Yesterday was Sunday. It was a cool autumn day, and it had rained overnight, so the leaves were wet and the breeze was gentle. A nice day. A good day to call up customer service with a company that I have been using for 4 years.
On this fine day, I was calling to update an electronic device that was used to provide that service. I had found out a few months ago that the old model had been discontinued, and new ones were on the way.
Now they were available, so I was ready to upgrade.
I went to their web site, and found out that they were offering the device I wanted to replace at a 50 percent discount. Of course I clicked on the link to order.
At the bottom of the order page, I was informed that if I was already a customer, I had to call a toll free number to complete my order. So on this peaceful Sunday morning, I called to complete the order.
After waiting a few minutes on hold, I was asked by a customer service rep what they could do for me. I told them that I wanted to upgrade my device and I was calling to complete my order from their site.
I was asked for a password to identify myself, and then the rep informed me that if I wanted to upgrade the device, I had to pay the regular price. I asked for clarification, and was informed that my price was the regular price.
I had already checked online for other stores that had the same device and found out that they were also offering it for 50 percent off. I told the rep this, and she replied that I was welcome to purchase from the other store, or I could pay double that amount to her on the phone.
This was not what I was expecting. I didn't argue, I just asked her again to clarify, and she repeated that if I wanted to upgrade my device, as an existing customer I was NOT eligible for the discount price, and that I could buy the device from the other company instead.
This is the first time that this company has let me down, but I think that they are going to have a lot of unhappy customers before this promotion is over.
If you keep your eyes open, you can get a valuable lesson on what not to do, even on a Sunday morning.
