Ugghh... Sometimes I suck so bad at my job.

[jonnyGURU]

My problem is that if I see a customer as being anything but reasonable, I call them on it. "Hey! Look at what you're asking for. That's unreasonable!" The appropriate CUSTOMER SERVICE (read: kiss ass) thing to do is to baby them. I don't baby anyone. Why should I? No one babies me!

I got an email from this guy who bought a FCPGA CPU for a PPGA board. It didn't work and he sent it back. He didn't get an RMA number. He just shipped on back to us.

Honestly, I don't know why I even opened the package, but I did and did the refund anyway as per his note inside the box.

The CPU worked, but was obviously used. I charged a 15% restocking fee. He got upset because the "policy" as per his invoice says that he will not suffer a restocking fee if his product is returned COMPLETE. I said it was COMPLETE but it's used. He said that USED condition was not stated on the invoice. I stated that the invoice only had a paraphrased version of our policy. He said it was the only copy of policy he had. I said, "Well then, if you look at that policy you'd see that you're supposed to obtain an RMA # and you didn't do that. So if we were to adhere to that policy there to the tee, I should sent this CPU back to you and not give you any refund at all because you did not abide by our policy."

This upset him... he talked to a manager and got his restocking fee back.

Just when I thought he was done, he emails back. "I didn't get my freight back!"

"Dear sir... Why were you expecting freight back?"

"I sent it back for a full refund. I expect a full refund!"

This is where I flew off the handle. "Sir, despite my motion to charge you a 15% restocking fee, you got a full refund on the merchandise. Mind you, freight is not merchandise, it's an expense. We paid to ship the CPU to you and you received it. We can not help the fact that you do not know what CPU's your motherboard can and can not take and thus promise you full refunds with freight when the product does not work. I fail to see where our company should be held accountable for your ignorance."

BAAAAAAAAA!!!!!! Wrong answer. That got escalated to management as well.

Where can I get a job as a tech where I can just sit in a dark room turning screwdrivers and NOT have to talk to LCD's.

 

[Geekbabe]

I wish I did enough regular business to support taking on a fulltime CS person, you'd be an asset because you'd be saving my money and not just blindly giving it back to clueless but arrogant clients!

 

[Kadarin]

Your management needs to grow some backbone. Returning freight cost is unreasonable.

(But you already know that... It just sucks when management refuses to support your decisions; it makes for a very unhealthy work environment.)

 

[jonnyGURU]

I know refunding freight is unreasonable, and so does management.

They have backbone, but I cause a problem.

I honestly believe that they find themselves in a position to accomodate even the most unreasonable customer at this point just as a means of apologizing for my "non-CSR-typical" attitude. :|

 

[Migroo]

Astaroth is right, the management needs some backbone.

I hope you didnt get in trouble =(

 

[Geekbabe]

<< I know refunding freight is unreasonable, and so does management.

They have backbone.

I think I AM causing the problem. I honestly believe that they have to accomodate the customer at this point just aas a means of apologizing for my attitude. :| >>



You know that the bottom libne is saving this company money hopefully while offending the least
number of cheap,clueless "customers" whom your company might be beter of fiscally if shopped elsewhere. When you sense that somebody's going to be a real PITA is there anyway you can escalate the ticket up prior to really engaging with the customer to get some support for the action you propose to take to resolve their issue? You know, get some preemptive backing before you have to end up giving away the store to one of these idiots ?

 

[Jzero]

<< I know refunding freight is unreasonable, and so does management.

They have backbone, but I cause a problem.

I honestly believe that they find themselves in a position to accomodate even the most unreasonable customer at this point just as a means of apologizing for my "non-CSR-typical" attitude. :| >>


non-typical attitude? This is a business. Quite frankly, if you worked for me, I'd be appreciative of the fact that you spared me the trouble of having to explain the obvious to an irate and ignorant client.

 

[LostHiWay]

Just do what I do. Next time tell the customer to go F-Himself.

You might lose a customer but at least you'll save money

 

[ThaGrandCow]

Just try working for the government for a few weeks. It is possible for the bar to drop lower than you can imagine.

 

[Red Dawn]

The only thing worse than an unreasonable customer are the Pasty Whites working in management and sales. They take all the joy out of telling a Fungaloid Customer to eat sh!t and die.



