US customer service in decline?

[igor_smirnoff]

<p>Last month I sent a dozen rolls of film to Photothru.com in Michigan for processing / scanning. The box came back to me with the Postmaster's stamp: "Undeliverable. Forwarding information unavailable". <br /><br />As of today the site is still up and running, and you can register for an account. <a href="http://photothru.com/">http://photothru.com/</a> Yet, it does not return any inquiries. <br /><br />Last week I filled out a repair form at Advance Camera Repair Inc. <a href="http://www.advancecamera.com/">www.advancecamera.com</a> in Portland Oregon. Guess what? No response.<br /><br />Being in Japan quite often can't possibly image anything like that in Asia. They will not say, "Call us between 9 and 5 and make sure you speak Japanese." Even though with our weak dollar we are generally small fry for them. <br /><br />If you are out of business, would it take more than 5 minutes to post a notice? It would not kill you to add an autoresponder to handle your email inquiries, would it? Or is it too much to ask?<br /><br />What's going on in America?</p>

[William Kahn]

<p>The photothru website appears to be down. When last week did you file the repair for with Advance Camera? Are you sure you're not standing in line behind earlier requests? Have you tried following up with an email inquiry?</p>

[charles_stobbs3]

Typical. People create new web sites and then forget to cancel the old ones. People have yard sales and the posters remain on poles all over the neighborhood for days afterwards. I guess it is too much to ask.

[jim_j2]

<p>Igor,</p>

<blockquote>

<p>"What's going on in America?"</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Haven't you heard . . . businesses going out much faster new ones coming in!<br />Because of . . . . (Never mind!)</p>

<p>Send a follow-up email to Advance Camera, I anticipate its just backed up.<br>

FWIW, both websites seem to be up and running at the time of my response.</p>

[art_thomas1]

<p>"US customer service in decline?"</p>

<p>Is that a rhetorical question? </p>

[JDMvW]

<p>Well, in the last couple of years ALL the customer service I have got (with the exception of NYC camera stores so far as I can tell) has been actually somewhere in South Asia.</p>

[derek_kennedy]

<blockquote>

<p>People have yard sales and the posters remain on poles all over the neighborhood for days afterwards.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Geeze I really hate that. Esp since they always post on the telephone pole in front of my place as I live on a busy corner.</p>

[William Kahn]

<p>Yard sale signs? What about election campaign signs that stay up forever? In our area, there was even an "Al Gore For President" billboard that didn't come down untill just a couple of months ago. And this is rabid Repubican country - go figure...</p>

<p>(We now return you to your regularly scheduled thread.)</p>

[daverhaas]

<p>Maybe it's me - but I've actually seen in increase in the quality of customer service provided by American business by people in America. </p>

[rossb]

<p> I just emailed a Portland professional that I know. He said Advance Camera is alive and well. </p>

[jpo3136b]

<p>I know I have seen some businesses get shut down so fast that they couldn't get the furniture out of the building. I noticed this particularly while traveling through some small towns in California last year. One restaurant was closed and out of business so fast that some of the tables were still halfway set for a regular day's business opening.</p>

<p>I know I have seen others where the business was closed; but, there were notices taped or glued to the front door of the business from suppliers trying to collect what remained of their goods. All of those items that would have been cycled through a supply system for the business; if the place closes too rapidly, some of those things get trapped inside the padlocked building. It's crazy. And, it's probably not going to get any better, on its own, anytime soon.</p>

<p>The economy crashed. I don't know if that has anything to do with that one camera place; but, yes, some places have been hit so hard and fast that they were shut down right then. People were out of work "today." There was no tomorrow or "going out of business." It was more like, "Surprise! You and everybody else in this building went out of business yesterday. You're done. It's over, and there are no more other jobs to be had. Good luck on your own. No one is in a good position to help you. Adios."</p>

<p>So, yeah, some places did close so fast they couldn't take down the website. The "We're Bankrupt Right Now" sign was probably a piece of typing paper with a hand written magic marker note that said, "Closed."</p>

 

<blockquote>

<p>It's not hell, but it was financed with a ponzi scheme that will get you there.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>In an interesting twist of fate, some of us "losers" who "have nothing" are actually the survivors. Go figure. We count our blessings. You don't need an Irish name to know that things could always get worse.</p>

