I'd like to piggy-back off of Letitia's poor cutomer service story. And, believe me, I have a few of my own.
My wife and I got married in May. Soon afterwards, my wife got her last name on her driver's license changed to my last name. This required a simple online form. Within days, she had the correction card in her hands. Very simple.
Next step, let's change her last name on our credit cards. Again, very simple - just requiring a phone call to each company.
Ah, now time to change the last name on my wife's Social Security card. Not as easy. My wife was told to bring her corrected driver's license with her. As well as her US Passport and our marriage certificate. This would show our marriage, her new last name, and her hold last name. She does that. After waiting for a rediculous 1 hour to get called to window at our local SS Office, they tell her that she has to go home and present them with her birth certificate. You see, in the SS system, they have her being born on March 3rd, instead of March 30th. However, her Passport (issued by the US GOVERNMENT), says March 30th. As does her PA LICENSE! She questions them, but gets nowhere. 1 hour wasted. Oh, by the way, because of this typo, she still hasnt gotten her SS card. It was supposed to take 1 month...ah, now we're at 2 months and 3 visits later. Oh, did I mention that calling the local SS office does nothing. It's constantly busy. And, I mean, CONSTANTLY busy. Like, every minute of every day. So, you have no choice but to drive there and waste time sitting in their waiting room.
Wait, I thought the government was here to serve me? Wow, was I WRONG!
Now, off the goverment rant and onto a supermarket rant.
A few months ago, I went shopping at a supermarket very close to the one that I usually shop at. I tried this new place out when they first opened about 1 year ago. I wasnt impressed, but figured it was just a new place and the kinks needed to work themselves out. Just some poor product and such.
Well, 1 year later, it's worse. They literally had NO milk (not whole, not skim, not 1%, get the point?). So, I asked what the deal was. The employee told me that they were having problems with the delivery truck, but that it was in the parking lot now. But, "they havent had time to unload it." Wait, how is milk not a priority in a supermarket? Strike #1.
Next, I go to buy some produce. DISGUSTING! Rotten or not even available. Strike #2.
Then, I ask for some cold cuts at the deli counter. The meat that I wanted was only at the front of the case. The employee has the nurve to ask me to open up the front of the cabinet myself, get it, and hand it to him because "he didnt feel like doing it." Strike #3.
Ah, but the story gets better.
Being totally disgusted, I write to the president of the supermarket chain explaining my dissasatifaction. 5 weeks later, I still had heard NOTHING!
I write a second letter and express my disgust with their lack of customer service and I enclosed a copy of my original letter.
2 weeks later, I receive a form letter apologizing for my poor experience, and the supermarket praising their efforts to have great product, etc. The letter was from some customer service assistant, not even the pres/CEO. However, no apology for the lack of a response from the 1st letter was mentioned. Oh, but wait, they sent me a $5 gift card for the $80 purchase I made there. Can you tell how warm and fuzzy I felt inside?
Ya know, there is an old expression "The customer is always right." Well, I dont believe this is always 100% right. I think it should read, "the customer may not always be right, but the customer is still the customer."
But still, was I even wrong in any of this?
