Last week, we published a story from a reader whose Kenmore washer might be repaired someday…maybe, leaving him to buy a cheap temporary replacement in the meantime. Reader Brian noticed the story because he had a similar experience when his local Home Depot sent installers too honest to leave him with a dented dryer. When he complained to the store manager that this left him without an important household appliance, the manager immediately brought over a loaner dryer that Brian’s family got to use for their dryer-less three weeks. [More]
Here’s What Should Happen When Your Family’s Washer Is Out Of Commission
By January 30, 2013
I Use Facebook To Check On My Monitor Repair, Samsung Just Goes Ahead And Sends Me Better One
By January 23, 2013
Graeme has two Samsung monitors, and has had them repaired under warranty a few times. Two years into his three-year warranty, he sent a monitor that snapped off its stand in for repair. Not terribly worried, he checked in on it using Facebook. Samsung took this as an indication that he was unhappy, and should be sent a larger, newer, better monitor.
Leatherman’s 25-Year Warranty: Still Pretty Great, But Not If You Loved A Discontinued Tool
By January 16, 2013
Last week, we published an “above and beyond” story with a reader’s delight that Leatherman replaced a non-functioning tool with a brand-new replacement under their 25-year warranty. Another reader, Steve, wrote in to let us know that the warranty is not as ironclad and fantabulous as tipster Chad’s experience. He sent in a gardening tool that broke while gardening, and learned something interesting about the warranty. Yes, they’ll replace a broken tool with one of the same value, but they mean “value” in a strictly financial sense: not a tool that does the same thing as the one that you broke. [More]
BJ’s Apologizes For Crappy Pecan Pie That We Never Complained About
By January 15, 2013
Jonathan’s family bought a pre-made pecan pie for one of the winter holidays…Christmas, Thanksgiving, something like that. He doesn’t even remember. The pie wasn’t all that great, but the family didn’t think to complain to BJ’s about it. They had other things to do during the holidays. So they were surprised when they received a coupon in the mail for a free replacement pie, along with a letter apologizing for the poor quality of the pecan pie. [More]
Meijer Customer Service Saves The Day After Surgery
By January 14, 2013
Amanda was exhausted, after dealing with her mother’s post-surgery care and bringing her home from the hospital. Neither of them anticipated that the biggest problem would that day be with getting her post-discharge prescriptions filled. One of the medications was more obscure than she had imagined. They visited three different pharmacies in their rural area and were ready to give up hope when they finally visited the pharmacy at the local Meijer. They had the drugs! For $250! Oh, no. [More]
Leatherman Can’t Repair Tool Under 25-Year Warranty, Replaces It Instead
By January 11, 2013
Chad has carried around a Leatherman Super Tool since 1996. It has proven useful many, many times since, but for the last year he carried it, it just wasn’t working correctly. He asked for and received a new one for Christmas from his wife. Hurray! After bonding with his new tool, he learned about the company’s 25-year warranty. 25 years? Why, his old one was only 16 years old when it went out of commission. He sent it along to see if it could be repaired. He was sad to learn that it couldn’t. [More]
Some Thoughts From Red Robin Manager Who Gave Free Meal To Pregnant Customer
By January 9, 2013
The other day, we posted a little story about a happy experience at a North Carolina Red Robin. Since then, we’ve made contact with the actual manager from the story who explains why this isn’t that big a deal — but why so many people are interested in the story. [More]
AT&T Wireless Rep Refunds My Phone Upgrade Fees Because I Didn’t Whine About Them
By January 9, 2013
Natalie called up AT&T Wireless yesterday to ask about a few relatively small charges on her bill. The customer service representative offered her a refund of two $36 activation fees due to phone upgrades, explaining that it was because Natalie was quite possibly the only person who had called AT&T that day who hadn’t complained about activation fees. (We’re paraphrasing and exaggerating slightly.) Then the representative gave her another credit, ostensibly for being a loyal customer of twelve years. Natalie was stunned, and couldn’t think of a way to repay the CSR…until she found our site. [More]
Southwest Helps Out Longtime Customer Even Though It Didn’t Have To
