Office Depot Inc. (ODP)
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Can One Profit From Poor Customer Service? [view article]
I found this company and they even train the government on these services.. check out their press release send2press.com/newswir...This company educates large companies and government on telecom and telephone billing errors and fraud. Their website is really informative too. Check it out at auditelinc.com.
Joshua
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General Discussion on ODP
Maybe you people should stop whining and thinking you walk on water? Serious are you guys kidding me you all want great service but want to pay the least amount possible so you feel good about yourselves. Try paying attention to your children so when thet grow up they will be naturally respectable. Treat others as you wish to be treated. Shop at a MOM and POP store and see the difference. It costs a dollar or two more and you will be happy. Oh but then what would you whine about. ReplyCan One Profit From Poor Customer Service? [view article]
I was fortunate enough to work for a company that was high on Customer Service, and I carry that philosophy with me still. I agree that it's really lacking, and getting worse.Recently I've taken a few trips to Japan and I was blown away at the level of service I received EVERYWHERE...and it's provided because it's their culture (one which we used to have but have fast lost) and people take pride in doing the best job possible. On top of that, it's a 'no tip' society.
But also I think Consumers share some responsibility because they "reward" shops with the lowest price. Shoppers will tell you before their purchase that they don't care about service, they just want the best price. It's not until after something goes wrong that they expect the service that you would expect, had you not purchased from a deep discounter or a shady, fly by night store. But those stores that sincerely want to provide service find themselves having to cut back to compete with the low price stores that do not provide service - and guess what? They have to cutback somewhere, and eventually service is one of those places (can no longer afford to have a longer return/exchange, can no longer pay for quality employees, etc).
If people stop supporting stores that provide lousy service, they will either have to start providing better service or go out of business. But that's the catch...most people aren't willing to pay for service anymore, and they show it by supporting the shops with the lowest price, regardless of service (then complain later).
The way it's headed now, we might reach that point, because I agree that service in America has become almost unbearable at many places, and seems to be getting worse. Hopefully people will get tired enough to stop supporting those shops and business will once again demand excellence from their employees, and back up their services/products as they should. Reply
Can One Profit From Poor Customer Service? [view article]
As a former "Great Buy" store manager for over 17 years (I left over 3 years ago), I can tell you that the level of service you get from any chain retailer is dependent upon the store management staff. Upper mgmt. is constantly preaching outstanding customer service with most retailers but the bottom line result is at the store level."Rudeman" uses an example of a lawsuit asking for a ridiculous amount of money for a lost laptop to question the quality of customer service of an entire company based on customer service at one store out of 700 US locations. The level of service and communication was lacking at this particular location but to condemn all because of one is not a practical logic. I hope his moniker is not his normal customer attitude. I will also tell you that yelling, screaming, namecalling, or being rude is not the way to get a problem resolved. I always tried to be courteus to every customer but when the person became personal or abusive, it was time to shut the converstion down until they could become reasonable again.
As far as WalMart and Target excelling with little to no level of customer service, that is the basis of their business and I love shopping at Target. I also know that I am not going to get educated about their products when I am shopping for a higher dollar item. With my experience, that is what most customers who are investing hundreds and thousands of dollars are looking for, someone who can teach them and make them feel comfortable with their product. If you are an individual who can educate yourself adn feel confident with your product choice, by all means shop the discounters. It is all dependent upon the level of service you require. Reply
Can One Profit From Poor Customer Service? [view article]
I went against my usual practice of saying NO to the sales pitches and purchased a "Performance Protection Plan" from Office Depot for a printer/copier/fax machine. After two weeks and multiple phone calls trying to get a technician to come to the office to take a look, I was actually told by a supervisor (after 30 minutes on hold waiting to speak to her) "if you would have talked to a supervisor sooner you could have gotten this taken care of". My response - "you mean I have to talk to a supervisor before you will honor my protection plan ?!?!" But I know any threats of not shopping at their stores etc. will fall on deaf ears...they just don't get the big picture of losing one customer at a time adding up to lost profits. So here I sit at their mercy, $140.00 poorer but wiser. ReplyCan One Profit From Poor Customer Service? [view article]
There are many easons companies can't or won't improve customer service. Contary to a point you tried to make, that no matter how many people you tell about your bad experience, people will continue to shop there as there probly isn't any where else to go or they choices are equally as bad. Second is there realy isnt a fiscal return in profits for good customer service. The notion that a 5% improvement in service will yield a 25% - 100% improvements in profits is pure fiction. I worked for a company that measured its customer retantion (a key metric for the company's performance), they actually managed a 20%+ improvement in customer retention, and guess what, their stock price went down.As one one of the people responding pointed out, stores that offer little in terms of customer service actually do quite well. They set up their value proposition in a way that lowers the service expectation bar.