<p>I suspect any inefficiency you may encounter in commerce might be exacerbated by the handful of previously overworked people who are now burdened to psychopathic levels. If it gets any worse, the corporate "extract blood from a stone" management model may arguably overturn Newton's laws involving the conservation of energy. Apparently, you can get something from nothing if you threaten to fire people desperate enough to do anything.</p>

<p>Don't worry. The package problem is probably just a routine screw up.</p>

[russ_butner___portland__or]

<p> Advance Camera ( advancecamera.com ) is alive and well. I highy recommend them for sales or service. They rock!</p>

[steve_levine]

<p>As long as people put "low cost, above service and quality". This trend can only continue.</p>

[john_robison3]

<p>Spot on, Steve. Else how could it be bait-and-switch operators are still out there.</p>

[kelly_flanigan1]

<p>Consider the rise of "MR SLIME" ! :)</p>

<p>Look at it from a local retailers perspective.</p>

<p>When I sold inkjet cartridges over the counter I had to charge a few dollars more than mailorder/internet.</p>

<p>A local customer has this childish whine about paying California sales taxes. Thus to skirt use taxes locals would buy inkjet cartridges via internet/mailorder save a dollar; and skirt sales taxes.</p>

<p>Locals would *ONLY* buy an inkjet cartridge or two per year to have a local place "to take back duds". Thus the local retailer is used by customers as a toilet; the place one returns duds; the place to crap on.</p>

<p>When you stop taking back duds you did not sell; they go into a childish whine of "poor customer service" .</p>

<p>Lets face it; the typical USA buyer wants to skirt paying sales taxes; you are an ahole and want to return your duds to a local place and have the local place take back stuff they never sold.</p>

<p>You really do not make the connection that when my return rate zooms; my discounts get cut on those items. Thus I have to charge even more; to absorb Mr Slime/aholes returns. Thus here I stopped selling inkjet cartridges over the counter; I just sell them mailrorder.</p>

<p>It gets tiresome being a doorstop and hearing Mr Slimes whine. Mr Slime's perfect world would to be to pay no taxes; no shipping and a local store would take back any duds; even stuff they never sold. Mr Slime is jerk; a local company is to be used only for returns.</p>

<p>Mr Slime screams the drop in customer service; when he is the crux of the issue; abusing the system. </p>

<p>When a retailer stops taking back stuff they never sold; folks whine "no customer service" .</p>

<p> Whining use to the the sign of a child; today adults do it a lot. </p>

<p>Today in the USA there is a toxic government towards businesses. Folks that tend to be in the Mr Slime tends to be folks with no understanding of business; often X-government workers or retired folks too. Somehow they think every business can absorb their returns, abuses. Thus when one declines a return they whine. Then they call the inkjet companys service and bitch; and the inkjet companys rep from India calls and one has to explain that one did not sell them the cartridges. Mr Slime really is a slacker/lazy type; he does not want to have to deal with a return to his mailorder outlet. Thus Mr Slime tries to do the 2 year old throw a temper tantrum in ones store to force a return.</p>

<p>Less "Mr Slimes" existed in the 1950's and 1960's. It that era state sales taxes were less. Whining was the sign then of being a child; today it is a weapon to try get a local brick and mortar store to take back a return. Mr Slime goes to Home Depot and buys a compressor and roofing nailer; he does his shed that weekend; they returns the stuff on Monday.</p>

<p>Taking back items one did not sell is not customer service; it is welfare. ie supporting Mr Slimes slacker ways.</p>

<p>The decline in brick and mortar stores is somewhat weakly effected by Mr Slimes ways. Ideally what folks want is a local place to look at; tryout their new gizmos; then buy it mailorder/internet and skirt the state sales taxes. They if one has issues; the local store is a place to try to get a free loaner; free repairs; or a free replacement. </p>

[James G. Dainis]

Kelly,

I should think you would have a sign - No sales receipt, no refund.

