SavvySugar

5 Firms With Good Customer Policies and 5 That Need Improvement

Emily Co — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 13:15:37 PST

Consumer Reports released their annual Naughty & Nice Holiday List that judges the customer service policies of several companies. The list is based upon opinions of editors and reporters of the personal finance magazine and isn't a reflection of a "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" for the companies, says the magazine. Read on for a list of naughty and nice companies followed by supporting praises and complaints.

Nice:

Amazon: The company encourages customers to share feedback about and photos of the products. This information is shared with the retailers who will modify the products according to the feedback in order to receive Amazon's “Certified Frustration-Free” logo.
American Express: If you buy an item and can't return it within 90 days, Amex will refund the full price up to $300 per purchase. Each account can be reimbursed up to $1,000 every year.
Costco: Great return policy and free tech support. It also automatically extends the warranty of TVs and computers to two years after the purchase date.
Microsoft: If you don't like your new Microsoft software or piece of hardware, you can get a refund if you return it within 45 days. The firm will also reimburse the costs of shipping for up to $7.
REI: Great return policies - accepts returns at all times and for all reasons. You can return the item at any REI store or by mail.

Naughty:

AirTran: Flights don't include the price of the seat. If you want to select your seat, you'll have to pay an extra $6 to $20 each way.
American Apparel: Two different return policies for items bought in-store and online. You have 45 days to return an online purchase for a refund or credit. On the other hand, you only have 30 days to return an item bought at the store for credit.
RadioShack: The company sometimes charges different prices for the same product.
Southwest Airlines: You need to pay $10 to check in earlier than the standard 24 hours before departure. Consumer Reports says, "It’s another reminder that a basic ticket doesn’t buy much these days, and how price-conscious customers can get penalized if they don’t go for the upgrade."
Verizon Wireless: The alert system for notifying customers who are reaching their monthly allotment of minutes isn't always reliable.

Who's on your list of naughty and nice companies?

An App That'll Take the Frustration Out of Customer Rep Calls

Emily Co — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 13:30:21 PDT

Rude customer service flustering you? Don't fret, you're not the only one. According to the Journal of Service Research, one-third of consumers complained about receiving horrible customer service at least once a month. That's enough to get anybody down.

The study also found that those offended by the service provided are less likely to continue giving the retailer their business. Having just had an unpleasant encounter with a company's reps myself, I can totally sympathize with the upset customers.

Although we can't control the customer rep's behavior, we can now control another annoying factor of customer service - being put on hold for the longest time, stuck listening to the cheesy "hold" music. Introducing FastCustomer, an app currently available for the iPhone and Android that will help you skip the waiting time and get you to the rep whenever he's ready. Here's how the app works: you basically scroll through a menu of over 2,500 companies and call one via the app. The app will do the calling and waiting for you, and after it reaches an actual person on the line, your phone will start ringing.

What the rep hears on the other line is an instruction advising her to "Please press one for your next customer." This is one of the drawbacks of the system because the reps may hang up if they don't want to briefly wait to get to you or they are unfamiliar with this service. There are still a few kinks needed to be worked out, but this app definitely looks promising!

Netflix CEO Says Sorry, Introduces DVD Service Changes

Emily Co — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 11:20:51 PDT

Many customers were upset about the price increase of Netflix plans announced back in July; Netflix stock prices followed consumer sentiments and subsequently tumbled. This morning, the company's CEO, Reed Hastings, admitted to subscribers that he "messed up" and introduced a new change to the DVD service that he feels might appease those who are still resentful.

Apparently, the firm is separating its DVD and streaming services and rebranding the DVD rental service under the new name "Qwikster." What this means is that there will be separate sites for the streaming service, which will still be under Netflix.com, and the DVD service, which will now be under Qwikster.com. If you subscribe to both services, you'll have two different accounts and will have to redo certain actions like adding in your credit card information twice and rating movies on two different accounts. Hastings says the benefits to this new change include the option to rent video games under Qwikster, and both websites will be easier to use as they each are focused on only one product.

It seems many customers aren't fans of the new changes and are voicing their discontent on the blog post that announced the company's latest move. Netflix user Dustin Glass writes in response, "Breaking up DVDs and streaming into two completely different websites makes for an awful user experience for people who subscribe to both services."

What do you think - does the new Qwikster service seem like a good idea?

Savvy Tip: Always Document Your Customer Service Calls

Emily Co — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 11:59:40 PDT

Something you should be doing is documenting the conversations you have with customer service representatives. Some examples include calls with your health insurance company, bank, or phone provider. Start an excel sheet and be sure to write down the company you're dealing with, date and time of the call, name and the ID number of the representative you spoke to, and the outcome of the call. Go a step further by asking the person you spoke to for some kind of written confirmation (either by email or a letter) of the subject matter discussed.