I think what gets people rightfully bent out of shape is the lack of interest, caring, empathy and truthfullness we get when a problem does occur with a shopping experience or purchase.
All of this is exacerbated by the fact consumers want a 'deal' or lower prices. If you want to pay less you will get less. ANd getting less means retailers have to pay minimal wage for help. The people waiting on you or I have not the means or maturity to know what customer service is, heck they cant affored to shop there themselves. Reply
Can One Profit From Poor Customer Service? [view article]
Ethan, it is apparent you know nothing of retail.In a brief nutshell: Sales = Payroll = Better Customer Service.
Best Buy is at the top of their game. And their game is to get as big a sale as they can from each customer. Make no mistake, they are a cut throat operation. You paid extra for those folks to be there. They damn well better provide Customer Service.
That aside. Did you not hear about Best Buy 54 million dollar lawsuit?
redtape.msnbc.com/2008...
Is that the Customer Service you want?
Better Customer Service does not equal sales. Check out Wal-MArt or Target. Both are doing great and offer no real Customer Service.
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Can One Profit From Poor Customer Service? [view article]
I write from India. I have spent a life time battling with poor customer service on the one hand and have met with some spectacular success in installing good customer service in some organizations with proper training and systems.I have tried to put some of my experiences on my blog and you may wish to check them out. Reply
Can One Profit From Poor Customer Service? [view article]
Man, are you on target!! As a homebuilder, I've continued to tell "Home De-pot" how to keep their customers coming and reasonably satisfied. The local employees seem to understand, but after stupid Nardelli almost ruined the company (so much for "professional executives"), that company hasn't learned much. And, dumb me, I just bought 600 shares of their stock, but I bought 1,640 shares of Lowe's stock. Both hopefully, will survive and flourish, but "Home De-pot" doesn't have their own delivery trucks, try to do everything, and does nothing well.Lowe's thankfully, is a very good company to deal with, while Home De-pot is the new K-Mart, ala Sears.
Check the parking lots of these companies.
Poor management, especially at the top, and middle, and overpaid nincompoops on the Boards of Directors.
I've seen major failures at Home De-pot in the past 15 years as they've failed to run a tight ship and deliver as they did in their heyday. Reply
Can One Profit From Poor Customer Service? [view article]
Thank you.... I've been pulling my hair out!"Where do I even begin on the subject of bad customer service? The incompetence, the rudeness, the lack of caring about one's job or the customer -- it's just rampant, and getting worse all the time tin America."
I cannot believe how screwed up Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Etrade, and TDAmeritrade are! Each of these companies have cost me money and each is supposedly above reproach when it comes to protecting my finances. Each company just stonewalls me.
Further, I've had a running battle over the last two years with the Post Office here in Grass Valley, Ca. The mailman will not come up the driveway for me to sign registered mail. He just throws a 'Sorry I missed you' note in the box and I have to drive to town and stand in line to get my mail. Furthermore, he looks like a bum. He dresses in cutoffs and has an untrimmed greying beard and long hair. I'm not sure if returning to a uniform is acceptable these days, but if it wasn't for the mail-truck, I'd be calling the cops.
I don't even buy GE products any longer. I got tired of returning them to the store for as they didn't work right out of the box. Guarantees are worthless. All they seem to function as is a means of getting you to pay a differential to buy the same product that just failed. (Think car batteries with a 6 year pro-rata warranty.)
Insurance companies (and I worked in the industry for 21 years) are a joke. The methods they use to evaluate the replacement cost of your home is not reasonable and it is left to the consumer to fight them for an adjustment. Don't even get me started on health insurance ... Or even worse, 'Workers Comp'. Thanks Schwartzenegger!
The local 'Lyman Gilmore Elementary' and its associated school district didn't even call me to tell me that my son had not been turning in his homework and was failing his classes 3 weeks before he was supposed to graduate! They sure called me fix their screwed up book-keeping associated with missed days though!
