Bree was really frustrated with the way Lowe’s was treating her parents after they purchased a new screen door and installation service from their local store. She decided that it was time to fight back on her parents’ behalf, arming herself with contact information for chain executives. She e-mailed them a clear, concise recounting of events, and waited. She didn’t have to wait long: Lowe’s executive customer service team were on the phone to her mom within twelve hours, and a day and a half later someone was at her home, measuring for a new custom screen door.

I am writing concerning poor treatment and customer service that my parents received during this month from your company. My parents are retired and live in [redacted] Missouri, their local Lowes Home Improvement Center is Store #[redacted], and is located at [redacted].

However, in the past few weeks, the Lowes Store #[redacted], has provided poor customer service that I think should be brought to your attention. On May 15th, 2012 my mother, Margaret [redacted], went into the store location and spoke with an associate named [N.], regarding replacing their screen door. N. informed my mother of the process of a deposit for someone to come to their home to measure the door so they would be able to order the door of her choice in the correct size door for installation. On May 17, an associate came to my parents house, and measured, telling my mother that she would be contacted with an estimate. My mother, who was recovering from eye surgery, thanked the associate and waited four days, before going into the Store #[redacted] without ever receiving an estimate to order the screen door they wished to purchase.

When she arrived at the store, she was informed that the door that she originally requested was not in stock, and to order it she would incur an additional charge, even though a week earlier she was assured that she would be able to purchase the screen door of her choice. Frustrated and disappointed, she placed and paid for an alternate door that would meet the her needs and budget, however it was not her original choice. The appointment for installation of the replacement door was made for May 24th.

In the following days, my parents where forced to wait at home, as their appointment changed three times, on short notice. By May 25th, their third rescheduled appointment, the installation associate was an hour and a half late. He proceeded to take off the old screen door, and install a new casing. This is when my parents learned that there would be an additional charge for vinyl stripping of the door casing. Frustrated and recovering from another eye surgery, my mother did not want a plain wood casing which she told the sales associate upon paying, fearing it would need to be replaced too quickly, and it had been her understanding that a vinyl casing was included in the estimate. The installation associate had to return to the store to retrieve the casing, returned to my parents home, and installed it. The installation associate was very pleasant and apologetic upon finding out the screen door he was there to install was an inch and a half too tall for my parents door frame.

All told, my parents where informed that it will be an additional 20 days, being it to a total of 30 days, before they will have their new screen door installed, meanwhile they are living without a screen door in the late spring heat, because the Lowes installation associate took their old door with him and did not put it back on upon learning that the new door would not fit. They have incurred additional expenses that were not in the original estimate as well as they were not able to order the screen door they orginally wanted due to an additional “stocking fee”. This does not seem right to do to a retired couple living on a limited income.

Your attention on this matter would be greatly appreciated. My mother can be reached at [phone number], and at [e-mail address].

Well done, Bree! If you want to harness the power of the executive e-mail carpet bomb for your own needs, here’s how.

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