Things that make me go grr!!!

Every year, I seem to have a spot of really bad customer service. This year, a New Zealand company is the subject of my frustration.

Very late last year, I purchased a container from a retail chain of supermarkets over here. We had bought some deli-bones from the Barkery for the pups for Christmas and I wanted to put it in an airtight container. Anyway, bought the container, took it home, pulled off the tags on it, and proceeded to take it apart to wash it. It was only when I was washing it that I discovered the lid to be cracked.

And so I figured that I'd better get in touch with the manufacturer to let them know that they had a faulty product and ask for a replacement. I visited the website to find contact details (you can check it out too if you want. The company's called Sistema Plastics) and was pleased to note that they "continue to meet and exceed the expectations of the customer". And so I emailed them.

A day later...and no reply...okay, so maybe they're short staffed due to the festive season.

A week later...and no reply...*shrug*...lots of people must be on leave for the new year.

So about a week and a half later, I send them an email. Not a rude one but one that basically tells them what I think about their "customer service". Low and behold, I get an email the next day apologising for the delay due to the festive season (yeah right, and I'm Pamela Anderson. Who do you think you're trying to con? I wasn't born yesterday you know. I'm pretty sure that if I had not sent the second email, I wouldn't have received a response).

So anyway, I give them the benefit of the doubt and give them more details. I get another email the next day asking for pictures and more detail. And so I oblige. And then I get an email back saying " We would normally be hesitant in replacing something like this as the photos show you have actually washed this container (see the water marks on it) and I’m not sure why you’d do this with a faulty / broken container, however I will send you a replacement lid, and trust you will have no further problems with it."

And now my blood's boiling. Are you calling me a liar lady?!? Because it sure does sound like it. I'm spending my time emailing you, letting you know about a faulty product and you can't even see beyond your own miniscule little understanding that I'm doing this based on principle???!!!!!! Think about it for 2 secs - it isn't worth me spending all this time emailing you for a $6 container.

And that the company is SO CHEAP that it can't even spend $15 (I doubt it costs that much but I'm just taking into consideration postage and handling) to keep a customer happy. "Meet and exceed expectations"? I don't think so...I don't think they even come anywhere close to meeting my expectaions.

AND the person who's been emailing me has the gall to sound all huffy about sending me a replacement lid. Can you believe the nerve?

So all I can do now is spread the word so that you too won't fall into the same trap of thinking that emailing the manufacturer might actually be the right thing to do. Or buying anything from Sistema Plastics for that matter. Because for all the "customer service" claims on their website, they sure don't live up to it at all.

The moral of the story? I'll just listen to hubby: Next time, just buy Tupperware.