Good 'customer experience' does exist in NZ, though barely...

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amiga500

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Topic # 240434 7-Sep-2018 14:50

Regulars to Geekzone will know I have a low opinion of many retailers in NZ. However, this week I have two examples of excellent customer service to share.

1.) I had bought a $10.00 Eveready LED torch. Unfortunately, it was only ready to give the dimmest of beams, so feeble it would have been approved for the London blackout in 1940! I swapped batteries and no better. In fact most of the time I got no beam at all from the torch. The switch felt a little dodgy. Anyway getting to the good part of the story, I took it back to the Riccarton Pak n Save the next day along with my groceries receipt, & explained what had happened. The supervisor lady invited me to pick another one & I walked out of there - the whole thing took under 2 minutes! No argument just responsive & sensible customer service.

2.) I had to make a small change to a SCTI travel insurance policy. The error had been caused by me not reading something properly! Despite warnings on their website about high call volume, I got through immediately at 8.30 am and had the change made without any drama or delay by an efficient and very helpful lady. Well done SCTI!

Wouldn't it be nice if customer experience was like this more often?

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Reply # 2085701 7-Sep-2018 15:03

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Meh - not worth being a retailler in NZ.

Between the astronomical cost of doing business and cheap customers....

With retail wages looking to push $20 per hour, it doesn't take long for "good customer service" to become a loss making scenario.

I don't see anything special in your scenarios. You claimed it didn't work and she replaced it. Really the only option in the situation.

ajw

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Reply # 2085720 7-Sep-2018 15:33

MichaelNZ:

Meh - not worth being a retailler in NZ.

Between the astronomical cost of doing business and cheap customers....

With retail wages looking to push $20 per hour, it doesn't take long for "good customer service" to become a loss making scenario.

I don't see anything special in your scenarios. You claimed it didn't work and she replaced it. Really the only option in the situation.

So do you expect the government to subsidize the minimum wage.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12092499

https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2018/07/12/150734/working-for-families-is-corporate-welfare

eracode

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Reply # 2085825 7-Sep-2018 17:47

For all the bad press that Bunnings get here on gz from time to time (mainly re pricing matching), I have to say that I value very highly their 'no questions asked' returns policy. I buy quite a lot of stuff there and sometimes I make a mistake - get the wrong thing or too many of something - and they will simply take it back with good grace and credit me with the original price. Very good and that's why I shop there.

richms

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Reply # 2085907 7-Sep-2018 19:35

eracode:

For all the bad press that Bunnings get here on gz from time to time (mainly re pricing matching), I have to say that I value very highly their 'no questions asked' returns policy. I buy quite a lot of stuff there and sometimes I make a mistake - get the wrong thing or too many of something - and they will simply take it back with good grace and credit me with the original price. Very good and that's why I shop there.

Agreed on that, stark contrast to the being treated like a crim next door at mitre 10 - seems that owner operated means they take it so personally when you return something and they only hire other equally grumpy old men to work in the store.

Richard rich.ms

amiga500

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Reply # 2085918 7-Sep-2018 20:11

Yes, I remember that Dick Smith had a similar returns policy & then maybe 2 years before they went bust the returns policy went bye bye. Another 5 nails in the coffin for DSE!

Taubin

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Reply # 2086124 8-Sep-2018 14:56

I was extremely shocked how bad customer service is here when I first moved to NZ. I still struggle with it. I get that it's a low wage job, however it is where I come from as well. It's simply that people here don't seem to care about the customer at all, only the money they can squeeze out of them. Asking questions at times, or getting something fixed when it breaks, is like pulling teeth.

amiga500

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Reply # 2086127 8-Sep-2018 15:04

Taubin:

I was extremely shocked how bad customer service is here when I first moved to NZ. I still struggle with it. I get that it's a low wage job, however it is where I come from as well. It's simply that people here don't seem to care about the customer at all, only the money they can squeeze out of them. Asking questions at times, or getting something fixed when it breaks, is like pulling teeth.

