Retail Customer Service for Dummies

Received such dismal service from GAME Table View over the past week. And the fact that this relates to both the store managers will probably make this review unbelievable but it actually is true....

Purchased a television almost three weeks ago. Needed to have the price match honored within the 21 day period. My partner called the store and spoke to the manager to verify this. She agreed to honor it. Cool. (At this point I would like to state that the original salesman Justin was amazing! From taking my phone call prior to my purchase to the in-store service to even seeing me in store yesterday - absolutely pleasant and helpful.)

I call the manager a few days later to arrange everything. She takes down the details of the store to match the price against from me and says that she will call me back once she has verified this. She does not call. It's almost C.O.B. I call her back, no apology for not getting back to me, she just says that the store closes early on Fridays and that she will call them over the weekend and get back to me. No surprises that she does not do that either.

I then call the store after the weekend only to be told that she is now on a two week leave. Lovely. I ask to speak with the assistant manager to whom I now have to rehash the story. I do so and was told that he would call be back after verifying it with his manger. No problem. I understand protocol.

Guess what? He too does not call me back. So I call him. "Oh sorry I spoke with Romaine and she apologizes since it actually slipped her mind." Fine. He says that he will call me the next day before 10am. No prizes for guessing that he does not do that either! So, as always, I the client have to call back. I get told that this slipped his mind as well but I must just come in and he will sort it out. "Okay great sir, I have the price match on email AS WELL AS MY PROOF OF PURCHASE IN PHOTOGRAPHIC COPIES" is what I explicitly tell him. "Yes, that's fine bring it in" he says. I advise him that I will be in after I finish work at 5pm.

I leave my job early to get to the store. When Morgan eventually assists me he asks for the hard copy of my slip. "Err, did you not confirm with me over the phone that my copies were fine?" "No I need to sign on the slip that the match was done." Okay great but surely you can give me a slip to override the first one or some sort or formal signed paperwork to state that the admin has been done so that I don't attempt to perform any ***** which you are obviously trying to prevent. No he needs the hard copy. I made a special trip to the store after chasing you guys and doing your job for you to get told this??? No he says he now needs to scan in the bar-code. Sir, the bar-code appears on the photo which I have - surely you can attempt to type it in. No he can't.

So I ask the man why then do the sales assistants advise for the purpose of warranty that you keep a photo of the slip in case within the three year period the slip fades etc etc etc. At this point since he cannot answer me and it eveidence frustrated he tells me "You're really pushing it now hey." Excuse me?! I looked at the man in disbelief. Only then does he offer to TRY to input all the info from my electronic slips.

I'm pushing what? Your company's 21 day policy? Pushing to get better customer service from a store that has a manager and an assistant manager setting a pathetic example of keeping up communication with clients for their staff? Pushing for, oh I don't know, maybe having a proactive approach to dealing with clients in telling them FIRST that you would TRY to process the transaction on the system since you understand that they made a special trip to the store based on the incorrect information which you gave them? Why must the client DIG quality service out of you?

Eventually after trying the transaction did not go through and I had to make a second trip back to the store the next day. Which I understand because I witnessed them making an attempt and failing but THAT should have been the first thing done, not speak to your client like **** and THEN try when you cannot answer a logical question which you are asked. However do note something wonderful - they eventually did not require my slip to process the transaction. Amazing.

Please relay the following information to Mr Naidoo and his store manager, Romaine/Robaine - I might have looked like a 21 year old returning home from campus to get a couple of bucks from you but I am the head of the customer service division of a multi-million rand national company. Complaints, such as mine, regarding poor attitudes and clients being spoken to badly or not communicated to are not taken lightly.

Communication is of the highest priority in the company for which I work because this, paired with customer service, is the foundation of any business and if the managers of GAME cannot bother to get this right then what does that say about their leadership? It's amazing how the customer service representative Eveline as well as the initial sales person Justin represented far greater service standards and general etiquette than the store managers have. Please do thank them for the service rendered.

To the managers, the next time you want to have an attitude with a client perhaps humble yourself and remember that you will be a customer in some other store at some point and ask yourself if you would you like to be spoken to in the same manner or not be communicated with despite promises of feedback. Any great company knows that without your customers you are nothing.