Glen is a web developer in Northern Ireland. He recently switched back to using a web-hosting company he’d left about a year before. And when the provider asked if it could help with anything else and Glen jokingly requested a pizza, he was in for a surprise. [More]
above and beyond
Waiter Who Wouldn’t Serve Family That Insulted Boy With Down Syndrome Didn’t Care If He Got Fired
By 2.8.13
You may remember the story from mid-January of the waiter at a Houston restaurant who refused to serve a family because they had insulted a boy with Down Syndrome in the next booth. Not everyone would have made such a stand, especially when it could mean losing one’s job. [More]
I Lose My Fitbit, They Send Me A Free Replacement
By 2.7.13
The Fitbit is a tiny motion-tracking gadget that tracks your steps and other information about how much you move around, then uploads it to the Internet to calculate how many calories you’ve burned. It’s immensely useful, but something that you clip to your clothing during all waking hours is bound to get lost. And Greg’s did. He contacted the company to close his account and adjust to accelerometer-free living, and that’s when he got a surprise. [More]
Here’s What Should Happen When Your Family’s Washer Is Out Of Commission
By 1.30.13
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]
I Use Facebook To Check On My Monitor Repair, Samsung Just Goes Ahead And Sends Me Better One
By 1.23.13
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 1.16.13
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 1.15.13
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 1.14.13
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 1.11.13
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 1.9.13
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 1.9.13
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 1.8.13
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 1.7.13 — Updated: 1.9.13
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 12.31.12
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 12.28.12
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 12.28.12
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 12.26.12
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 12.21.12
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]
