Wednesday, November 01, 2006

The Top 10 Pet Peeves in Customer Service.

I couldn’t agree more with these…

The Top 10 Pet Peeves in Customer Service.

  • When you call a customer-service line, an automated voice often asks you to punch in your account information. So why does the live operator ask you for that information all over again?
  • Why can't stores ever deliver an appliance or piece of furniture when they say they will? And why do I have to sit around all day waiting for them to show up?
  • Why are public-address systems frequently inaudible? This isn't just a problem with antiquated speakers in subway stations. Brand-new sound systems in airports and other transportation hubs can also be impossible to hear.
  • Why can't you buy a nonproprietary cellphone and use it with any carrier, the way you can do with a land line?
  • How come banks immediately take money out of your account for debit- card transactions, but when it comes to depositing money it can take as long as five days for a check to clear and be posted to your account?
  • Why do you have to pay for incoming and out- going minutes on cellphones? Essentially, a cellphone carrier is collecting twice for one call -- from the caller and from the person receiving the call. Shouldn't only outgoing calls cost money?
  • Why do rental-car companies charge so much money to put gas in the tank, forcing travelers to drive around near airports looking for a normal gas station so they don't get gouged? Also, why is rental-car insurance so confusing? You already have insurance through your credit- card company or your own auto insurer, so why do they try to sell you double coverage?
  • If companies are allowed to sell personal information about you to third-party marketers, even without your consent, why can't you just sell your own information directly to marketers?
  • Why is mobile directory assistance so unreliable? It seems that when you call from your cellphone, they can never find the number you need.
  • Why are items in hotel minibars so expensive? Do candy bars and bottles of water really have to cost $5? While we're at it, why do cheap and midprice hotels often provide wireless access free, while expensive hotels charge for it?

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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Why can't you buy a nonproprietary cellphone and use it with any carrier, the way you can do with a land line?"

In Europe you can.

"Why do you have to pay for incoming and out- going minutes on cellphones? Essentially, a cellphone carrier is collecting twice for one call -- from the caller and from the person receiving the call. Shouldn't only outgoing calls cost money?"

In Europe that's the way it works.

Anonymous said...

I'm reading the AOL article now, and they say there that the average rate for a minute would be 13 cents for a minute using the "European" system, which is a bit more what it actually is the (average) rate here.