SavvySugar

Apple Gets an A+ For Tech Support

GeekSugar — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:15:18 -0800

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.

I'm Asking: Are You a Pushover?

SavvySugar — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 12:00:56 -0800

I used to sit in awe - well, horror - of my grandfather, who would send back any and every restaurant meal at the slightest indication that it wasn't exactly what he had ordered or even if it wasn't just the right temperature. Now, I'm not suggesting that everyone adopt his ridiculously high standards, but I've definitely eaten food at a restaurant that wasn't what I ordered - I'm talking chicken when I ordered fish or cheese in my salad when I'm lactose intolerant. In fact, it's taken me years to develop the ability to advocate for myself. I was always embarrassed to say no, to say, "that's not what I ordered," or to tell a co-worker, "I'm sorry, I'm swamped and I can't help you right now."

I never wanted to be the person to say no, to cause a scene at dinner, hold up the checkout line, or have to deal with a customer service rep for longer than I had to. But after listening to my griping and complaining on the sidelines, my mother finally snapped me to my senses. "If you don't speak up for yourself, you don't have the right to complain to me," she declared. And that was the rule. I could no longer get away with grumbling about work, friends, roommates, landlords, or customer service. If it warranted action on my part, I was going to have to deal with it head on. When I'm being treated unfairly or taken advantage of, I now know to use my power as a consumer, my rights as an employee, tenant, etc. to be heard. And, even if it doesn't always mean that something will be done right away, at the very least I know I've said something and that I'm never going to be a victim simply because I was too shy or polite to speak up. So tell me, in work and in life, what warrants a complaint, and when and if do you say something? Do you voice your concerns and complaints or do you hold back?

I'm Asking: How Do You Deal With Terrible Customer Service?

SavvySugar — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 06:00:30 -0800

Over the past few days, I’ve been in customer service hell. We’ve all been there: you’ve got a problem that’s interfering with your day-to-day life - in my case, a spotty Internet connection - and you need it fixed ASAP. It should be so simple, but of course it never is. Each time I called to get my problem resolved, I was greeted by a different roadblock: an automated system that couldn’t understand my responses; a nonautomated human being who also couldn’t understand my responses; a "customer care" rep who was clearly having a bad day herself and was not so caring. To find out what pushed me over the edge and how I dealt with it, read more.

Sites and Tips For Better Customer Service

GeekSugar — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 09:05:12 -0700

There is nothing fun about sitting on the phone waiting for customer service. Nothing. Unfortunately, it's a fact of consumer life. Whether you are waiting to find out if you can adjust your cable bill, send your laptop in to be repaired, or talk to a human being about that car warranty, the suspense can trigger stress in a matter of seconds. If you like to pay your bills online, you'll love these sites and suggestions for getting customer service faster online. Life is too precious to sit on hold anyway.

View Slideshow ›

Website of the Day: Customer Service Scoreboard

GeekSugar — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 09:24:14 -0700

This one is pretty self-explanatory, but oh-so helpful: Customer Service Scoreboard gives you the overall score of some of the most used customer service lines around to see how they stack up. For example, if I would have checked this site before I called AT&T to complain about service interruptions last week, I would have been prepared for their less-than-stellar customer service - they have 29 negative comments and only 7 positive, leaving them with a total score of 48.31 out of 200. Come on AT&T - you can do better!

Since this is a crowd-powered site, you gotta put in your positive and negative comments just like you would if you were Yelping a restaurant. So don't just sit back and read the site, let's get to work!

Geek Tip: Email Comcast Corporate For Cable and Internet Help

GeekSugar — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 14:30:24 -0700

Last month I suffered the ultimate geek distress - an Internet and cable outage for over a week.

It inspired me to air my frustrations here, and the silver lining of the whole situation is that someone at Comcast saw my post and responded with a tip: if you're ever feeling like you're getting nowhere with the customer service on the phone, you can email the corporate team for assistance.

The corporate email address is We_Can_Help@cable.comcast.com. After my first problem was resolved, I used the corporate email address to get help with something else, and received a prompt reply, as well as a fix to a problem I'd had for a while.