Being prepared gives you more protection as a consumer, which is definitely recommended because the companies we're dealing with are huge corporations that can be very hard to deal with. We can't always depend on or trust the firms to document everything properly, so keep records to have undeniable proof about your claim.

5 Companies With Bad Customer Service, 5 With Good

Emily Co — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 13:23:56 PDT

If you've ever been so frustrated with a customer service rep that you hung up the phone in anger, you're not alone. According to a Consumer Reports survey, about two-thirds of consumers say that they've walked out of a store or ended a phone call before the issue was resolved because they were so frustrated with the customer service. Some of the top gripes include not being able to get a real person on the phone, dealing with a bad mannered sales rep, too many phone steps required, and having to wait on the phone for a long time. July's issue of the consumer magazine listed some of the companies and rated them as having the worst customer service:

Walmart
AT&T
US Airways
Dell
Charter

And some of the companies with the best customer service include:

Tipping Myth Debunked: Giving More Doesn't Really Improve Service

Emily Co — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 12:50:01 PDT

If you're like me, you tend to tip more when a waitress has been especially charming and efficient, or none at all when you experience really bad attitude from a cabbie. That's because tipping rewards and promotes good service, right? Think again. Studies show that people still tip when they receive bad service and the amount people give doesn't vary drastically with how satisfied they were with the service, according to SmartMoney.

We're not setting up a very good reward system if we're not following through with tipping more to those who deserve it, which means people don't really have any incentive to provide better service. Giving a little extra when you think a hotel staff member was extremely courteous is probably more tied to being obligated to social norms, rather than encouraging better service.

Tipping also has an emotional factor as well - it can relieve your anger when you feel that you've received horrible treatment or make you feel good when you reward good behavior. Makes you think twice about tipping, doesn't it?

AT&T Is the Worst Cell Provider (Yet Again), Consumer Reports Says

Emily Co — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 12:00:41 PST

AT&T's service is so terrible, that it continually holds the spot for the worst-rated cell phone provider in a Consumer Reports poll. Out of the 58,000 people surveyed, many complained about the service's dropped calls. This might mean that it'll be hard for the network to retain users if the rumor of Verizon selling iPhones holds true. In fact, a GeekSugar quiz revealed that 59 percent of readers will be switching to Verizon as soon as the iPhone makes it way over.

I must admit, I haven't had the best experiences dealing with the customer service reps at AT&T, but now I know it's not just me. What are your gripes about your carrier?

Writing a Bad Review Can Backfire

SavvySugar — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 13:35:36 PDT

Many of you have written your fair share of bad reviews online, but do you really know what kind of implications there are? A couple found out the hard way when an enraged manager of a hotel in the UK kicked them out after accusing them of writing a bad review on TripAdvisor. The manager even called the cops on the recovering cancer patient and his wife and refused to pay the couple back.

Personally, I think bad reviews, as long as they are constructive and not defamatory, can be quite beneficial to businesses that are working on improving their services and customer satisfaction.

My friends and I have been contacted by business owners on Yelp looking to somehow "improve" those negative reviews we've written by offering free samples and services. I've never experienced anything close to the ordeal the couple went through, but I'm wondering if something similar has happened to you. Has a bad online review ever backfired on you?

5 Companies That Deserve Your Business and 5 That Don't

SavvySugar — Mon, 24 May 2010 08:00:34 PDT

Deciding where to spend your hard-earned cash depends on more than just who has the flashiest ads; you also want to know which companies are going to treat you well once they secure your business. And when times are tough and you have less to spend, customer service counts more than ever. MSN Money has released its annual customer service halls of fame and shame, and the lists contain a few surprises - and some repeat offenders. Here are the top five from each category:

Hall of Fame

Amazon
Trader Joe’s
Netflix
Apple
FedEx

To see the five worst customer service offenders, keep reading.

Apple Gets an A+ For Tech Support

GeekSugar — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:15:18 PST

Looks like you Apple fans aren't stressing out about waiting on hold for tech support - according to Consumer Reports, Apple is the top company for after-sales customer service. In a report that was based on phone support, online support, and general problem-solving ability, Apple beat out others including Dell, Toshiba, and Lenovo in all points. The survey took place over a one-year period and looked at 7,000 laptop and desktop users' customer support experiences.

Lenovo and Toshiba ranked second and third in the laptop category, while Dell and HP/Compaq ranked second and third for desktops. They claim that Apple's success is partially due to its ownership of the hardware and software that comes with each Mac. So amid complaints that Apple can be limiting, the silver lining is that its tech support is often able to troubleshoot and solve problems. And between phone, online, and Genius Bar support, Apple also gets an A for accessibility.