By January 8, 2013
For more than 20 years, Consumerist reader Carl has been flying on Southwest Airlines, and he’s been a frequent customer of the carrier for around 15 years. [More]
This Is The Kind Of Message Restaurant Employees Should Be Leaving On Receipts
By January 7, 2013
Regular readers of Consumerist know that some restaurant workers feel obliged to use the receipt as a way to mock customers or angrily vent their frustration. But one Red Robin manager has figured out receipts can also be a way to win over a customer. [More]
8 Above-And-Beyond Customer Service Stories From Consumerist Readers
By December 31, 2012
Not so long ago, in a fit of pleasantness, we asked readers to write in with stories of companies and employees who had gone above and beyond in providing customer service. We’re happy to say we drastically underestimated how many of you would respond. [More]
JanSport Boasts Lifetime Warranty, Actually Means It
By December 28, 2012
Did you have a Jansport backpack back when you were in school? Jason has had his for about 14 years, and it was looking pretty beat up. He decided to put the bags’ lifetime warranty to the test, so he packed it up in a pizza box (no, really) and sent it to Jansportland. What he got back was better than an exact replacement. It was even better than his faithful companion coated with pizza grease. [More]
Should You Feel Guilty After Receiving Amazing Customer Service?
By December 28, 2012
We’ve long been advocates of using Twitter for customer service when the regular channels of customer service don’t work. There’s something about the combination of pithy microblog updates and public posting that some companies have done very well, and that others have been unable to manage. Others are giving up on the platform entirely.If you can get help via Twitter, that turns you into a VIP, and that made Lindsay Robertson of The Awl uncomfortable after she used Twitter to complain to Home Depot about her backordered air conditioner. [More]
Galaxy S3 Does Everything Better Except Stay Out Of Toilet; AT&T Saves The Day
By December 26, 2012
April has always been pleased with AT&T’s customer service, but a recent experience delighted her so much that she just had to write to us and share the love. She upgraded to the Samsung Galaxy S3 from an iPhone 4S, and was very pleased with the new device, finding it vastly superior to the iPhone. One thing that the Galaxy isn’t better at, though, was staying out of her toilet. Her phone went “splash,” and she didn’t have $600 lying around to replace it. So she wrote to a selection of AT&T executives and made her case. [More]
JetBlue Employee Saved Our Family Vacation After We Booked Tickets For The Wrong Month
By December 21, 2012
Back in September, the K. family were planning their end-of-year getaway from New York to Florida. But only days before they were set to travel to warmer climes, the Ks realized they had made a huge goof that could cost them a lot of money. [More]
The Body Shop Ships Glass Candle Holder Loose In Box, Makes Up For It With Fabulous Customer Service
By December 19, 2012
The lovely scented candle that Todd ordered from The Body Shop arrived on time and all, but smashed. It came in a glass holder, and no one working at the warehouse seemed to know that when you ship an item made of glass, you should put some kind of packing materials around it so it doesn’t end up pulverized into little shards that cut Todd’s hand. For example. Trying to get through to their customer service, though, added figurative insult to his literal injury. [More]
Spangler Candy Company Delights Autistic Child, Comforts Struggling Family
By December 10, 2012
At this time of year, Spangler may be best known for their candy canes, but they’re also the company behind cheap, tiny, flavorful Dum Dums lollipops. Normally, these candies come in a large bag of assorted flavors, which the discerning candy-eater will then paw through to find the cream soda-flavored ones. What you may not know is that at the company’s web site, you can find tubs of single flavors. When Rebecca learned this, she ordered up a few for her son, who is autistic and has obsessive-compulsive disorder. A single container of his favorite flavor? Perfect for him. Rebecca wrote to the company to tell them how happy this product made her son. Then they wrote back. [More]
T-Mobile Saves The Day When Samsung Won’t
By December 6, 2012
We often write about oddball, 1-in-1,000 customer service horror stories. For most consumers, their feelings about a company is often related to how it responds to everyday concerns and complaints. [More]