A large part of the problem is that employers are taking advantage of things such as unpaid 'team' meetings 15 minutes before opening time & similar practices that are most unlikely to make the people on the shop floor happy & willing to go the 'extra mile' for the company. Add to that managers who are also being taken advantage of by the companies that employ them it's no wonder that shop employees are disaffected.

tdgeek

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Reply # 2086156 8-Sep-2018 17:42

amiga500:

Taubin:

I was extremely shocked how bad customer service is here when I first moved to NZ. I still struggle with it. I get that it's a low wage job, however it is where I come from as well. It's simply that people here don't seem to care about the customer at all, only the money they can squeeze out of them. Asking questions at times, or getting something fixed when it breaks, is like pulling teeth.

A large part of the problem is that employers are taking advantage of things such as unpaid 'team' meetings 15 minutes before opening time & similar practices that are most unlikely to make the people on the shop floor happy & willing to go the 'extra mile' for the company. Add to that managers who are also being taken advantage of by the companies that employ them it's no wonder that shop employees are disaffected.

Its competition. I think @taubin is American, I have been there a lot, the service is excellent. I found it odd to be called Sir. Competition is great, but when its too great, costs have to be cut. What should happen is some business opt out, so things can settle to "almost the best price but not quite, but best service." Invariably it becomes reduce costs, and staff are an easy way to reduce costs.

Taubin

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Reply # 2086160 8-Sep-2018 17:49

tdgeek:

Its competition. I think @taubin is American, I have been there a lot, the service is excellent. I found it odd to be called Sir. Competition is great, but when its too great, costs have to be cut. What should happen is some business opt out, so things can settle to "almost the best price but not quite, but best service." Invariably it becomes reduce costs, and staff are an easy way to reduce costs.

I am American, it's much much different here. However, I have worked at places in America where the "team building" things were done without pay as well. Same with working in a warehouse, and not having our hours include the 15ish minutes before and after of suiting up in proper attire. It sucks and shouldn't happen, but it happens everywhere. I do miss the customer service at most places in the US though, it was nice.

SirHumphreyAppleby

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Reply # 2086164 8-Sep-2018 18:20

eracode:

For all the bad press that Bunnings get here on gz from time to time (mainly re pricing matching), I have to say that I value very highly their 'no questions asked' returns policy. I buy quite a lot of stuff there and sometimes I make a mistake - get the wrong thing or too many of something - and they will simply take it back with good grace and credit me with the original price. Very good and that's why I shop there.

I can't say I was impressed with the Bunnings return process. I returned an item that was incorrectly described on the Website. The error was clearly due to the supplier having provided incorrect information. The customer service person didn't note the reason for the return, just accepted it and credited me. As a result, no effort will be made to update the incorrect details.

I noted on a subsequent visit that the item, which I did not consider suitable for resale, was simply stuck back on the shelf sans packaging (only shrink wrapped originally).

To make matters worse, I contacted the supplier as well, and they also ignored my e-mail informing them of errors on their site.

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Reply # 2086170 8-Sep-2018 18:27

Name and shame then the supplier then!

John

quickymart

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Reply # 2086173 8-Sep-2018 19:04

I had really good service from PB Tech, and absolutely crap from Expert Infotech. I've never set foot inside the latter again ever since - PB gets all my business now.

amiga500

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Reply # 2086269 8-Sep-2018 20:53

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quickymart:

I had really good service from PB Tech, and absolutely crap from Expert Infotech. I've never set foot inside the latter again ever since - PB gets all my business now.

Agreed, I always try to buy from PB Tech. Plenty of stock & choices. Prices are good. They are always busy with customers whenever I go in there.

SirHumphreyAppleby

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Reply # 2086288 9-Sep-2018 07:04

quickymart:

I had really good service from PB Tech, and absolutely crap from Expert Infotech. I've never set foot inside the latter again ever since - PB gets all my business now.

I've been buying from PB Tech since they were just a tiny shop on Panmure. The owner always treated us as valued customers, and I'm happy to continue sending business his way. When I saw them listed as one of the most complained about companies recently, I wasn't disappointed, I simply took it as a sign of how far they had come. Technology companies seem to attract a lot of complaints, so the more successful ones will receive more complaints. With PB, I have never had any difficulty with warranty claims (hard drives mainly) or replacing DOA units (sadly, a far too common occurrence in this industry). I can certainly understand why people with less technical skill could get frustrated by the process, but I've always just walked in, stated the problem, and walked out with any issue resolved.

quickymart

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Reply # 2086291 9-Sep-2018 07:11

Agreed, Expert Infotech could do to take a page out of PB's book.

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