Complaints to Corporate

[Dave1982]

Corporate asked for explanations for two complaints they'd received from the same day.

here's what happened.

Complaint #1

Customer comes in with a coupon for a free package of pens that we are out of. (Incidentally, I lay the blame for this entirely at corporate's door, because they put out this coupon without bothering to send us any extra stock of the item). As a compromise, we use the coupon to take the value of the pens off your total purchase. So while he didn't get the pens, he effectively got $3.99 worth of merchandise free.

Now, AFTER DOIG THIS for him, he started cussing out the manager and demanding that he receive the pens as stated on the coupon, or be given "some other pens" free instead. When told that we'd already given him the value of the pens, and that he couldn't double-dip on the coupon, he left in a huff and complained to corporate.


Complaint #2

Customer submits an order our copy center via staplescopycenter.com, at midnight, on a Saturday!!!. The order he submitted was so large that it's take a minimum four hours to complete.

He states on the order that he needs it done by noon on Sunday, only 12 hours after he submitted the order.

We open at 10AM on Sunday.

SOONEST the order can possibly be done is 2PM, and that's assuming that there are no other orders ahead of his in the queue (everything is first come, first served).

Customer shows up at noon and throws a fit that the order isn't done, when he made it clear that it had to be done by then. Refuses to listen when told it was not possible. Denies that the order was submitted without sufficient notice.

Then when it is finally completed, he claims it was done wrong. In fact, the order was done EXACTLY according to what was submitted on the website, and he was shown this. Turns out he'd submitted the order incorrectly because he failed to read the instructions on the website.

Customer called corporate to complain that we were late with his order and that we didn't do it right, and that the manager was rude to tell him that it couldn't be done in the time allowed.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Not much of an explanation needed: Both customers are asshats.

[One-Fang]

And what was corporate's response to you guys? "Do better" or "look at these idiots"?

[eltf177]

Total fail for both customers, especially the second. Please, tell us that corporate didn't cave in to these dry pool diving team members!

[rts]

Total fail for both customers, especially the second. Please, tell us that corporate didn't cave in to these dry pool diving team members!

I'm betting they did cave!!!!

CORPORATE=NO BACKBONE

[Dave1982]

I have no idea what corporate did; all I know is that they wanted an explanation for these complaints. In all likelihood though, they issued a ton of coupons to these "customers."

[eltf177]

I have no idea what corporate did; all I know is that they wanted an explanation for these complaints. In all likelihood though, they issued a ton of coupons to these "customers."

Oh wonderful! 'Let me blame you for _my_ screwup and get rewarded for it!'

It's this brain-damaged concept of rewarding sucky behavior that I hate!

[mattm04]

That last guy was a the worst. If corp. had a spine they would see the date/time he submitted the order and when he wanted it and then send him a letter with nice explanation of the lead time required and nothing else.

[blas]

The bigsuits at the factory I work at keep screwing up royally with their inability to run their busines, and in the process, they piss off customers AND make morale even lower and lower for us peeons.

They promise customers the world. They promise a sample motherboard in as little as 3 days. Sample product is usually brand new. Considering the bigsuits refuse to provide machines with technology newer than the early to mid 90s, a lot of product gets stuck and bottlenecked in certain places because it just can't be done or the machines can't run the product, whatever reasons....

And when the customers don't get their promised product in 3 days, naturally there are complaints....then the bigsuits come down on the employees, whose only fault is not being able to run faulty ancient machines. Then we get punished with more overtime (depending on the workload) or constant ass chewings and reminders about how important it is to PUSH product.

There is something wrong with corporate everywhere. If they ever were in our shoes once, they erased all memory from it.

[bloodrose]

Customer shows up at noon and throws a fit that the order isn't done, when he made it clear that it had to be done by then. Refuses to listen when told it was not possible. Denies that the order was submitted without sufficient notice.

Man your corporate keeps screwing you guys over. Tell me that the forms had a "you must give x amount of lead time" on it.

[zymry]

Man your corporate keeps screwing you guys over. Tell me that the forms had a "you must give x amount of lead time" on it.

I can't speak directly for the US version but the Canadian website says this

"Your order will be ready according to the timeframe below: Orders totaling less than $75, will be ready in 6 business hours (coil binding jobs will be 24 business hours.) Orders between $75 and $350 will be ready in 24 business hours. If your order is over $350, then a Staples associate will call you within 3 business hours to provide an accurate turnaround estimate. "

However I think Jayne said it best "what you plan and what takes place ain't exactly ever been similar"

[Seraph]

Wow. The only times I've complained to corporate, they were justified. Like a cup of Ben and Jerry's that I bought that was absolutely...nasty. Had this gel film over the top of the ice cream and junk. Walmart wouldn't do squat, so I wrote them regarding their 100% satisfaction guaranteed. Got a free coupon a few weeks later.

Then there was the Wendy's that had a puddle on the floor of their restroom right by the door - with no sign. I took a step inside, and immediately slipped and fell over backwards. Then when we ordered our food, they gave my daughter an EXPIRED cup of yogurt. Stuff growing on it SCARY. I went to exchange it, and the kid at the front desk started muttering and thowing nasty looks at me. Half our food was wrong...it was the worst experience ever. I merely wrote in a comment card, and four days later Wendy's corp rang our phone.

I rarely ever pull that card, but there are situations that call for it.