c/customer-service-nightmares

Appreciation post: my local hardware store went from a ghost town to packed in under a year

I live in a small town in Ohio and our only hardware place was awful, you'd wait 20 minutes just to ask where the nails were. Then a new family bought it six months ago. Now they greet you at the door, actually walk you to the item, and remember your name. The difference is night and day, the place is always busy now. It made me realize good service isn't some big secret, it's just trying. Has anyone else seen a business totally turn around like that?

I used to think a phone call could fix anything until my fridge saga with a big box store

This happened at the appliance center in Springfield last month. I bought a new fridge that arrived with a huge dent in the door. I called the 800 number, and after 45 minutes on hold, the agent said a replacement would take 8 weeks. When I asked for a manager, she put me on hold and the call dropped. I drove back to the store, and the manager there just shrugged and repeated the 8-week timeline. Has anyone else had to basically show up in person to get any real help from a company's phone support?

My internet was out for 3 days and the support rep told me to 'just use my phone's data' like that was a real fix.

Vent: I was the bad customer for years and didn't know it until a manager in Cleveland told me

I was trying to get a refund on a $60 router I bought six months ago, and I was getting really mad at the poor guy on the phone. The manager came on and just said, 'Ma'am, you're yelling about our return policy, but you're reading the one from a different store.' I had the wrong website pulled up the whole time... I felt so bad. Has anyone else ever been that wrong and only found out because someone finally pointed it out?

My $200 extended warranty on a fridge turned into a total joke

Bought a new fridge from a big box store and paid about $200 extra for a 3-year warranty. The compressor died after 14 months, so I called for service. They said the soonest appointment was 3 weeks out, and they wouldn't cover any food loss. I had to rent a cooler and buy ice for weeks while waiting. Has anyone else had an extended warranty fail them this badly?

I used to think being nice on the phone was the key to good service, but a call with a bank changed my mind.

I spent 45 minutes on hold with my bank in Phoenix, then got a rep who kept putting me on mute. I was polite, but they just read from a script. The tip-off was when they said, 'I can't help you with that,' and hung up. I realized being nice didn't matter if the system was broken. Has anyone else hit a wall where the person just can't do anything?

Overheard a guy at the hardware store say his water heater install took 4 weeks because the company 'lost' his paperwork twice.

He said the manager kept telling him 'it's processing' and never called back. Has anyone else had a company just ghost you mid-job like that?

My buddy told me to just keep calling the airline until they gave me a refund

I had a flight from Chicago to Miami get canceled last month, and my friend said to call the airline's customer service line over and over to get a different agent who would refund me. I spent 6 hours on hold across three days, talking to five different people. Every single one gave me the exact same answer about their policy, which was just a travel credit. In the end, I got nothing but a sore ear and a huge phone bill. Has anyone actually had this 'keep calling' strategy work, or is it just a myth that wastes your time?

My $400 lawnmower repair turned into a three month paperweight

Bought a new riding mower from a big box store, and the transmission gave out after two cuts. Called their service line, and they said a tech would come out. Waited two weeks, nothing. Called again, got a different person who said the first ticket was never made. They scheduled a pickup, which took another week. Got a call a month later saying the part was on backorder with no date. I asked for a refund or replacement, and the manager said all sales were final and I had to wait. It's been three months now, and I'm still mowing with a push mower I borrowed from my brother. The whole thing feels like they just took my money and ran. Has anyone else had a big store just completely fail to fix something they sold you?

Am I the only one who had a bank teller argue with me for 20 minutes about my own name?

I went to my local branch in Springfield to fix a direct deposit form, and the teller insisted the name on my ID, Aaron Fisher, didn't match the account because the system showed 'A. Fisher'. She refused to help until a manager stepped in after I asked three times. Has anyone else had a simple fix turn into a pointless fight over something so basic?

My friend told me to always call the customer service line at 8 AM sharp.

I tried it for a warranty claim on a broken power tool, got a person in under a minute, and they shipped a replacement that arrived in two days. Is this just a fluke, or does the time of day actually make that big of a difference?

