However, I’ve learned to keep my distance from those that have intentionally lied to me more than a few times. Derek, like you said in Choice #1, move on!

Thank you for your time, it is the most precious thing we all possess.
-Jacque’

Most of the time the customer service I receive is also informed by this view, but over the summer I ordered a necklace from an online shop–set up to send profits to charity, in fact–and though I gave my shipping address as different from my billing address, they sent the necklace to the billing address (where I can’t pick it up, long story) and when I complained, treated me like I was trying to scam them. I was so shocked–their mistake, and then to be treated so shamefully! I’d share the name of the shop but they did eventually make it right after I wrote a long email saying I’m a small business owner too and when I make a mistake I always make it right. After that, they finally sent me the necklace (er, well, the wrong necklace, and then I had to exchange *that*) and also a gift of a couple of extra products as well, and an apology.

So I won’t publicly state their name, and while I would never be stupid enough to order from them again, I do have the impression that they learned something from the experience. I like to think my own business policy had a positive effect even in that crazy interaction where I was the customer.

Obviously not a great first impression. However, I work in IT, so I understand that sometimes “stuff” happens and there’s not much you can do about it (other than fix it as fast as you can). So I let it go. But then it happened again a few months later. And again a few months after that!

Now in their defense, each time they apologized profusely and kept us updated on their progress. But after the third time, I decided that “sorry wasn’t enough.” I remember one of their status updates mentioning that even the CEO was helping resolve the situation! I thought, “So what? How does that help me when my sites are down and I’m loosing revenue?”

Needless to say, I did not renew my contract when it expired and I never pass up an opportunity to steer people away from them.

I’ve been loyal to an emailing service for half a decade by now, so last year I finally felt comfortable to set the yearly subscription on auto-renewal. Shouldn’t have done that, because when the due date arrived, nothing happened at their end. I paid manually. Lo and behold, a few days later (than due date) the same amount was withdrawn from my credit card.

Due to unemployment, since it took the last 15€ from my credit card, I had to eat at my parents’ until they returned the money. I wrote a super angry email mentioning the reason for my emotional reaction, but they barely apologised.

You know when you’re already down on your knees, almost defeated? Well, add nonchalant, heartless service on top of that, and it’s quite certain your customer will feel like absolutely nothing at all in that moment. Expendable, worth neither caring nor support nor kind words for free even.

The fact that I have so much on their servers and it would be a huge hassle for me to move once again to some new host, means they get away with their crappy service. Here’s the exact point where you see just what kind of losers are in business, selfish and horrible human beings for whom money is the only thing that matters. It’s ghastly to have to be associated by genetic similarities to such scum, because they had a choice and when at the crossroads chose so utterly wrong.

Somehow fixing beyond returning what they falsely had taken from me would have barey registered in their bookkeeping. Showing goodwill and integrity would have caused me to tell widely about this magnificent service business, but here I am instead, using them as a case study of what not to do.

Lucky for them I’m not in the mood to hang anyone in public today, so no names are mentioned, but imagine if they’d have screwed up on someone else’s account? Was it worth it then to be so cavalier about their actions? I think businesses underestimate grossly the power of social media today, because you’re not reaching friends over a cup in a coffee shop anymore, but actual strangers on the other side of the world.