Costco’s Customer Service Stinks!
幽幽鹿鸣/Yoyoluming
本篇的中文版本在下边
Years ago when I decided to switch to Costco from Sam’s Club, I thought I made a right decision. Being an American one thing many don’t have elsewhere is that one does have the choice.
After Christmas when the crazy shopping spree slowed down and many living in Chicago began to realize that Bears made it for a bigger celebration than the New Year’s, I thought I might want to get a new TV this time to join the crowd.
Within minutes I bought a 42 inch LCD/HD TV from Costco’s website for $1381.24. The order was taken instantly along with my money. The day was December 30th, right before the New Year’s Eve.
I had waited anxiously for nine days before the UPS guy knocked at my door; during which, I had found enough time and materials to get to know better this new electronic device. I was totally prepared for the new arrival to fully embrace the new wave of the digital age.
I like the sleek look of the new TV although it looked darker than I first saw it on the website. Well, you pay for what you get.
But I got in trouble. Yeah, lots of trouble.
Soon after I unpacked and positioned the TV on the stand and turned it on, I found out the lower left corner looked somewhat different. I took a closer look. It had a vertical crack about 8 to 12 inches long. I picked up the phone and dialed Costco’s Customer Service immediately. The wait time was 15 minutes. While I was waiting, I began to type an email to the same department in case the one I was going to talk to on the phone had a shorter memory.
The guy on the line was convincing and sympathetic. He promised that the message would be conveyed and I should expect a contact call from them soon.
How I wish I could trust him!
I waited for three full days. Many calls came in, friends, associates, tele-marketers…but the one phone call from Costco never came.
I began to call them like I was begging them for mercy and I began to write emails daily to reach the Costco gods. Actually I began to address them in my emails “Dear Gods.” As if I was asking them to forgive me for all the troubles I had caused them!
After my repeated efforts in days failed to even get a response, I drove to Lincoln Park Costco and met the manager. After I explained to him my ordeal with his company, he took my phone number and order number and promised to find the answer for me.
He did.
The same evening the phone call I had been waiting for ages finally came in. A lady left on my answering machine from the Customer Service a brief message and promised that if I could repack the TV back in the box, they would give me an exchange on MLK day (when all things shut down and stop).
Of course it never happened.
Actually at that point I just didn’t believe whatever these Customer Service saints promised. Not even from the department manager woman named K who came on the phone after I insisted to promise me to take a personal look into this matter.
They are just a bunch of rude and arrogant good for nothing who never cared about anybody before they had entered into this customer de-service!
I called the manager of the local Costco again. This time he finally told me the solution. If I could send it back to the store, he would be glad to give me the refund or an exchange…
This is just unreal in the role model country of the free world economy. One doesn’t even expect such rotten practice nowadays in any developing countries. Where is the belief that the customers are always right?! Where are the enterprise spirits of putting customers’ satisfaction on top of business?! This money sucking giant is just becoming more and more greedy and less and less humane.
What’s that loud sucking noise again? Costco just farted?
I had to go to one of my friends and borrowed his van to dump this broken monster Costco product after nearly a month on January 23rd without any real help from anybody within the system. I heard that Costco had operations in many places throughout the world. Good luck, dear eager customers. Keep feeding it and you get what you want one day just like me.
Costco totally shattered my last hope, confidence and trust. It caused me missed out two important Bears’ games and for a month I had to face this broken product to be reminded daily that Costco in cyber and reality only brings nightmares and distaste.
I feel sorry for your customer de-service!
2007-2-3
