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So this morning I'm happily going about my job, about 10 minutes after opening time, and one of my techs comes up saying he needed assistance with a lady who was causing some hassles.
I get up to the service counter and there is an Asian lady there. (Note, race isn't important at this stage, but it does become relevant later in the story). She had come in to pick up her 2 week old laptop which was in for service for a webcam problem, and because the job wasn't completed yet she demanded a replacement. Ok, if the techs were taking too long to fix it, then we might be able to do that, when was it booked in? Get the job sheet - booked in YESTERDAY, at 5:45pm. I clarified with the tech, because we close at 5:30, thought there must have been a mistake. No, no mistake - she had come to the doors after we closed and wouldn't take no for an answer, and forced herself in when one of the staff was leaving. Reason for Suckiness #1: No concept of closing time.
Now, she was here at 9:10am, complaining because it wasn't yet completed, when she had left it with us yesterday. Reason for Suckiness #2: Thinks our staff are going to do overtime just for her.
It took quite a bit of explaining that we were closed when it came in, we have been open for exactly 10 minutes this morning, no that is not enough time to do anything, you will have to come in later. No she had driven a long way to make this special trip in, and she wasn't taking no for an answer, because we hadn't fixed it yet, she demanded a replacement. No, I'm sorry, it will take at least 2 hours.
Then she throws in another excuse - "I brought it in on both saturday and sunday, and you didn't fix it when I brought it in then, because this is its third time in for the same fault, I am entitled to an exchange or refund by law". Hang on - we don't have technicians here on either saturday or sunday - notice the BIG service centre operating hours sign right in front of you. So what exactly happened - a little bit of prying, and she was told on saturday, and again on sunday, that it couldn't be fixed then, but she could book it in and have it looked at on monday, to which she declined, or alternatively she could call the 24/7 support number (not surprisingly no calls were logged). Reason for suckiness #3 - doesn't follow advice.
Used the line on her that 90% of problems were a setting that was wrong, and that even if we replaced it, there was a high chance that the same problem would re-occur. We needed to find the source of the problem before we could do anything. She argued, but finally partially gave in - and set her own deadline that we had 2 hours to fix the problem, and if not she was going to get a full refund. Reason for suckiness #4 - sets unrealistic demands.
The problem with the machine was that yahoo messenger wouldn't work with her webcam. Once the tech started working on it, it didn't take him long to discover that it was because a very old version of yahoo messenger was installed (not fully compatible with Vista). He downloaded the current version from Yahoo's website, and it worked straight away, no problems whatsoever. He called her, told her what the problem was, and that it was ready for collection. Most people would now be happy, but not SC. Reason for suckiness #5 - never happy.
By now I'm back to some of my other tasks, when the tech comes back again - that lady is back and she wants you to sign something. I go over and she has a letter that she has written, saying that she had brought the computer in for repair 3 times, and that if she has any problems whatsoever with it in the future that she was entitled to 100% refund, plus reimbursement of any other costs she had. No way in hell was I going to sign that, and I told her that. Reason for suckiness #6 - expects the world to bend around her.
I explained that the problem was nothing to do with the machine, but totally because of the old software she put on it, nothing whatsoever to do with the equipment we sold her. Then she drops another bomb - "well i'm disgusted with the level of service I have had, I want you to get me the phone number of your complaints department" What? Reason for suckiness #7 - complains even when you have done your best for her.
I got the number for her, but then tried to sway her from calling, because when a complaint goes through to corporate they turn into stupid "customer is always right" nazis. So I asked her on what grounds - I stated our case - we had booked it in after hours for her, something we normally never do. We had fixed it within an hour. We had fixed it for no charge, even though the problem was caused by software we didn't supply.. So what was it that you want to complain about? "I was originally going to buy it from [another store] but decided to get it from you. They would have exchanged it on Saturday without question". Reason for suckiness #8 - tries to play "the other store is better" card.