[craig_gillette]

<p>If the customer service in the US is so bad, why aren't you "shopping local?" That's not to say that I didn't find "service" to be of extreme importance when I lived in Japan but it comes at a cost. Anywhere. Customer service takes time, time costs. The "global" economy isn't something that is necessarily easy to deal with. It wasn't that many years ago that one would seldom, if ever, consider doing much business with someone halfway around the world.</p>

<p>One thing I did find in working in retail (and elsewhere), that once you began to work at distance, over the phone, etc., the more possibilities develop of external factors or hiccups popping in.</p>

[Palouse]

<p>Kelly, I couldn't agree more. Spot on.</p>

[rossb]

<p> I shop locally where I can. For photo stuff there are no services available. That type thing all went under to the mail order business. I shoot film but nobody sells film anymore around here. So I buy film and process film mail order. I have received excellent customer service from BHPHoto for quite a while but they recently decided to start spamming my computer. Spamming my computer immediately stops all transactions with me. I ask them to stop one time and then the next spam is a lifetime loss of business. So right now they are on probation to see if they spam me again. I process my film at Picture Preview in Beaverton and they are great. I will use them for as long as film lasts. </p>

[kelly_flanigan1]

<p>James;</p>

<p>Locals would buy 1 or 2 or 3 inkjet cartridges from me each year and have a receipt. Then they buy dozens via mailorder and want to use the local outlet as the place to return duds. Thus one has local company #3 buying 3 per year from me; and 27 mailorder; then they have a receipt from me for "3" of them; and they want the local place to basically give them 3 free ones for the 3 duds.</p>

<p>Thus the gambit is they have a receipt; they buy just enough locally to use the local store as their toilet; to get free returns. Folks will return the dud mailorder ones to a local store and want a free replacement. This just drives up costs; one buys 24 Magenta cartridges and has locals return 18 of them. I use the same stock in house and have maybe 1 in 100 or less be bad. Folks will return stuff that is empty' or has date codes one never sold.</p>

<p>Thus the stance of "No sales receipt, no refund." will not work; UNLESS one records the serial numbers on the cartridge wrapper/box. After I did this policy they just save the wrappers and try to return a cartridge with a 2012-05 expire date; ie the the wrapper I sold with a 2012-07 date. Folks will say that is the cartridge that failed.</p>

<p>Last week a client wanted me to buy back a bunch of 30" rolls of inkjet paper I use to sell them. I still have stock "we stocked for them" from 1 to 2 years ago; it is a weird "trans bond" that is doped with oil to make it semitransparent. They arrived at the counter with their receipt from 18 months ago; and wanted to return for credit paper that was another brand; one I do not sell; stuff they bought via mailorder to skirt taxes. It was sort of comical; trying to return stuff to me I never sold; a brand I never heard of. Since the economy is slow returning stuff is common. Why on earth would I want to take back stuff I never sold; that I am overstocked on?<br>

Retail has its moments!</p>

[john_robison3]

<p>Kelly, not all customers are Mr. Slime but of course it only takes a few to ruin it for the rest of us. I work in the back room of a fair sized national department store and the slime balls cost everyone, both honest customers and employees. But of course in any large company the managers have the backbone of a banana and are afraid to say 'NO' to the slime balls. I miss working for a much smaller store where the owner was in the back room. More than once he gave these jokers the bums rush right out the door....and they weren't welcome back. As to shopping locally, well photo related stuff I buy is simply no longer available without a 120 mile round trip. My newest camera is a DSLR that is 4 generations old but serves it's intended purpose fine so I feel no need to upgrade. My film cameras, well, the newest one of them is from 1978 and I freely admit that I order from Freestyle. I live in Olympia and the last time I found myself in Seattle I dropped by Glazer's. When I walked in to a not very busy store with my OM-1 over my shoulder they looked at me like a cockroach had just came in. It's not just the distance that would keep me away now.</p>

[rossb]

<p>I suppose you just have to pass on the cost of less then honest customers to the regular folks out there. I have never purchased an ink cartridge that did not work like it is supposed to. I guess I never thought of returning one. I do wish I could easily recycle them. But once my last kid moves out I will probably not bother with owning a printer. </p>

[art_thomas1]

<p>It appears that not all retailer's customer service and customer satisfaction is in decline. I was leaving Bates RV in Lakeland FL and saw this sign on my way out. The last four numbers are blacked out so as not induce crank calls. </p>

<p><a href="../photo/11274591">http://www.photo.net/photo/11274591</a></p>