A Rant and a Rave
I don’t think a week goes by without one of my friends complaining about customer service. Is it really getting worse, or are we just losing our patience more quickly because we’re used to so many things happening at lightning speed? I’m not sure, but I do know that while there are many things to rant about, there are also some things worth raving about.
Let’s start with a rant. A friend was trying to book an international trip for this spring. She reserved a round-trip ticket to France and Romania with mileage rewards. The trip involved a partner airline that charges for advance seat selection. When she tried to pay the fees online, the site wouldn’t accept her payment. When she tried to pay with a credit card over the phone, the agent said it had to be done online or in person at the airport. When my friend went to San Francisco International Airport one day around noon, she discovered the counter didn’t open until 3pm. She went home without resolving the problem after spending nearly five hours in total simply trying to give the airline her money. The next day, she reached a “tipping point” from the hassles and decided to cancel the trip.
Now, contrast that with my rave about Apple Support. What impressed me was that even when something went wrong, they worked hard to fix the problem.
When I bought a new phone last year, I was told that I could trade in my old phone for a $60 credit. A few days later, Apple sent the shipping label and return packaging along with the new phone. Somehow, in the confusion of the holidays, I either threw away or recycled the shipping label. I reached Apple Support easily (minimal hold time) and explained what happened. The agent was professional and personable. It was easy to replace the missing shipping label, but when that label got lost in the holiday mail, I had to call again. Another agreeable agent (minimal hold time) said that even though a few weeks had passed, they would still honor the $60 offer and resend the shipping label and packaging. She also promised to send an email letting me know when the order was “in the works” so I could track it this time. That came through the same day as my phone call. Meanwhile, Apple keeps sending reminders to return the old phone so I can get my refund. I’m on it! Thank you, Apple.
Do you have a rant or a rave to share? Please email it to me at chrisbjorklund@diamondcertified.org.
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