I couldn't help myself. Hang on, they don't even have technicians, maybe they would have exchanged it for you, then you would have put the old version of yahoo on it, and had exactly the same fault - then what? we have solved the problem for you, so now you won't have the problem. She said "well I would have got a computer technician to fix it". Huh? "But another technician would have charged you for it, we have fixed the problem at no charge.", "[other store] would have exchanged it for me on saturday and I wouldn't have had to make 3 more trips in, so I want your complaints number, because you wouldn't exchange it". Reason for suckiness #9 - doesn't understand simple reasoning. I should have given in there, but stupidly continued trying to reason with her.
"But you would have spent far more on a technician, than what those extra trips have cost. And the type of service is one for which we would normally charge, because it was caused by software you installed. There was nothing at all wrong with the machine we sold you, the problem was the software you installed on it." She hit back with "But you have a service centre, so you have to provide servicing for your computers for free, it is against the law for you to charge for service [huh?], you have to do it for free." Reason for suckiness #10 - expects things for free.
She started getting cranky again and asked for the complaints number again, so I got it (and "accidentally" transposed 2 digits
- oops - I really don't want her calling them because they really are stupid - a baseless complaint like this is likely to get turned into "give her a refund and let her keep the computer" )
I came out and handed her the number, and took a parting shot - "you know how you said we have to do the service for free - every car dealership I have ever been to has a service department, and they charge for every service, even routine servicing. If you buy a new car, then modify it, do you expect the dealership to fix the problems caused by your modification for free? because that is exactly the same scenario". She was about to start arguing back - her mouth opened, then she stopped and silently left. Did I get through to her? Did she not have a comeback? did she not understand what I said? or did she simply give up arguing now she had a complaints number? I guess time will tell (Depends if she is serious enough to find the correct number).
So she's gone, and I go over to the other manager to have a vent, and get it out of my system - he laughed and said "I see she's going to complain to corporate again". "Again?", "yeah - when she bought the computer, she jumped the queue at the cashier desk. When the cashier asked her to go back to the end of the line, she got all upset and demanded to see me. She accused [cashier] of being racist and demanded a discount. I refused so she insisted on getting corp's number, and lodged a complaint"
Reasons for suckiness #11, #12, #13 & #14- Thinks she's more important than other customers, pulls the race card, entitlement whore, and serial complainer.
I get up to the service counter and there is an Asian lady there. (Note, race isn't important at this stage, but it does become relevant later in the story). She had come in to pick up her 2 week old laptop which was in for service for a webcam problem, and because the job wasn't completed yet she demanded a replacement. Ok, if the techs were taking too long to fix it, then we might be able to do that, when was it booked in? Get the job sheet - booked in YESTERDAY, at 5:45pm. I clarified with the tech, because we close at 5:30, thought there must have been a mistake. No, no mistake - she had come to the doors after we closed and wouldn't take no for an answer, and forced herself in when one of the staff was leaving. Reason for Suckiness #1: No concept of closing time.
Now, she was here at 9:10am, complaining because it wasn't yet completed, when she had left it with us yesterday. Reason for Suckiness #2: Thinks our staff are going to do overtime just for her.
It took quite a bit of explaining that we were closed when it came in, we have been open for exactly 10 minutes this morning, no that is not enough time to do anything, you will have to come in later. No she had driven a long way to make this special trip in, and she wasn't taking no for an answer, because we hadn't fixed it yet, she demanded a replacement. No, I'm sorry, it will take at least 2 hours.
Then she throws in another excuse - "I brought it in on both saturday and sunday, and you didn't fix it when I brought it in then, because this is its third time in for the same fault, I am entitled to an exchange or refund by law". Hang on - we don't have technicians here on either saturday or sunday - notice the BIG service centre operating hours sign right in front of you. So what exactly happened - a little bit of prying, and she was told on saturday, and again on sunday, that it couldn't be fixed then, but she could book it in and have it looked at on monday, to which she declined, or alternatively she could call the 24/7 support number (not surprisingly no calls were logged). Reason for suckiness #3 - doesn't follow advice.
Used the line on her that 90% of problems were a setting that was wrong, and that even if we replaced it, there was a high chance that the same problem would re-occur. We needed to find the source of the problem before we could do anything. She argued, but finally partially gave in - and set her own deadline that we had 2 hours to fix the problem, and if not she was going to get a full refund. Reason for suckiness #4 - sets unrealistic demands.
