity.

BDT

snow

Kershaw knifes also is great. Lifetime warrantys and they have a basically no questions asked replacement policy. I took one in years ago no receipt. thousands of miles away from where i bought it from. no problem replaced instantly on the spot. I asked the store clerk about it and he said he knew he would get full replacement value sent to him. and it was there policy to keep the customer happy, because they knew you would come back when you needed something new.

REGARDS SNOW

hearingimpared

cfrizz wrote: »

Joe, the customer also has a responsibility to ensure good customer service. And your statement just reeks of condecension & bad attitude. If you walk into any store with that kind of attitude, 9 x out of 10 you will receive poor service.

If a retailer has a product that you like & want to check out, it shouldn't matter if it's a mass market store or not. Walk in, be pleasant to whomever steps up to help you & I'll bet they will bend over backwards to do just that.

Cath, I think if we were sitting face to face discussing what I've written you wouldn't detect condescension or attitude. I don't make a habit of walking into any establishment with a chip on my shoulder or attitude unless they have been **** me on an item I purchased and are giving me the runaround. . . then attitude abounds but with tact.

My effort here was to simply inform Al that customers like me have perceptions of certain establishments. For instance, I think Dollar stores sell garbarge. . . you get what you pay for. Now is that condecention or attitude, I think not. . . it is merely my perception of Dollar stores based on my experience. I was in a Tweeter once since they bought out Bryn Mawr Stereo and was totally put off with what they had done to Bryn Mawr Stereo. They sell mass marketed 2 channel crap that I wouldn't think of buying and all of the other products they sell, I've not, until recently, been interested in them e.g. HT. . . I don't think that is condecending, I think it is my perception of what Tweeter sells, that being said, if I manufactured a product, I would want to know the targeted market. I know Polk Audio marketing knows exactly who frequents Tweeter. I'm not one and I think that Tweeter is like Kmart, they sell crap too.

That is my perception. I don't frequent Kmart either.

As a customer service guy all my life, I've never heard this put quite the way you've written it here, "the customer also has a responsibility to ensure good customer service." As a customer service guy I am grateful that the customer is spending their hard earned cash on my products and I will kiss their **** to keep them regardless of their attitude or condecention, cause after all of their attitude and condecention, I am making money and they are coming back to spend more because I believe the customer is ALWAYS right. . . the customer's only responsibility is to pay for services or products rendered . . .period.

All that being said, if all businesses still had the "customer is always right" attitude instead of the "we are doing you a favor selling you our crap," then we wouldn't be having this discussion now would we. . .

cfrizz

Well gee Joe, thank you so much for labeling at least half of my equipment, that I spent hard earned money on as crap.:(

Sorry that I and a good chunk of other people in here are so far beneath you with our choice of gear.

As far as attitude goes for sales/CS. This is precisely why I'm not in it. Because if someone started being rude or condesending towards me, my first instinct is to tell them to go to hell!

hearingimpared

cfrizz wrote: »

Well gee Joe, thank you so much for labeling at least half of my equipment, that I spent hard earned money on as crap.:(

Sorry that I and a good chunk of other people in here are so far beneath you with our choice of gear.

As far as attitude goes for sales/CS. This is precisely why I'm not in it. Because if someone started being rude or condesending towards me, my first instinct is to tell them to go to hell!

Sorry Cathy no insult intended. No one is beneath me and I never said or insinuated that. I just expressed an opinion on a store. I'm not casting aspertions on anyones choice of gear or where they choose to shop. One look at my signature tells that story.

The only thing I am very strongly opinionated about is that I think digital sucks and analog rules. Probably 95% of the folks here disagree with me and I'm sure they laugh it off but certainly are not insulted by it. Hell I'm in the minority with that attitude.

It does take a certain type of personality to deal with customers. I've dealt with some of the worst and most impatient customers to work with being in the hospital information systems field all of my working career.

ben62670

Polk Audio Who gives advice on products that are 25 years old, and has replacements?

Outlaw Audio Gives advice on tough questions even before purchasing their product. They put me through engineering when I didn't even own it yet.

Parts Express They give advice on buying cheap product, and help you with your DIY stuff.