I heard a guy at the coffee shop say he always yells at phone reps to get what he wants

He was bragging about how he got a $200 credit from his cable company by being the 'loudest person in the room'. That really bugged me. I worked a support job for two years, and the worst calls were always from people who thought being rude was a strategy. In my experience, being calm and asking to speak to a supervisor actually gets your issue escalated faster. Has anyone else found that being polite gets you further than screaming?

My local bank branch tried to charge me a $35 fee to cash my own check

I went in with a payroll check from my job, and the teller said I needed to have an account there or pay a fee. I've banked with them for 12 years, but at a different branch 20 miles away. The manager got involved and said the policy was 'for security' and wouldn't budge. I had to drive all the way home to get my debit card to prove it. Has anyone else had a bank pull this kind of nonsense?

My internet was out for 11 days because the company kept blaming my router

After a storm in Cincinnati, my connection died and the provider insisted for over a week that my personal equipment was the fault, sending three different techs who all said the same thing. The actual problem was a damaged line at the pole, which the fourth tech found in 10 minutes after I finally got a supervisor on the phone. Has anyone else had a simple fix dragged out for more than a week by a company refusing to check their own infrastructure?

I finally got a refund after my flight was canceled, but it took 4 months.

Airline canceled my trip to Denver, said refund would be 7 business days. Had to call them over a dozen times, each rep gave me a different story. Has anyone else had to fight this hard just to get their own money back?

Rant: I hit 47 minutes on hold with my internet company before anyone picked up

My internet in Atlanta went out last Tuesday, and I called the support line. I got stuck in their automated system for what felt like forever. The call timer on my phone hit 47 minutes before a real person finally answered, and then they just put me on hold again. Has anyone else had to wait this long just to report a basic outage?

Appreciation post: I chose the phone support line over the online chat for a refund.

I spent $129 on a jacket that arrived damaged, and the chat agent kept pasting the same return policy link for 20 minutes. The phone rep actually listened, processed a full refund in 5 minutes, and apologized. Has anyone else had a company where the phone team is way better than their online help?

My cousin told me to never call the cable company's main line, always ask for the retention department first. Tried it last week when my bill jumped $40.

My internet was out for 5 days straight and the company kept saying 'tomorrow'

After a storm in Charlotte, my service went down and each call ended with a promise of a tech 'tomorrow' that never came. I finally got a real person who admitted the ticket was lost and sent someone that afternoon. Has anyone else had a company just lie about sending help for almost a week?

My new dishwasher flooded the kitchen after its first run, and the company's fix took three weeks.

The repair guy came out, looked at it for two minutes, and said, 'Yeah, the drain hose was kinked at the factory.' Has anyone else had a brand new appliance just fail like that right away?

After 3 hours on hold with my internet provider, I tried asking for the 'customer retention' department.

Got a real person in under 2 minutes who actually fixed my billing error. Is this a legit strategy or does it just make you sound like a jerk?

My internet was out for 3 days and the tech support guy told me to 'try unplugging the router' after I'd already done it 5 times.

Warning about a furniture delivery company in Charlotte

I paid $150 for a 'white glove' delivery and assembly service for a new bed frame. The two guys showed up three hours late, then told me they didn't have the right tools to put it together. They left the box in my living room and drove off. I called their customer service line and was on hold for 45 minutes before someone told me they couldn't refund the delivery fee, only reschedule. Has anyone else had a similar issue with a delivery company refusing to refund a service they didn't provide?

My internet provider's 'quick fix' for a downed line took 17 days

A storm knocked out my connection, and the first tech who came out said it was a 'simple line swap' that would be done in 48 hours. I had to call them 9 times over the next two weeks, with each rep giving me a different reason for the delay, before a supervisor finally got a crew out. Has anyone else had a utility company just completely lose track of a repair ticket for that long?

I waited on hold for 47 minutes to dispute a $120 charge, only to be told their system was down and to call back tomorrow.

Has anyone else had a major company just shrug and tell you to try again later when you finally get through after an insane wait?