Also, just writing an email definitely beats going through an automated menu for 15 minutes, only to repeat the same information to the customer service rep that you just punched in to four previous menus. Ugh.

Musician Gets Revenge Against United For Breaking His Guitar

SavvySugar — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:15:36 -0700

Canadian musician Dave Carroll has spent the past year trying to convince United to compensate him for the $1,200 in repairs his guitar needed after being tossed around by baggage handlers. His trip from Halifax and Nebraska included a transfer in Chicago, where the damage occurred. Carroll has ruled out accidental cause because another passenger witnessed the guitar abuse and spoke out in alarm while it was happening - he even notified the United employees on-board, who were anything but helpful.

United had refused responsibility for the damage, but called to discuss the situation when Carroll released an online video and song (United Breaks Guitars) describing the airline's errors. As of last night, at least 600,000 people had already viewed the video.

The Customer Service Halls of Shame and Fame

SavvySugar — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 08:30:26 -0700

Nobody wants a customer service experience that leaves you swearing under your breath, but these situations aren't exactly avoidable. MSN Money knows how important customer service is to consumers and conducts an annual survey that measures customer satisfaction.

It's named 10 companies that need a lot of improvement in the customer service department and 10 that would be good examples to the companies in the Hall of Shame. It's apparent from the rankings that banks in general could step it up.

Customer Service Hall of Shame

Citigroup
Bank of America
Abercrombie and Fitch
Qwest
HSBC
Time Warner Cable
Capital One
Sprint
Comcast
AOL

To see the companies that offer a happier customer experience, read more.
Customer Service Hall of Fame

Southwest Airlines
Costco
Apple
Whole Foods
Publix
Nordstrom
Amazon
Netflix
Trader Joe's
USAA

Source

How to Complain About Those Factory Warranty Spam Calls

GeekSugar — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 13:28:18 -0700

I turn into an angry she-Hulk every time my cell phone rings and I dive for it, only to hear "This is the second notice that the factory warranty on your vehicle is about to expire." I all but explode to the recording "But I don't even have a car!"

These spammy calls seem to affect everyone I know - and we're all sick of it. What's the deal? Even if you're on the Do Not Call Registry, these extended warranty companies can still get to you. So what can you do to stop the madness?

You can wait to be connected to someone after the recording, and tell them you'd like to be taken off their list. If you're guffawing right now, that's because you, like me, have already done that and continue to get calls.

To see a solution to end the calls posted on the sharing site Reddit, just read more.

Reddit's suggestions for how to put an end to these spam calls is simple: complaints. No, it's not an immediate end to the calls, but it does feel satisfying to officially put in your protest. Here are some of the places Reddit suggests you express your anger.

File a complaint on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)'s website.
File an online complaint with the Better Business Bureau.
Call your own cell phone carrier and complain.

Have you been getting these calls? Are you complaining, or just hanging up?

Source

Restaurant Owner Eliminates Tipping to Ease Tension

SavvySugar — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 14:00:34 -0700

Tipping was brought to the US from Europe after the Civil War and was met with opposition - six states even passed anti-tipping laws that prevented diners from having to tip. The laws were later repealed, but the angst toward the tradition of tipping lives on in the minds of many American customers. San Diego, CA, restaurant owner Jay Porter observed that tipping was not only a point of contention for his customers, but was also causing tension between his staff members and adding to the stressful environment.

Porter channeled iconic restaurateurs Alice Waters and Thomas Keller in his proposal to the casual dining staff to replace tipping with a service charge. Waters was first to establish this policy at the esteemed Chez Panisse in Berkeley, and then Keller did the same thing in his French Laundry and Per Se restaurants. Porter's staff was supportive of his idea to impose an 18 percent service fee to be split three-to-one between the front of the house and the kitchen. Only one of his eight servers quit after the new policy was enacted, and his remaining servers acknowledge the elimination of tipping has reduced tension between servers.

The system is obviously working so far for Porter and his staff, but as a customer, would you be turned off by a permanent service fee?

Source