Not only repairs, but mistakes in shipping. I bought an iPad several years ago when they first came out. About 3 years later, I received an iPad that I had not ordered. I contacted Apple to make them aware of the mistake, told them if they sent me a shipping label I would be happy to send it back. The customer service rep basically told me that returning it and putting it back in inventory would not be economically feasible. She told me to enjoy my new iPad. I did not take the device out of the packaging for several weeks, figuring I would get a bill of some sort. Never did get a bill, I am still using that iPad.
I worked for Apple Customer Relations during that time. We had no way of fixing screw-ups like that in the inventory system at the time. If it was an item we would need to solve other customer's problems, we would send them a label that would ship it to our office and we'd store it in a cabinet until another customer needed it. If we didn't need it, we'd just zero out the bill and say enjoy your free item. I got lucky during the laptop charger replacement debacle and one customer was sent 97 replacement chargers, I said keep a few and had her ship the rest to us and it made out lives easier after that as we had a supply (note: we had absolutely no other way to get our hands on those, neither did the executive team [the highest tier CR team Apple had at the time!]) so, it was a NIGHTMARE, because, of course, customers assumed we could and just wouldn't.
Not an IT item, but I recently purchased a short wig online and was surprised to receive a long wig instead (labeled "repair tool"!). I applied for a refund which arrived pretty much immediately but have been back-and-forthing with the website trying to contact the actual seller. Every email from them to me is one of two responses: either "your refund should be in your account by such and such a date, if not contact your bank" (despite my telling them I've got my refund) or "to contact the seller click on this button" which doesn't work because I've got my refund already. Even when I email then to say I give up, they answer with one of those responses. I'm pretty sure they a) don't understand English or b) are robots. I'm the meantime I have a wig available if anyone wants it. I don't!
Not only repairs, but mistakes in shipping. I bought an iPad several years ago when they first came out. About 3 years later, I received an iPad that I had not ordered. I contacted Apple to make them aware of the mistake, told them if they sent me a shipping label I would be happy to send it back. The customer service rep basically told me that returning it and putting it back in inventory would not be economically feasible. She told me to enjoy my new iPad. I did not take the device out of the packaging for several weeks, figuring I would get a bill of some sort. Never did get a bill, I am still using that iPad.
ReplyDeleteI worked for Apple Customer Relations during that time. We had no way of fixing screw-ups like that in the inventory system at the time. If it was an item we would need to solve other customer's problems, we would send them a label that would ship it to our office and we'd store it in a cabinet until another customer needed it. If we didn't need it, we'd just zero out the bill and say enjoy your free item. I got lucky during the laptop charger replacement debacle and one customer was sent 97 replacement chargers, I said keep a few and had her ship the rest to us and it made out lives easier after that as we had a supply (note: we had absolutely no other way to get our hands on those, neither did the executive team [the highest tier CR team Apple had at the time!]) so, it was a NIGHTMARE, because, of course, customers assumed we could and just wouldn't.
DeleteNot an IT item, but I recently purchased a short wig online and was surprised to receive a long wig instead (labeled "repair tool"!). I applied for a refund which arrived pretty much immediately but have been back-and-forthing with the website trying to contact the actual seller. Every email from them to me is one of two responses: either "your refund should be in your account by such and such a date, if not contact your bank" (despite my telling them I've got my refund) or "to contact the seller click on this button" which doesn't work because I've got my refund already. Even when I email then to say I give up, they answer with one of those responses. I'm pretty sure they a) don't understand English or b) are robots. I'm the meantime I have a wig available if anyone wants it. I don't!
ReplyDelete