Worst CS = Comcast

xsmi

Apple Inc.
i bought an iBook from Circuit City after they stopped selling Apple products. (they found it in a bag in the back). The battery was not lasting as long as I thought it should. I called CS I was speaking to a person in less than a minute and had a new battery in less than 2 days free of charge.

Bill Ayotte

I have had a couple of good ones lately, and a few bad ones as well....Circuit City was very helpful when I called them about the problems I have been having with my DLP, the contractor they have do the repairs SUCKS major ****....I made some poor **** shake after he told me it was my problem that he couldn't come pick up my TV....It is now in the shop, and it better be fixed by Monday....It has been over a month now, running on the better part of two now...

TroyD

kab wrote: »

Did you think less of Breitling (as a brand) because its product was being sold by a poor retailer?

This is a good question, actually.

I think ultimately that the percieved prestige of a brand has a LOT to do with their retail environment. I think that lining your product up in the appropriate retail outlet is important. Like it or not, the snob factor is an issue.



BDT

Polk65

Parasound

I recently called their main telephone number about servicing a product which was discontinued about 10 years ago. The gentleman that answered said he was Paul Brown. I described my old item and the problems. He did not dig for paperwork and right away asked me a few troubleshooting questions about it. A few minutes later he said he was sorry but I would have to call their tech support number and talk with Tony Points who was around when the item was made. Next he identified himself (I forget his company title) and asked me about where I had got it. I felt no attitude from him wanting to terminate the phone call which was... different. We chatted for a few minutes and he gave me his direct extension, mentioned his unusual work hours and said that I could call him anytime. I mentioned that Parasound has a great reputation on internet forums. Here is yet another good story about Parasound.

reeltrouble1

I really should talk about Balanced Audio Technology.

First off the company has become a leader in component design because they have some very smart people thinking outside the audio box. That said BAT believes that each customer deserves to be treated with respect, regardless of their audio knowledge. If you want all the science, call them, they will talk endlessly to you, giving you everything you want to know as well as why it is like it is. But, if you just want to plug the gear in and enjoy the music, they understand and have the patience to answer basic questions. The folks at BAT love music.

When you call the Co-Founder Steve Bednarski will quite often answer the phone, once he told me, hold on a minute I have to ask Victor (other Co-founder) yep, Victor came to phone, he has given me all kinds of solid advice about power, cables, matching components. Have a technical question call Vladimir Shutnov the Chief Technician, he is a kick to speak with and knows his stuff, I would love to share a bottle of Vodka with him. Don't want to talk, well, emails are responded too quickly, most often the same day.

Now should you ever have a problem with a component you have from BAT and need to send it back to the factory, the average time out of your rack is seven days, I could not believe it, but yep, I had a power regulator go out once. I sent it back on a monday and by the following monday it was on my doorstep. BAT gives priority to repair over filling a new order. They reason a repair is for a customer they need to keep. Oh yea, in my case the repair was reasonable, no big labor charge, the whole thing with shipping was 110.00 bucks, part was 20.00, labor 60.00, shipping 30.00, no rip off because of the initial cost of the piece. At least it was something like that if not exact.

Of course with all this service you get gear that gets the signal to your speakers as it was meant to be heard.

I love my BAT gear and am a customer for life, well for life as long as these fellows are running the show there and that's a fact.

RT1

Bill Ayotte

reeltrouble1 wrote: »

Danny,

Sprint does make mistakes and they may not be the best, I don't know about that, but, when I call then they more than satisfy me, usually correcting an error and throwing a freebie in for some kind of credit. Once they thought I was going to quit them, connected me with a lady who has lowered my total bill for life, well, for as long as I do not change the current contract.

Dropped calls, yea that still happens occasionally. But my phone works, I talk to Polkies for hours on the effer.

Keep up the good work at Caremark, we had some problems right in the beginning but you guys jumped on that fast, with both training and extra hardware.

Excellent.

Customer Service is important to me, but so is getting a product or service that works reliably.