The problem with the machine was that yahoo messenger wouldn't work with her webcam. Once the tech started working on it, it didn't take him long to discover that it was because a very old version of yahoo messenger was installed (not fully compatible with Vista). He downloaded the current version from Yahoo's website, and it worked straight away, no problems whatsoever. He called her, told her what the problem was, and that it was ready for collection. Most people would now be happy, but not SC. Reason for suckiness #5 - never happy.
By now I'm back to some of my other tasks, when the tech comes back again - that lady is back and she wants you to sign something. I go over and she has a letter that she has written, saying that she had brought the computer in for repair 3 times, and that if she has any problems whatsoever with it in the future that she was entitled to 100% refund, plus reimbursement of any other costs she had. No way in hell was I going to sign that, and I told her that. Reason for suckiness #6 - expects the world to bend around her.
I explained that the problem was nothing to do with the machine, but totally because of the old software she put on it, nothing whatsoever to do with the equipment we sold her. Then she drops another bomb - "well i'm disgusted with the level of service I have had, I want you to get me the phone number of your complaints department" What? Reason for suckiness #7 - complains even when you have done your best for her.
I got the number for her, but then tried to sway her from calling, because when a complaint goes through to corporate they turn into stupid "customer is always right" nazis. So I asked her on what grounds - I stated our case - we had booked it in after hours for her, something we normally never do. We had fixed it within an hour. We had fixed it for no charge, even though the problem was caused by software we didn't supply.. So what was it that you want to complain about? "I was originally going to buy it from [another store] but decided to get it from you. They would have exchanged it on Saturday without question". Reason for suckiness #8 - tries to play "the other store is better" card.
I couldn't help myself. Hang on, they don't even have technicians, maybe they would have exchanged it for you, then you would have put the old version of yahoo on it, and had exactly the same fault - then what? we have solved the problem for you, so now you won't have the problem. She said "well I would have got a computer technician to fix it". Huh? "But another technician would have charged you for it, we have fixed the problem at no charge.", "[other store] would have exchanged it for me on saturday and I wouldn't have had to make 3 more trips in, so I want your complaints number, because you wouldn't exchange it". Reason for suckiness #9 - doesn't understand simple reasoning. I should have given in there, but stupidly continued trying to reason with her.
"But you would have spent far more on a technician, than what those extra trips have cost. And the type of service is one for which we would normally charge, because it was caused by software you installed. There was nothing at all wrong with the machine we sold you, the problem was the software you installed on it." She hit back with "But you have a service centre, so you have to provide servicing for your computers for free, it is against the law for you to charge for service [huh?], you have to do it for free." Reason for suckiness #10 - expects things for free.
She started getting cranky again and asked for the complaints number again, so I got it (and "accidentally" transposed 2 digits
- oops - I really don't want her calling them because they really are stupid - a baseless complaint like this is likely to get turned into "give her a refund and let her keep the computer" )I came out and handed her the number, and took a parting shot - "you know how you said we have to do the service for free - every car dealership I have ever been to has a service department, and they charge for every service, even routine servicing. If you buy a new car, then modify it, do you expect the dealership to fix the problems caused by your modification for free? because that is exactly the same scenario". She was about to start arguing back - her mouth opened, then she stopped and silently left. Did I get through to her? Did she not have a comeback? did she not understand what I said? or did she simply give up arguing now she had a complaints number? I guess time will tell (Depends if she is serious enough to find the correct number
).So she's gone, and I go over to the other manager to have a vent, and get it out of my system - he laughed and said "I see she's going to complain to corporate again". "Again?", "yeah - when she bought the computer, she jumped the queue at the cashier desk. When the cashier asked her to go back to the end of the line, she got all upset and demanded to see me. She accused [cashier] of being racist and demanded a discount. I refused so she insisted on getting corp's number, and lodged a complaint"
Reasons for suckiness #11, #12, #13 & #14- Thinks she's more important than other customers, pulls the race card, entitlement whore, and serial complainer.
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