Anger will get you no where

Angry Talk (Comic Style)

I will try to make this as short as possible.  Back in 2006, my wife and I tried to sign up for a family plan on AT&T.  They said sure, but my wife had a out of state number so they wouldn’t let us get the family plan.  So I told the guy in the store that no where in writing does it say you can get a family plan only with in state numbers.  So we called corporate, explained the situation and corporate said, we’re sorry currently it’s a software limitation.  I politely said, “No problem just adjust our bills temporarily until the software is updated to accommodate us.”  They refused.  I got pissed.  I raised my voice in the store.  I spent fifteen minutes saying as your paying customer you are not allowing me to opt into this plan which is available to all AT&T customers with no conditions.  That statement got me no where.  So I asked for the guy’s supervisor.  I proceeded to explain everything again to the supervisor and he just said sorry, software limitation.  So I asked for his supervisor, which led to the same outcome.  Then asked for his supervisor, same story.  I moved up their manager ladder two more times, and got the name/number/address of the vice president of something or other and was ready to write a letter of complaint.  Later that night, I was so furious but kept my letter professional and to the point.  After all that, I’m not sure what happened to my determination but I just gave up and decided not to send the letter.  I had no idea I could’ve actually sued AT&T for discrimination and reported them to BBB.  Still to this day I don’t know why I didn’t mail the complaint letter.  Also it’s crazy how terrible the customer service was and how many managers (a lot of unnecessary managers) were willing to pass me around the loop as if it was a game of hot potato.

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Facebook & Twitter: Corporate Customer Service Department

I’m sure you’ve noticed the evolution of how companies are practically forced to use Facebook & Twitter as Customer Service.  Referencing the picture dialogue above (it didn’t take me very long to find that), what used to happen was people would say all this negative stuff and businesses for the most part wouldn’t care… they just wanted you as a number (old Myspace times).  If it ever got bad they would block you.  Now companies are taking a pro-active approach solving the customer problem that wasn’t resolved at the time of transaction or whenever.  The first comment in the picture, the guy’s his name is Marc and he is just complaining about the overall problem Sears is faced with.  Really neither Marc or Sears can do anything about that.  Sears itself didn’t reply to his negative comment… it was Sears Cares that did.  Personally that’s kind of a dumb move but whatever.  I guess that’s their Facebook clean up department.  Sears Cares responded like any other corporation would, politely and made it seem like his remarks were important to Sears.  Then along comes a loser who’s been shopping for 30+ years at Sears, and starts defending the corporation.  Now this is exactly what Sears wants… real interactive customers and loyal fans talking about Sears.  Sears knows that on facebook and twitter customer’s good or bad impressions can spread through out the social networks, giving basically FREE marketing to Sears.

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