Tuesday, April 07, 2009

Customer service, my ass

I went for a haircut today at Joe's Barber Shop at Place d'Orléans mall, getting ready for the Jamaica trip and the wedding that will take place there next week.
When I went to leave, my jacket was gone. I knew that someone else had taken it by mistake, complete with my house and car keys in the pocket.
So I went to the "Guest Services" desk in the mall, to ask for an announcement to be made that whoever took the wrong jacket from Joe's Barber Shop, please return with it. But they won't do that. I even went over the head of the kid at the desk, asking him to call a supervisor, who refused to bend the policy. The only way they'll make an announcement like that is if they have the customer's name: "Jane Doe, please return to Kinky 'r' Us". Sorry, Shit for Brains, but I obviously don't know the name of the guy who accidentally took my jacket.
There is a happy ending. Shortly after I went back to Joe's, a very embarrassed man showed up with my jacket, which is very similar to his. He said he realized he had the wrong one when he took his keys out of his pants pocket, but still had some in his jacket pocket. I totally understand that, and wouldn't put it past myself to do that.
I did file a written complaint with Guest Services. It won't do any good, but at least I vented.
Customer service, my ass.

10 comments:

John Mielke Photography said...

3:30am... car alarm in the neighbourhood goes off.

4am... alarm still going. Call City Of Ottawa. Am told "we need an exact address."

It's 4am... I'm not about to leave my house and go for a walk in order to find out the address.

"We need the exact address sir, or else we can't send someone out. They're not going to just drive around a neighbourhood listening for a car alarm."

Alarm was still going off at 8:15 this morning.

GREAT service City Of Ottawa! Thanks!

Bob said...

You should have told them that the alarm was going off because a murder victim kicked the car while being bludgeoned with an axe.

Anonymous said...

People dont know the meaning of great customer service anymore, and most of the people that think they are giving customer service are just "punks" who wouldn't know great service if it kicked them in the ass. Go to Walmart.... prime example.

Bob said...

UPDATE: Not much to update, really. I foolishly thought that there might be an outside chance that I would at least get a phone call acknowledging my complaint. I guess the lack of any action towards addressing the complaint just further proves my point.

Bob said...

SLIGHT RETRACTION:
A letter just came in the mail (how 20th century!). The guest services supervisor refuses to back down and change the policy, but does offer somewhat of an alternative plan to prevent a recurrence.
"I understand that the Barber Shop has had customers leave with the wrong coat on other occasions... You can leave your coat at Guest Services Coat Check. You will be given a claim tag that is for your coat and no one else will be able to leave with your coat without that claim tag."
Geez, maybe Joe's Barber Shop will remove its coat rack and send its customers halfway across the friggin' mall before getting a haircut.
What a load of crap.

Misster Kitty: Place d'Orléans is now on the list of places you need to go straighten out, next time you're in Ottawa.

xup said...

Keep your jacket on next time, Bob. I'm always very reluctant to hand over my clothes even when all the important stuff is in my purse which never leaves my side. PS: there's no such thing as customer service any more. It's all a matter of "you pays your money, you takes your chances". I hope your trip is lovely and uneventful (in any unpleasant way -- but eventful in good ways)

Sean Newbury said...

I'm on my way BobbyKatz!

Milky... a few years back I worked from a home office, and one of the people across the street had a very nice Benz that they never drove to work, but rather left it parked on the street. It had a VERY sensative alarm and would go off at least 3-4 times a week. After a couple weeks of the 3 minute alarm I got fed up I called the cops a few times and reported the nuisance, a couple times they even stopped by my place, but always AFTER the alarm stopped... They said there was not much they could do!!! I said you could plug the tags into your computer and get the address and knock on their door some evening., give them a warning... they said they couldn't do that?!?!?!?! "Fine, thanks a lot I said" and closed the door, already knowing what I'd do next....

Two days later the alarm went, I casually took the pre-printed note from my computer which said "Next time the alarm goes off this will be on the seat of the car", wrapped it around an old brick from the back garden, and placed it nicely on the car bonnet.

The next day the car was gone... it seems they took it to work going forward...

What amazed me was after the red rage left me I realized that should THEY have called the cops they could have easily seen that I had reported several noise complaints and I'd have likely been charged with uttering threats or some such, not to mention that any of the many Welfare moms in the area could have seen me walk over to the car and leave the message...

It's true that calmer heads prevail, but sometimes so do the enraged.

John Mielke Photography said...

OMG Kitty!!!! Love the note on a brick idea!!!

Might just borrow that for the dork who insists on parking his truck right in front of the community mailbox making it almost impossible for anyone else to get near it.

The worst part... he works for Canada Post. I know 'cuz he leaves his Canada Post jacket and hat in the car along with his mail bag.

I've never called to complain about him... so the only record of my involvement will be this posting on this here blog thingy.

LOL

Sean Newbury said...

OMG I so despise Canada Post I'd be on this like white on rice!

PLEASE do something... fo me?

please...

Sean Newbury said...

*Time for a fresh post BobbyKatz...

Surely if I can find time to comment here in France you must be able to blog SOMETHING!!!