Poor Service from Big Companies
In my business and personal life I often hear the following while dealing with problems involving a large company. They oten tell me that they are a large company which is the excuse for poor customer service. Often a problem will appear to get lost in the bureaucratic shuffle so they tell you about what a big company is. I often disarm them when I mention that as a big company I hold them to a larger standard than a small company. These companies have huge resources, yet they refuse to admit errors, or deal with problems quickly. In many cases I try and talk to supervisors. If they are not helpful I try and file a complaint with the main office or I try to rattle other cages. As a small business owner I have to deal with various issues and the buck stops here. I can’t tell a customer any nonsense that a big company will refer you to various divisions, voice mail etc. I return every phone call, however many people at these companies will not return phone calls. I think the more vocal you are and how hard you press will determine how quickly a problem is resolved. Some companies like public utilities or monopolies are particularly arrogant. By company to your state public service commission you will hear back much faster from a high level employee. Of course they will humor you and say “these things never happen” and that “it must have fallen through the cracks of such a large organization. Don’t back down!
Take a look at my problem with Best Buy. They are #1 in my Company Hall of Shame!
http://robertw477.wordpress.com/2007/08/18/bestbuy-poor-customer-service-hall-of-shame/
