Yes the forms make you wanna vomit, but the money is YOURS - don't be tricked out of it!

If you've purchased a product which guarantees you money back, fill those suckers out and stay on top of it. Those little bastards are meant to look confusing and annoy the piss outta you. But you know what? You're not gonna fall for it!

And i gotta tell you, "they" - as in the people behind these little forms - aren't gonna do it for you. In fact, i seriously think they're making it tougher and crazier as the years go by. I mean, look at that picture i added here - are they insane?!!! They want me to get a salesperson's signature in order to get my rebate?! If that's not meant to throw me, i don't know what is.

The reason i got this rebate was because i bought a set of 4 tires for the Mrs' car. And do you know WHERE i bought these bad boys? ONLINE! So, tell me, how on earth am i supposed to get a salesperson's name, signature, AND employee # (as stipulated elsewhere on the form) from a person halfway across the country? Ridiculous.

But of course, that's not the whole story. You see, that's all that it says in the "3 main steps" in order to process my rebate. 1st - buy the tires, 2nd - enter my zip code, and 3rd - mail a copy of my invoice and this rebate form signed by a salesperson (as shown above). Now, if you had only read that part and then stopped as i initially did, the odds of continuing are now slim to none.

And that's a shame. A shame because had you continued reading on the other side of the page, you would have noticed two stars (**) next to the place where this salesperson is supposed to fill out his credentials. And would you like to know what these stars mean? Well, they mean that this is only necessary IF you bought them in a store aka "in person". That's F'd up man, those stars should have been right next to those words i underlined - not across town on the lines people rarely read.

So while i was relieved i didn't have to finagle a signature out of someone i've never seen, i spent a good 2 hours this morning p-i-s-s-e-d. And that's just not right...piss-poor customer service.

But you know what? I learned something this morning - you REALLY have to read all that fine print, especially when you are asking someone to hand over money. In fact, there are a few things i'd like to share for the next time you go through this process:

1. Fill out the form ASAP - Important for a number of reasons, but mainly so you don't forget and/or lose anything! All of these rebates are time sensitive, so it's good to mail 'em before it's too late. Plus, doing it sooner than later keeps all the info fresh in your head.
2. READ EVERY LINE CAREFULLY - So you don't have to waste any time being frustrated - either before filling it out (like me), or after when you get a note saying it can't be processed for some retarded reason.
3. Listen & fill everything out - Don't be one of those people who just fill out the parts you want to fill out. This allows the rebate folks to happily stamp a "rejected" or "pending more info" notice on it....delaying, if not terminating, your right to the money.
4. Include your email - Not so you can get spammed (don't check that box), but so you can get updates as to when your form is being processed and when it's on it's way!
5. Make copies and date everything - All invoices, rebate forms, UPC's, everything. Be sure to date your copies too, and scribble the date you shoud receive it by too. And if there's a 1-800 # on it, which there usually is, circle it so you know exactly who to call if it never shows up.

That may sound like a lot, but it's not :) Basically, just pay attention and don't forget to grab your money!!! I just dropped mine in the mail, so fingers crossed I did it all right....and that they don't bitch about a freakin' signature! Morons.

Labels: advice, customer service, rant

Oooooooh how I love me some excellent customer service! Seriously, in a consumer driven society shouldn't we be getting this all the freakin' time anyways? (the answer is Yes). Being a Customer Service Manager myself, I understand and appreciate the role the customer plays - without them, I wouldn't be sitting here right now typing away on my work's computer ;) Shhhh...

But the sad truth is that there are some real big idiots representing companies out there, and most of them flat out suck. But why? I mean, our whole job is to help out the CUSTOMER! That's our #1 goal, to make sure they're happy - or at least resolve whatever it is they have an issue with. It's really not that hard. But I digress.

Today's post is more about those sexy reps who know their ish, and know how to treat their lifeline. Unlike those flying mythical unicorns, GOOD customer service agents are in fact out there :) And I've been lucky enough to come across a few lately! Sometimes you might only be able to find them by speaking up, but they do exist.

Here are two recent stories that restore my faith in people, all relating to finance of course:

1. Amazon.com - Always a pleasure to work with, whether directly w/ them, or with a private seller using their store solutions. I recently ordered the book "Your Money or Your Life" through Portland Books, and let me tell you something, these people don't mess around! I unfortunately got an older version of the book, probably due to my own fault, and within hours of emailing them they offered to give me 100% of my money back! I responded that i actually don't need that, I just wanted mail it back for the newer one, and they said " Oh, well i already returned it - so just keep the book anyways :)". DAMN Gina! A+++ service.
2. ProductsWithPersonality.com - I have two love stories with them. The first was when a pair of cuff links I ordered arrived w/ tiny dents in them. Not the biggest of issues, but since i was giving them away as presents, it's kinda tacky. I emailed over and an associate named Heather apologized quickly and sent out another pair to replace them, again stating I could keep the others! (if anyone would like them, just holler and they're yours - they're currently sitting on my desk collecting dust). The 2nd part was that I had to place a second order for only 1 pair of cufflinks as I had left someone out the first go around - totally my own fault. But the shipping was the same $7 bucks whether i ordered 1 or 10. So, being the frugal one I am, I shot over another email on the off chance they'd hook me up with a discount. And they did! They actually just wiped the entire charge off, so I ended up paying $0 for shipping :) That's what I call "above and beyond".

Great customer service IS out there, but you'll have to do your part sometimes too. It's all about relaying over your problems in a way that allows the rep to actually HELP you. Take it from me, if you call in and immediately start bitching the second I pick up, the last thing I'm gonna want to do is help you (remember, you called ME for help in this case). I'll still help you cuz it's my job, but you better calm down a bit ;)

It's also good to offer ways in which agents can address your complaints. If you tell them their products are crappy and you'd like them to "do something about it", don't expect great results. Instead, let them know what you'd like to see happen and be calm about it. If it doesn't work, you can always do the popular thing and simply ask for a manager. And who knows, maybe you'll get lucky and I'll be the one who picks up! Awwww yeahhhhh.

Labels: customer service, speaking up