RT1

This is very true...Sprint is pretty good compared to other phone companies...I have been with them for five years now, and have only had a couple of problems with them....Both billing issues that were quickly resolved...I upgraded my phone when I got back from Iraq this time, and not only did I get the $150 rebate, but I got a $200 loyalty credit on my next bill...THEN, my now-ex upgraded her phone (she is still on my plan) and got the same deal...I didn't have to pay my bill for four months!:)

MrNightly

Bill Ayotte wrote: »

This is very true...Sprint is pretty good compared to other phone companies...I have been with them for five years now, and have only had a couple of problems with them....Both billing issues that were quickly resolved...I upgraded my phone when I got back from Iraq this time, and not only did I get the $150 rebate, but I got a $200 loyalty credit on my next bill...THEN, my now-ex upgraded her phone (she is still on my plan) and got the same deal...I didn't have to pay my bill for four months!:)

I've been with T-Mobile since they were Voicestream... and let me tell you...there isn't a better CS department in the entire country regarding cellphones. They will bend over backwards, to make sure you get what you want, when you want it. I have dealt with Verizon, Sprint and Nextel before, and all of them flat out suck. T-Mobile is just simply the best when you call for help (Not their sales reps or store employees.. they are just run of the mill average..)

Also, I have been thinking that it also has a lot to do with the individual you speak with yourself.. I know this is true from working in retail before... that you may do a kick **** job, but if they run into the next individual in the next department, and they are barely audible, and refuse to look you in the eye... the customer's experience is very tainted. I've had many come back to me and say, "If it wasn't for you, We'd never visit this store again." I believe one individual can change the outlook of countless customers!

madmax

I am more blown away by consistency rather than any given trait. If I order something and get it in one day or 2 weeks cool. If I order it again and get it later I don't like it. Same with other traits.
madmax

Jstas

Three places pop directly in to my mind.

Verizon, Cabela's and Delta.

Verizon
Verizon has gotten much, much better. I got their DSL service and before they installed it, the Verizon tech came out, tested all of my lines to my place. When he was showing me what was up, I was asking questions beyond what a normal user would ask. The tech quickly switched gears and was able to forego the customer service training and speak to me on my level. It showed a great deal of adaptability and professionalism. I got my questions answered quickly and he got the work he needed to do done very quickly. Everything was 'sir and ma'am' and he even brought his own mats in with these disposable paper covers so his boots wouldn't mess up my carpet. That was awesome! Later though, I had a problem setting up the DSL connection at my home when I got it. I called the help desk and started speaking to the woman who kind of got the idea that I was a bit beyond the average user also. She said "I'm getting the idea that you know a bit more about this stuff than most do, probably more than I do?" I confirmed her suspicion that I was a huge computer nerd and she immediately threw out the CS book and spoke to me on my level. I was able to get my problems fixed very quickly because of it and Verizon likely has me as a customer for life because of it.

What makes Verizon so good is not the product or service they offer but rather the fact that they treat their customers with respect and courtesy and they understand that EVERYONE matters. That's an idea that many companies neglect and even Polk Audio CS has been guilty of forgetting that at times.


Cabela's
Cabela's is awesome to deal with because to them, a happy customer is the only goal. They stand by everything they sell in their catalog. You do not have to deal with a manufacturer for anything if a product fails to meet expectations. You call them up and they will exchange or refund your money without a reason. They treat everyone like family and they understand that your money and time in important. Anything they can do to make your life easier in dealing with them, they do it. You can buy with confidence anything in that catalog and be 100% assured that it will be a quality product. If it isn't Cabela's will make sure you are completely satisfied and will not stop until you are. Because of that, they have a rabidly loyal customer base.

Cabela's also remembers who you are without compromising your privacy. They keep their own records and only retain financial information if you ask them to. I can all them right now and when they pump my name in to their system, my entire history of what I purchased pops up. I realize it is their training to ask but they will always inquire as to if I am satisfied with a product. I even had a luggage bag I got from them fail after 3 years of use. The guy on the line asked me if I was happy with it and if I had any problems. I told him I was happy but the bag strap failed. He asked if I still had the bag and I said yes. Then, without even asking, he sent me a new one with a shipping label to send the old one back. He told me that a new one was on the way, would arrive in two days, sent the tracking number to my email address he had on file and asked me if there was anything else I needed from him. I called to ask about a rebate I had a problem with and he straightened that out for me too. He sent the rebate in the mail and it arrived with a $20 discount coupon to use "for my troubles". THAT was customer service. That went way beyond my expectations. Pretty much anyone's expectations that I know.

