Is Superior Customer Service Gone? Part 2

Back in May I wrote about a bad experience I had at a shoe store. Well, now I have another one. It's regarding getting a new battery. Here's the note I wrote to the company (I blocked out names to protect the guilty and the innocent):

I wanted to share with you my experience in purchasing a car battery. I went online to price batteries because I was advised to get a new battery. While researching, I saw a button that said "pick up in your local auto center". I selected it and put in my phone number where I was contacted immediately. I was then connected with a gentleman named J***. He assisted me in confirming a battery for my make/model, and completed my purchase. He told me that I would need my reference number, photo id, and the credit card number. I was given reference 6******. He told me all I would have to do is go to the auto center, give the three items he mentioned, get my battery, get it installed and be on my way. Sounds easy, sounds efficient. Well, my experience in the S*** Auto Center in Westland, MI was anything but easy and efficient. I went to the store at 10:20 a.m. I walked in and there was a gentleman behind the counter named T**. I told him that I bought the battery online/phone and here's my reference number. He said "I don't know how to do that." I said well, I was told that you need this number, ID, and credit card. He just looked around and said he didn't know how to help me. I asked if someone else could help. He responded that "I don't have a manager in today." I asked him if he could call someone. He looked around at another gentleman in the store named C*** and asked him if he knew how to help me. C*** said that I needed to go to package pickup, that they would need to get the battery from the lobby I was standing in, they would carry it over to package pick up, give it to me to put in my car and drive it back over to the auto center. That doesn't sound convenient or efficient. C*** said that the online/phone service people do not know that the store is not connected to the main Sears building. So, I drive over to customer pickup. When I walk in, I'm told that the computer system is down. Nobody knows what to do with this reference number. C*** who was in the auto store who walked over to the main store was trying very hard to help me and truly appreciate him going the extra mile. He was the only one who showed me true customer service. About 20 minutes later he comes out and says that I should have received an email confirmation. How can I get that when J*** never asked for an email address? I asked C*** if I could get to a computer to show him where I went on s****.com and how I purchased this battery. He took me in the back area and allowed me to go online. Just like I did at home, I put in my phone number and got a phone call. I was connected to J*** again (thank goodness it was someone that knew what I was talking about). He had me put C*** on the phone and then called over to the auto center to speak with T** to tell him how to pull up my order. By the time I drove back over to the Auto Center, 45 minutes had passed. I walk into the store and T** is on the phone with J*** and is holding my paperwork. Finally I feel like we are getting somewhere! He gets off the phone and proceeds to wrap up another customer and then moves on to me. He did apologize for not knowing what to do and for sending me to the wrong place. However he then goes into complaining about why I would purchase online when I have to come into the store anyway. Then a customer comes out of the lobby to ask about his car and Tom proceeds to get defensive, use the word "Hell" and says that he is only one person and can only take care of one person at a time. He then goes back to complaining about why I ordered online. He then hands me paperwork to sign after asking me if I paid over in package pickup. I explained again that I had nothing to do with package pickup other than the wasted trip. I paid online and
proceeded to show him on his own paperwork where it shows that I paid. He then asks if I would like him to carry my new battery to my car. Why would you do that when I paid for installation? He looked surprised and I show him on his own paperwork where I paid for installation. So, he had to do the paperwork again and set it up for installation, while continuing to chastise me for doing this online. I realize that I am younger than him, but I felt he was out of line, however I did not feel comfortable telling him that I didn't appreciate his comments for fear that he would keep me there even longer then I have been waiting (we are over an hour at this point). He gets it all set and I proceed to sit in the waiting area. The service gentleman takes my car and I watch him replace the battery through the window. I did not get his name, but he was efficient. When he finished my car, I watched him drive around to the front of the building. As he was walking in, I asked T** if all I needed were my keys. He said no, there's more paperwork and once again complained about me doing this online. It's been a long time since I have been this frustrated over an experience in a store. If he had only apologized, I could have accepted that, but he didn't. By the time I left I had been there over an hour and half. I was never offered any sort of compensation. (In customer pickup it says you get a $5 certificate if it takes over 5 minutes to get your order -- it sure took longer than that). I originally did not plan to purchase online, I was only shopping around. It seemed efficient, but quickly turned into a nightmare. I have apprehensions about making any purchases related to your auto center, ever again. I would suggest that the employees in the auto store know how to pull up these types of orders, as well as learn to complain somewhere else other than in front of your customers.

Festive Day

Today we went to the Westland Festival. Canton doesn't seem to have one, so we venture down the street and hang out. For $18 per person you can ride the carnival rides all day (it's expensive, but a deal when you see how much the individual tickets are!). One that that is different this year is the Vietnam "Moving Wall" Display. It is on display until July 4. It is the only time in the Detroit area this year (it's in Alma and Cheboygon in September). I have to say it is pretty amazing. It looks almost identical to the Vietnam Memorial in DC. My cousins have an uncle that was killed in action, so we went and looked up his name on the wall. They give you a crayon, so you can take a piece of paper and "shadow" the person's name on the paper. If you are in the Westland area, you should stop by!