Crummy Customer Service

This past week I have had not one but TWO really crummy customer service experiences. I know you’re dying to hear about them, so we’ll get to it. 

The first was with the jewelry counter at JCPenny. Let me say, I have nothing against JCPenny! Love their clothes, love their prices, but I DID NOT love their customer service these past few weeks.

For those who don’t know, I recently got engaged to my wonderful fiance (yay!). The ring he chose was perfect, but it needed to be re-sized. Two weeks ago I dropped my lovely piece of hardware off and was assured the clerk had marked my special piece to be finished in a week. I waited and waited and waited, four business days and nothing. Then, I called to inquire and got this response, “O, it’s not back yet honey, we’ll call you when it is. Maybe next Monday or Tuesday.” So, I waited another week and called back.

THIS is the conversation that bugged me:

“Um, hello, I was just calling to get an idea of when my *engagement* ring would be back.”

“What’s your name?”

“Victoria Easter.”

“One moment…Ma’am, your ring isn’t back yet. We usually call when it’s finished.”

“O, yes, I understand. I actually dropped my ring off two weeks ago and haven’t heard anything from you guys. That’s why I’m calling.”

“Well, the woman who usually sends off repairs went on vacation two weeks ago. Your ring probably got sent out late. No one else in the store is trained on sending jewelry off for repairs.”

“Can you tell me where you guys send off repairs?” Because I will literally drive there right now.

“To Erlanger.”

“And what is that? Is it a place, a company?”

“To be honest, honey, I don’t really know.” I Googled it, Erlanger is a city in Northern Kentucky.

“So you don’t know where my *engagement* ring is?”

“I know it’s getting worked on. You know you’re just as engaged without your ring, honey.”

Nice try old woman. “Yes ma’am, I know. I just would like to have known there was a delay. Could you call and check on the repair status?”

“No…why don’t you call if you haven’t heard from us by Friday?”

“So you won’t call and ask where my ring is?”

“I will call on Friday, ok?”

“Uh, ok, thank you.” Click

Yes, I was frustrated. Even TODAY, still no ring. I did call back on Friday and the same woman answered the phone. She got some answers, finally. Apparently my lovely ring was shipped out yesterday. Again I find myself waiting, waiting, waiting.

I can’t go into the second customer service fail in as much detail, but let’s suffice it to say it involved cars, insurance, and salesmen. Recipe for disaster. I got a very serious sounding letter in the mail (should have known!) about renewing my car part replacement coverage. Wanting to be a responsible car owner, I called for details. That conversation included the customer service rep telling me I don’t read my mail carefully, suggesting that I don’t know anything about my car, and indicated that I don’t take my safety seriously – pile that on top of the fact that this guy was just an overall royal jerk. I’ve never don’t this you guys, but I actually hung-up on him mid-sentence.

I can’t unload on you guys without bringing it home. Think of the word customer SERVICE. People, myself included, are afraid of service, of being a servant to others. 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 says, “We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you,and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.“ 

Positions of servitude, of submission, place us under another person’s authority. Our rebel hearts, MY rebel heart, balk at this position. We balk, that is, until we consider the life of Jesus. Jesus, Lord of all Creation, became a humble servant to incredibly undeserving men. Jesus served to His death. And, in His resurrection, Christ secured the way for us to become servants just like Him.