<< Just try working for the government for a few weeks >>

Or a Public School District with all their Commie Administrators and Teachers.

 

[yakko]

I hate whiney assed customers like that.

 

[Adul]

hehe what a moron.

 

[AmigaMan]

You know what they say though, one bad customer will tell like 10 people of his poor treatment by XYZ company while a good customer rarely tells anyone of his good experience except when asked. Word of mouth advertising works both ways unfortunately.
Not saying you should of kissed this jerk's ass, but what can you do?

 

[hoihtah]

i commend you for your patience.

i would've sent some virus along the replies.

 

[cavingjan]

just save your time, the customers time (and anger) and piss of management by simply forwarding all such emails to management and let them reply to the customer rather than geting stuck in the middle.

 

[ggavinmoss]

While I agree that it's kind of stupid to ask for freight refunded...

Many of the responders that seem so outraged are probably the same that lurk in HotDeals and seem comfortable taking a company for all that can be had.

Just interesting. (read: Ferengi is as Ferengi does).

-geoff

 

[pyonir]

i always suck at my job. if i was good at it, do you think i could be such a great nef?

no wait. i'm not a nef. but i still suck at my job.

 

[yakko]

<< i always suck at my job >>

I bet your boss loves you.

 

[pyonir]

<<

<< i always suck at my job >>

I bet your boss loves you. >>


yes SHE does.

 

[Adul]

<< i always suck at my job. if i was good at it, do you think i could be such a great nef?

no wait. i'm not a nef. but i still suck at my job. >>

you are a nef in training.

 

[Dyflam]

I knew I could get my freight back... lol. j/k

 

[denali]

We had a customer once who bought a piece of hardware from us. It worked fine for him, then he tries to use it for something it cannot do. He calls up and asks why we sold him something that cannot do what he wants it to do. I ask him if he asked if it would do what he wanted when he bought it and he said no. I said I don't see what the problem is the item works just not for what you want to do, we would be happy to sell you something that does what you want. He didn't like that answer and hung up, never heard from him again.

 

[Optimus]

jonny:

The secret is to be polite, and appear to be arse-kissing, all the while shutting the door in thier face.

Its an art, and a balancing act - and it sucks. I'll let you know if I ever master it.

In my job, not a day goes by where I'm not asked to do the impossible, or try to talk some reason into an unreasonable customer.

And unfortunately in my job, the money involved starts in the thousands and can be as high as millions. Argh.

 

[chuckieland]

some people are cheap ass like that
but it can work both way(depend on the situation)
i remember i brought PC133 memory for my asus K7V motherboard, but that apacer (mircon) memory can only run PC100 in my motherboard. so i ask for refund and they want to charge me restocking fee
of course, I ask for full refund plus the shipping fee, and the manager give it to me.

They credit my visa card. i was satisfy with the service, and that company earn my trust.
I end up purchse infineon chipset memory (which they test that it work with asus k7v before shipping) acer cdrw for myself, and enought component to built my sister's computer.( acer motherboard, duron 850mhz, new 300w case, 30gb maxtor hd, sb live value, LG dvdrom)
if i haven't got the full refund, and refund on shipping fee, i would never purchase from that company again. and i would tell all my friends that online store is a rip off.

The manage did what they have to do, because operating a business is on a long term basis. pissing off customer is not a health way to stay in business.
Your manager did the right thing.
as for you, if i ever going to own my own business, i would definely hire you to work for me.
boss love employee that work hard like they own the business.

 

[gopunk]

The secret is to be polite, and appear to be arse-kissing, all the while shutting the door in thier face.
Its an art, and a balancing act - and it sucks. I'll let you know if I ever master it.

yep

i try not to get quite so involved in my calls... what you have to do is deflect blame. doing what you did, will place the blame on yourself. the way you stated things, the customer gets the impression that YOU are preventing this refund. in that situation, i would have said something like "sorry, but it is against our policy to refund freight" and maybe added in a brief explanation of why this policy might have been made. but always make it clear that it is not your decision. don't shoot the messenger, that kind of thing. it's our job to provide customer support, not to inform them of their personal shortcomings.