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....I want a refund.
So I had a lady call in today about a phone that wasn't working. The conversation went a little along these lines.
EL: Entitled Lady
Me: Hi there have we met?
Me: Intro Spiel
EL: My father bought this phone for me in 2005...*launches into long winded irrelevant explanation about how the phone didn't work and she just now found it and how she took it to the store in 2005 and they didn't help her* So I'd like to know what your going to do about this? Will you buy this phone back or refund us?
(All of the stores that sell our product are independently owned: this is relevant in a moment)
Me: So let me get this straight. You bought a phone... two years ago. You just now found it again, and are just now for the first time calling to see what we can do about it.
EL: Yes.
Me: So all you did to try and resolve the problem in 2005 was go to the store and nothing else.
EL Yes.
Me: And this is the first time you've called our customer service line for any assistance on this matter what so ever.
EL: Yes.
Me: I'm sorry ma'am. While I truly do sympathize, there is nothing I can do for you. Even had you called in 2005 the most I could have done was warranty the phone. All of our phones are clearly labeled as being non refundable and our stores are independently owned so I cant force the store to do anything for you. In either case this is two years after the fact any company would tell you that its too late to do anything now.
Insert ranting and complaining and threats to write the BBB.
EL: So what are you going to do or am I going to have to include your name in the BBB letter too?
Me: Ma'am please make sure you also include the fact that it took you two years to call us even once about this problem. Since it has been so long we have no way to prove whether it is the fact that your phone has been sitting around or that it actually didn't work to start with.
EL: But it wont even turn on or charge now and it didn't then.
Me: I understand that ma'am however most Lithium Ion batteries only last for three to four years from their date of manufacture if they don't receive a charge regularly. And even the ones that do receive a charge regularly don't last very long. So as you can see we have no way of knowing now if the battery was bad to begin with or if it simply has expired due to lack of use.
Insert more circular arguing... 15 minutes later she asks for a supervisor. Needless to say I can sum up how the rest of the call went simply by saying rinse repeat. The supervisor did end up offering her half off of a new phone which she refused and stuck to her guns about wanting a refund for the phone.
I mean seriously how can you expect to call about a problem two years after the fact and get a refund out of it. To EL's credit she was very civil the whole time never once swore or raised her voice or yelled, but she also seemed to think that she was entitled to some sort of refund.
So I had a lady call in today about a phone that wasn't working. The conversation went a little along these lines.
EL: Entitled Lady
Me: Hi there have we met?
Me: Intro Spiel
EL: My father bought this phone for me in 2005...*launches into long winded irrelevant explanation about how the phone didn't work and she just now found it and how she took it to the store in 2005 and they didn't help her* So I'd like to know what your going to do about this? Will you buy this phone back or refund us?
(All of the stores that sell our product are independently owned: this is relevant in a moment)
Me: So let me get this straight. You bought a phone... two years ago. You just now found it again, and are just now for the first time calling to see what we can do about it.
EL: Yes.
Me: So all you did to try and resolve the problem in 2005 was go to the store and nothing else.
EL Yes.
Me: And this is the first time you've called our customer service line for any assistance on this matter what so ever.
EL: Yes.
Me: I'm sorry ma'am. While I truly do sympathize, there is nothing I can do for you. Even had you called in 2005 the most I could have done was warranty the phone. All of our phones are clearly labeled as being non refundable and our stores are independently owned so I cant force the store to do anything for you. In either case this is two years after the fact any company would tell you that its too late to do anything now.
Insert ranting and complaining and threats to write the BBB.
EL: So what are you going to do or am I going to have to include your name in the BBB letter too?
Me: Ma'am please make sure you also include the fact that it took you two years to call us even once about this problem. Since it has been so long we have no way to prove whether it is the fact that your phone has been sitting around or that it actually didn't work to start with.
EL: But it wont even turn on or charge now and it didn't then.
Me: I understand that ma'am however most Lithium Ion batteries only last for three to four years from their date of manufacture if they don't receive a charge regularly. And even the ones that do receive a charge regularly don't last very long. So as you can see we have no way of knowing now if the battery was bad to begin with or if it simply has expired due to lack of use.
Insert more circular arguing... 15 minutes later she asks for a supervisor. Needless to say I can sum up how the rest of the call went simply by saying rinse repeat. The supervisor did end up offering her half off of a new phone which she refused and stuck to her guns about wanting a refund for the phone.
I mean seriously how can you expect to call about a problem two years after the fact and get a refund out of it. To EL's credit she was very civil the whole time never once swore or raised her voice or yelled, but she also seemed to think that she was entitled to some sort of refund.
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