Need help from Spirit Airlines? It’ll cost you now: the company that brought us carry-on bag fees is cutting corners yet again, by switching its customer help numbers from the toll-free 800 area code to the not-so-free 801 area code. Of course, that change will likely only affect customers calling from a landline, at about $0.05 to $0.18 per minute. In any case, we’re not surprised. [More]
Spirit Airlines Switches Customer Help Numbers From Toll-Free 800 To Not-Free 801 Area Code
By May 7, 2013
Workers Dealing With Customers Say They’re Not Getting Enough Guidance From Management
By April 30, 2013
The more we see big businesses floundering around, flopping all over themselves in the race to replace CEOs and try to figure out why customers aren’t streaming in the doors, the more we wonder how they could all be getting it so wrong. A new survey of “non-desk” workers could provide part of the answer, as those employees say they’re not getting enough information from the bigwigs in charge. [More]
Apparently UPS Will Send A Package Back If Anyone Nearby Chimes In And Refuses It
By April 8, 2013
There can be a lot of obstacles the United Parcel Service needs to overcome in its efforts to deliver packages — no one is home, the address is wrong — but one might think there’s some kind of policy regarding who can send a package back where it came from. One might think that only the intended recipient can return a package to sender, but as Consumerist reader Kathryn found it, that isn’t always the case. [More]
Using The EECB Gets Me A SimCity Refund, But What About Everyone Else?
By March 12, 2013
Consumerist reader Kevin was one of many SimCity gamers ticked off last week (likely plenty are still fuming this week), but unlike many of his fellow players, he was able to procure a refund for the deluxe digital edition. What in the what? “But EA doesn’t seem to be giving out refunds!” you might’ve just yelled at the screen. Kevin attributes his success to the executive email carpet bomb, or the EECB. [More]
New In The SimCity Saga: Maxis Promises More Servers, Refund Rumors Abound
By March 8, 2013
Help Us Help You: One Company’s Social Media Rep Explains How To Get Complaints Resolved
By March 5, 2013
A common refrain here at Consumerist that we try to promote is “kill’em with kindness.” Shouting, writing angry emails in all caps and generally freaking out at customer service representatives are all tactics guaranteed to make your quest for a positive resolution a lot harder. And as one company’s social media rep writes in to explain to Consumerist, often complaining customers aren’t doing anything to help her help them. [More]
Apple Sympathizes With My Need To Listen To One Song On Repeat For Hours On End
By March 4, 2013
Elaine was suffering. In the midst of an overwhelming obsession with the song “Our Love” by Al Jarreau, she lost access to the song on her iPhone and was thrown into severe withdrawal. How could she make it through her 45-minute train ride without it? She needed Apple’s help, and she needed it bad. [More]
Southwest Airlines Duped The Entire Plane And We Loved It: Send Us Your Happy Travel Tales
By March 1, 2013
This morning, before the sun had fully risen over the eastern seaboard, I was groggily fighting sleep and crankily wishing ill upon my seatmate’s blaring iPod as we sat on a 6 a.m. flight to Chicago on Southwest Airlines. Usually I am not in the mood for jokes at such an hour, but with one well-timed prank, the airline known for its particular brand of crew member humor turned everyone’s frowns upside down. [More]
Time Doesn’t Really Fly When Repair Shop Keeps Your Clock For More Than 22 Years
By February 27, 2013
We’ve heard some horror stories about customer service here at Consumerist HQ, but the examples coming from customers of a clock shop in New York are totally taking the cake. One woman dropped off her timepiece for repairs 22 years ago… and hasn’t seen it since.
You Can Buy Staples Gift Cards Online, But Can’t Use Them On Staples.com
By February 21, 2013
Jenny has a problem with Staples, and happened to find a post that we wrote about the same problem four years ago. Staples, you see, has a web site and they have about 1,600 stores. You can buy Staples gift cards in many places, including from Staples’ own website. But back in 2009, you couldn’t use Staples gift cards to buy things on the site. You still can’t. [More]
SodaStream Customer Service Finds It Hilarious That Its Products Send Me Straight To The Toilet
By February 1, 2013
Consumerist reader C. had a problem of a well, rather delicate nature. She writes that after receiving a SodaStream for Christmas, she was beyond excited to try it out, using a few of the company’s flavored syrups to make her own carbonated beverages at home. That excitement waned when she started experiencing an — how shall we say it? — ill health effect that sent her running for the bathroom every time she drank the stuff. [More]
EA Customer Service Head On Improving Relations: We’ve Got A Ways To Go
By December 21, 2012
Winning Consumerist’s title of “Worst Company Of The Year” is likely the kind of award that stings, as Electronic Arts found out last April. In light of its reputation for awful customer service, the company says it’s really working hard to turn all those frowns upside down. And thought it might not seem like it, EA’s customer service head says things are going to change for the better in how the company handles its customers’ issues. It’s all part of a three-year plan. [More]
