Customer Service

I have such mixed emotions about this term, especially having been on both sides of the counter. I used to be of the belief that if you were calm and unemotional, if you listened and you communicated, if you were cordial, smiled and looked the customer in the eye, customer service would take care of itself. HA!

For example, this weekend while working my second job at Williams-Sonoma, I came across this customer service issue. In case you don't know this, Williams-Sonoma will take back dirt as long as you have a receipt. And, for the most part, if we sell/sold it and you DON'T have a receipt, we will give merchandise credit in the amount shown on the register (which usually is the last sales price). All of this information is clearly displayed on every counter in our stores as well as on the website, in the catalogues and carved below the 10 on the original stone slab brought down from Mount Sanai by Moses. Yes, we pride ourselves in our excellent customer service.

So, that said, in walks a couple with a slightly used and extremely broken panini press, the model we stopped selling over a year ago. She is walking with a purposeful stride toward the counter and he is trailing her like the obedient lap dog he so proved to be. This is how it unfolded.

"How may I help you?"

"We want to return this we only used it once and the handle broke it must've had a flaw in it because the metal just snapped and we only used it once and we are not happy with it and we want to return it," all said rather abruptly by the female unit of the couple, in one breath, and definitely with lots of attitude. That alone makes my "you are so trying to get away with something" antennea go way up!

"Do you have your receipt?"

"Of course not, we bought it a couple years ago but we only used it once and it's broken and we think something must've been wrong with it to begin with because you can see that handle is just snapped in two."

"We no longer sell this model b..."

"I know that, but I want my money back."

"What I was trying to say is we don't have this model anymore but you can exchange it for the updated version. Of course you'd have to pay the difference in price."

"I don't want another one, I didn't like this one. I want my money back."

"I'll have to give you store credit as you don't have a receipt."

"I brought my American Express bill so you can see how much I paid for it."

"Ma'am, we can't take the bill as proof of purchase because the individual merchandise is not listed on the bill, but thank you for bringing that in just the same. I wish I could use it. Unfortunately I can only give you the value that we have in the computer." And I'm thinking, you save two years of AmEx bills but you don't save your receipts?

"But you can see how much I paid for it, I have my American Express bill. I've returned things before using my American Express bill."

"I'm sure if you brought in your bill you were told that we cannot take the bill as proof of sale. It is against company policy to take bills as proof of purchase unless the item is clearly defined on the bill. What I mean is, your bill indicates that over $100 was spent at one of our stores yet the merchandise you are returning orignally sold for $79.95. This is not a clear indication of what merchandise was purchased. If your bill said $80 something I would be more inclined to use it as proof of purchase but only after telling you that I am bending the rules as this is not store policy. Do you understand?"

I didn't bother to await an answer. Instead I looked up the SKU# and entered it on the cash register. Of course the cost is no longer $79.95 but rather $49.99, oh joy. When I impart that information I will just say I am glad that my uniform includes an apron. And, as predicted, after the verbal deluge which included projectiles of bodily fluids her next comment was "I want to see your manager!" Yes, I am not a very nice person sometimes, and since I've been with this company for 5 years as well as have held management positions, though not at the moment, I put a cork in her bottle by replying "I am the manager." Then I looked straight in her eyes as I wiped a wee bit of imaginary spittle from my cheek (damn I am a good actress). I smiled and reached for the large, 10x13 sign next to the cash register, in clear view of all to see, placing the laminated board in front of her. "And this is our company wide store policy should you have any more questions," I said smiling.

At this point I looked at the merchandise, and boy was this thing broken. The hard metal handle had snapped in two and was at this odd angle bent outward. It was a real struggle to get the top open (not normal for a Krup's Panini Press). Once I finally jimmied the top up I saw what the problem was. The press had been dropped, and probably off the counter for the nonstick coated hard anodized aluminum corner (which, by the way, is as hard as a rock) was bent inward. "Aha" I said. "This appliance has been dropped."

Boy, the woman jumped right on that and the man, ever quiet, turned bright red and looked positively abashed. "I didn't drop it" she countered in a vicously loud voice.

"But it has been dropped." I calmly replied.

"I didn't drop it"

"But it has been dropped."

"I didn't drop it." She was now yelling loudly and I was just above a whisper.

"I am NOT accusing you of dropping it, but it has been dropped, and it was not dropped in our store. Now, I can give you $49.99 in store credit or you can exchange it for another one and pay the difference, or you can send it back to Krups for a replacement, but those seem to be your only choices." Then I turned to the humbled man and said, "Which of those options is satisfactory to you?"

"We'll take the store credit." he meekly replied

"I thought so," and as I took care of the transaction I smiled and carried on polite conversation, never once looking at the anti-christ but instead choosing to deal with her subserviant counterpart. I reminded him of the stores in which he could use our merchandise credit and told him that if he had anything else to return, that the costs could be added to this card. As I handed him the receipt I leaned over the counter and quietly said, so both could hear, "If something like this ever happens again just be honest and say, 'I'm sorry, this dropped and broke. May I return it?' We'll take care of it for you and no one walks away embarrssed and with egg on their face. And that makes for a much more pleasant exchange, don't you think?" Then I stood tall and said, "thank you for your business and I hope we see you again very soon."

You know, sometimes I hate people!