I could go on.... But I think that's enough.
jegan ;-(
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Can One Profit From Poor Customer Service? [view article]
I wonder if your "Great Buy is the company I call "Worst Buy". This outfit insults their customers by insisting they submit to a search when they leave the store, even 'tho the searcher had been watching the checkout transaction. The store is also a noisy barn, albeit well-lit.I recently bought an external hard drive (the one that looks like a book). Worst Buy had a sale advertised. Nextdoor was an office supply store (let's call it paper clip). I asked if they would match the price. While I did have to wait for the manager's approval, I bought the item and wasn't accused of shoplifting.
Then there's US Scare, which wanted to charge an extra $250 to move up an airline filght (which is doing them a favor -- gives them more time to sell the seat on the original flight). Next time, I'll book on South-North instead. They are not so greedy. Reply
Can One Profit From Poor Customer Service? [view article]
7-27-08Ethan,
Current ‘usury laws’ (100% [or more] interest is legal) and bankruptcy laws (have to pay all credit card debts) alone, pad the bottom line for all businesses like never before. Profits in the last 7.5 years have never been higher for businesses in the history of accounting.
Include preferential taxation for corporations and their executives along with uninforced regulations of all kinds (consumer, fraud, tax, etc…) and it’s no wonder that executives and managers don’t give a shit about their customers; they don’t have to be concerned.
They’re ‘earning’ more money than they could have ever imagined and no number of complaints or law suits will change that behavior towards their customers. They own the politicians (who let them write their own laws) and the politicians own the courts (if a complaint ever gets that far).
Even the companies that are near bankruptcy are still more viable and able to treat their customers with contempt longer than normal because of the current ‘business friendly’ environment. And, there’s nothing we can do about it…at least until the time we can elect more law abiding, consumer friendly politicians.
So, when you go to vote, just remember who made corporate loan sharking and ‘tax evasion’ legal. That’s right; it’s the same bunch that’s on the verge of putting the world markets into a global depression by allowing other ‘innovative financial instruments’ to flourish (see current ‘banking crises’).
It’s the same guys that have already turned this country into a ‘Big Brother’ (see current privacy laws) and Socialist (see ‘loan shark’ bail out) nation. It’s the same guys that have intentionally caused a ‘supply destruction’ of oil (for the past half decade) in Iraq, which has pushed the price of oil, gas, food, etc… to ‘usury’ like levels.
Yes, it’s the same guys that think the general public (both, socialist democrats and socialist republicans) haven’t wised up after eight years of being under their thumb.
It’s the same guys that will tell you everything’s ok as they cash in (Enron style) on one of the boldest US consumer and US Treasury heists in our nation’s history.
It’s the same guys that will tell you we’re the greatest nation on the face of the earth while we quickly back step into something that resembles more of a third rate, worthless currency (pending double digit inflation rate), no world respect, socialist kinda’ country.
So, let’s not just piss and moan about the snotty assed kids that are probably spittin’ on our burgers while text messaging on their cell phones and short changing us after we hand them a near worthless twenty dollar bill, lets go right to the root cause of the problem and vote for the people who won’t make it so easy for the corporate bosses to create and nurture a culture that thrives on treating the consumer with disdain while robbing them blind.
Here’s another guy that feels the same way:
online.wsj.com/public/...
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Can One Profit From Poor Customer Service? [view article]
The problem here is that national chains don't care. You have to com back to them for something or another. I read an article that actually stated that they really don't care what you think, because uts not any better any where else. Were thats where they are wrong. Try you local stores or office suppliers or local retailers. They are the ones that care because they are the ones that need you more that any of the big box stores. ReplyCan One Profit From Poor Customer Service? [view article]
There are many reasons why service is less than stellar, and while it might be an employee that provides us with a poor experience, we have to hold management accountable for allowing it to happen. Is management monitoring the employees to see what kind of service they are providing? And if the service isn't good, what are they doing about it? How to treat customers should be lesson number one for any new employee. Until that happens, we the consumer will continue to suffer.Most businesses have plenty of competition, and I won't think twice about staying with a company that doesn't treat me right. Are you listening managers?? Reply
Can One Profit From Poor Customer Service? [view article]
Everything you talk about is right on the money.This time I took my TWX dvr to the office and received my 5th replacement. Hooked it up and it does not record. They gave me a bad one. Gas and time wasted.
Etrade, TD Amertrade and Scottrade the same results. Not a nickels worth of difference between them. Running out of options.
Management is non existant. They just collect paychecks. Don't stir the water... Reply