Scrumptious Word Morsels

Sure, I complain when products don’t meet my expectations or when I run into horrible customer service. I think there’s a certain level of quality and support that many companies are failing to meet these days. But for all my complaining, I’m also a firm believer in giving credit where credit is due, and that’s why I’m writing a positive review of Brita’s customer service.

I’ve been using various Brita water pitchers for the last four years or so. Aside from the initial $25-40 outlay for the cost of the pitcher, there are filters that need to be changed regularly—about $6 a pop if you get a good deal on them (I get mine from Costco or Amazon). I change my filter out religiously every three months, so Brita essentially has me hooked as a customer for life.

Just over three months ago, I bought a new pitcher that had been serving me well for my day-to-day water needs. When three months rolled around, I decided to change the filter, and I figured I’d wash the pitcher parts with soap and warm water—just in case. As I was cleaning the clear pitcher, the handle cracked off, leaving a sharp end on the pitcher and something that could be mistaken for a weapon on my counter. I mean, we’re talking a legitimate shiv that you could use to stab a man. It was sharp.

That same night, I contacted Brita customer support to see if they could help me out. According to their warranty, products are only covered if they’re within 90 days of the purchase date. I had actually purchased the pitcher more than four months ago, but I didn’t start using it until a few weeks later. (It was on sale, came with a free Nalgene, and was a good deal, so I couldn’t pass it up.)

I figured I was out of luck, but I explained my situation and the fact that I was a loyal customer, and then I sat back and hoped for the best. Two days later, I received an email response from Shelley Preston, a customer service rep. She said they were sending out a new pitcher to me at no cost, and that it would arrive in 7-10 business days. Two days later, I had the new pitcher at my house, but it was incompatible with my reservoir and lid. The model number was the same as my broken pitcher, but it was from an older, squarer design.

I emailed Shelley back and told her what had happened, but she simply apologized and said she’d send out the correct pitcher right away. Sure enough, the new one arrived today, and it fits perfectly. Brita is even sending me a prepaid postage label to return the incorrect pitcher they sent the first time.

It would have been easier for Brita to tell me that I was out of my warranty period and there was nothing they could do for me, but instead they went above and beyond to keep me as a satisfied customer. As if I wasn’t already a customer for life due to my recurring filter purchases, this pleasant customer service interaction sealed the deal for me.

It’s nice to see a company that’s willing to stand behind their products even when they’re not obligated to do so.

I’ve had an American Express credit card for a couple years now, but I would only use it several times a year, and only when shopping at Costco. (Costco doesn’t accept any other credit cards, and the reason why I didn’t go there very often in the first place was because I was mooching off my parents’ Costco membership.) Well, I finally broke down and bought my own membership in my name, and at the same time I signed up for a new American Express card linked to my Costco account. (It’s a rewards card, and they give you $25 just for signing up, so why not?)

Anyway, the new card came in the mail today, so I went online to activate it, as per the instructions. Activation went fine, but there was some kind of problem linking the new card to my existing online account. I called up customer service (at 1:00 a.m., no less), and spoke to a human almost immediately. Furthermore, the customer service rep was a native speaker of English (hooray!), and after asking me a couple questions, she had everything linked up in about a minute. Problem solved.

This has not been my experience when dealing with customer service for any of the Visa cards I’ve had in the past, nor with any of my current Visa cards. Without a doubt, I have to wait at least 5-10 minutes, I can barely understand the rep’s English, and he always tries to upsell me on some credit check or insurance policy. No thanks. In contrast, the American Express rep was coherent, efficient, and only helped me with the problem I called about.

Maybe I’ll start using my new American Express card everywhere from now on.

I’ve tried to like Rainbow sandals, I really have. Despite numerous problems with my first pair, I still wanted to try the hemp version instead of the standard leather version because it seems like they’d be more durable and comfortable. The leather ones crack easily and don’t hold up to moisture very well, which is unfortunate considering how much sweat my feet are capable of producing. I strolled over to Landmark Clothing on University today in search of the mythical hemp sandals, only to be severely disappointed.

Someone about my age greeted me when I walked in, and when he asked if there was anything he could help with, I told him I was looking for Rainbow sandals. He pointed over to a wall where approximately 15 pairs of various sandals (all Rainbow brand) were hanging. After looking over the selection and not finding what I wanted—it didn’t take long; there were only 15 pairs, after all—I asked if this was it or if other varieties were off hiding somewhere else.

About that time, an older man—clearly the owner or at least a manager of some kind—emerged from the back of the store and took charge of the situation. He informed me that they could order anything I wanted that wasn’t in stock.

“Great”, I said. “How long will that take?”

“Two weeks at minimum, but probably more like two and a half.”

“But I can order them online and they’d get here quicker and cost less”, I protested.

“Go ahead and order them online, then.”

“Thanks, I think I will. Have a nice day.”

And then I left. And just like that, Landmark Clothing lost a sale and a customer, because there’s no way I’m ever going back into that store again.

This is just one of many customer service stories I could tell—and do tell from time to time right here on this site. When did it become fashionable to treat customers (and potential customers) like crap? When did businesses become too good to accept my hard-earned cash that I willingly want to throw at them? When will small companies wake up and realize that they’re not just competing against other local shops, but against every vendor with a website?

Today, for the first time in my life, I was actually somewhat proud of my decision to go to business school. That feeling has since worn off (and it didn’t take very long, either), but the point remains: common-sense business practices might not be common sense to a lot of people trying to run a business. And if that’s the case, then things that aren’t common sense (e.g. marketing, accounting, operations management) must be way out in the ether somewhere.

Oh, and by the way, I did end up ordering the hemp Rainbows I was looking for. They should be here in about four days.

We headed to T.G.I. Friday’s after we won our game tonight (by forfeit—the best way to win), and our waiter was so cool that I decided to dedicate an entire post to him. We were at the Friday’s on Broadway, and our waiter’s name was Lee. He was friendly and accommodating from the minute we sat down, and he seemed to take a genuine interest in the reason we were celebrating (win by forfeit—the best kind).

He brought us an extra menu when we were short one, extra dipping sauce when we asked for it, and even an extra margarita glass—with the margarita shaker topped off—so that a couple people could share. Most importantly, Lee made us laugh, and I think that’s crucial for people who are in customer service. Anyone can write down orders and carry out plates of food, but not everyone can go above and beyond to make customers happy and keep them coming back.

I left Lee a 25% tip, and I usually only leave 15% if the service is decent. Keep up the good work, my man.