Again, it was about customer respect and a desire to keep a happy customer. I'll continue to be a Cabela's customer also.


Delta
My dad owns several Delta wood working tools. They are of the finest quality I have ever seen and Delta has a reputation for that quality that is very much deserved. My dad's saw broke. It was a simple fix but the part was only available from Delta. My dad called them up and was speaking to the CS rep on the phone. The CS Rep told him that the saw had to come apart to get to the part but that it was customer serviceable if he was so inclined. My dad was leery about it and the Delta guy offered to send out a repair guy. My dad said no because it would cost too much. The Delta guy said no, it's on us. My dad said OK then! The repair guy couldn't get out there for a week and a half. Too long, my dad wanted to finish a bedroom set for my mom for their anniversary. The only option was to do it ourselves. My dad did not want to because he was afraid he would do it wrong. I asked for the phone, spoke with the Delta guy and he explained to me in detail about what needed to be done. I asked if there was an exploded view online and whatnot. He said there was but he was going to send directions with the part. I also needed a special tool and he sent one with the part with a postage return box to send the special tool back when done. All of this cost us nothing. The Delta guy also gave me 3 TSB's and one part that was recalled and instructions on how to replace it.

When the box showed up, he had all the stuff mentioned above plus a personal letter thanking my father for his business, telling me I was a good son for helping my father out and asking for pictures of the finished work on the bedroom set when done. Now while that was a good deal beyond what other companies like Craftsman would go through for a customer, what really stands out is this. That CS rep spent two and a half hours on the phone with me after he was on the phone with my dad for a good half hour. He made 100% sure that everything was straightened out and left no questions. He apologized for the failed part and seemed to take it personally. He gave a personal touch and it was obvious that he was proud of his company and wanted us to be proud too. What was even more unique is that the saw my dad has is about 10 years old and out of production. The broken part was an anvil in a reciprocating assembly. The part basically had to be made by hand if it wasn't in stock. Delta said they were completely willing to do that and that they still supported equipment that they built 50 years ago.

What made Delta's CS so good in my opinion was that they were proud of their product and took their warranty claims personally. They build the best and they want to make sure that the best works as hard as you do. They respect their customers and value each and every one of them. Delta makes enviable equipment. They charge a pretty penny for it but any woodworker will tell you, it's worth it. That kind of support and pride instills confidence in a product and a company. I don't really care how long a product is supposed to last. I just want to know that it is a quality piece and that if it does fail, is the manufacturer going to help me out? I'm not asking for a free ride, I'll pay for parts, I just want to know that if I buy something that is supposed to have a long life, if it does fail, will the company's lifecycle support have a long life too? I've had other companies tell me that a product is no longer supported even though they say it has a ten year life and it failed in only eight years. That is unacceptable. Delta says their gear will outlast you and they support it...all of it. That is company pride. That is product support. Oh yeah, their CS reps were respectful, courteous, helpful and professional.


WOW! That ended up being real long! Sorry 'bout that!

Bill Ayotte

MrNightly wrote: »

I have been thinking that it also has a lot to do with the individual you speak with yourself.. I know this is true from working in retail before... that you may do a kick **** job, but if they run into the next individual in the next department, and they are barely audible, and refuse to look you in the eye... the customer's experience is very tainted. I've had many come back to me and say, "If it wasn't for you, We'd never visit this store again." I believe one individual can change the outlook of countless customers!

This is VERY true....I have dealt with people who were completely tainted by some of the less than honest or stellar co-workers of mine at the time....You need to go way beyond the extra mile to keep those customers....I had to eat some $$ a few times throwing in freebies just to keep them in the store..I was ok with it at the end of the day...$15 to keep a customer who spent $1500 that day and comes in one a week to pick up $10-20 worth of accessories or Powerbars was worth it in the long run...That guy bought another high end ride for his wife, and three or four of his friends dropped some nice coin in there because I did that. I kinda miss working in the bike shop.....I REALLY miss the cost +10% discount...:D

zombie boy 2000

You guys keep saying "taint":D

hearingimpared

zombie boy 2000 wrote: »

You guys keep saying "taint":D

Perv!:eek: