Customer Service...

[Fred Bear]

I'll start by saying that I don't mean for this to be a long post with no real point, so before I relate a couple of examples, I'll provide the executive summary. Customer Service = Good. No Customer Service = Bad. It's pretty straight forward. I think...

Example: Bad...

Upper Deck. During the last hockey season, I opened a box of Black Diamond and my quad diamond veteran was Carey Price. I was pretty happy. Good player, good value, nice trader for the collection, except... the top is completely chipped. Very noticable. I'd be ****** as hell if someone sent it to me in a trade and didn't point it out first. I emailed UD and asked for how to get it replaced. No response. After a week, I emailed again. No response. After another week, I called. Finally got through, to a nameless voice mail. Three strikes. Guess I'll just take the hit.

Upper Deck's the only license holder, though, so later in the season I dipped back into the well... Champs Hockey (I'm a sucker for older style cards). Got shorted 1 auto and received 2 damaged base and 1 damaged mini. So I called... and got passed to the nameless voice mail. So I called back the next day... and got passed to the nameless voice mail. So I called back two days later... and was told Customer Service was moving and nobody could help me - call back next week. So I called back the next week... and got passed to the nameless voice mail.

Upper Deck... Gone (for me anyways). People wonder if the hobby is dying... yet, when the manufacturers treat the consumers like this - it's not a matter of dying, we're being killed off.

Example: Good (so far)...

In The Game... Got my first boxes of ITG this year with the 1972: Year in Hockey (see above comments about being a sucker, etc.) and enjoyed the breaks thoroughly (posted them). Got a box of 08-09 Between the Pipes (break being posted tonight) and both autos were damaged. Again, not bent completely in half or anything, but noticable damage (scans will be posted). I emailed, got a response on how to return, and an explanation of the process! This is at least reasonable Customer Service! It'll be up to 8 weeks before I know the outcome, but a response was a BIG step in the right direction. I will keep the boards posted with any replacement news.

Example: Bad (so far)...

XXXXXX... It was my birthday last week (yeah me). I finally convinced my wife to order some boxes (more ITG) from a large, respected, online retailer. Wasn't a huge order by any means - we have disposable income, but not that much . She ordered it last Monday, shipping would get it to our place on Thursday (my birthday), so she put in a delivery address of her work (she has a lot more fun with this stuff than I can probably even imagine). She gets a confirmation email... thinks all is good. Thursday's UPS comes and no package. She calls... we emailed you, they say. When billing and shipping addresses differ, we must verify, they say. She says, I never received any email like that. They say, we'll ship now. She stewed all weekend and found the email they sent telling her that they needed a copy of her driver's license and a copy of the cc for any order over $750 (like I said, this was a small order). Today, still no cards - so I called. I explain, she's upset that my birthday gift is a week late. We emailed, I'm told. I said, I know but the order wasn't for more than $750. You shouldn't have gotten that email, I'm told. What email should she have gotten? I ask. You need to verify the discrepancy in billing and shipping addresses, I'm told. But we didn't get that email, I explain. You would need to talk to the person who actually sent it, the Customer Service Representative tells me. I laugh.

I'll post the name of the company and the outcome tomorrow after their Customer Service Manager calls me. (The Representative actually said, "I'm guessing you want him to call and not just email, right?")

I know I hold companies to a high level of Customer Service. The company I work for tries very hard to provide it. It's part of our corporate culture. I'm not saying the customer is always right, but you don't keep customers by telling them they are wrong. I just go back to a lot of the discussions I've had with local shop owners, other collectors, and discussions I've read on message boards like these. Our hobby isn't dying - it's getting killed.

I'm interested to hear others opinions on Customer Service (both their own experience and whether what I've received is representative of the industry). Do I expect too much?

- Fred Bear...

(sorry that was so long)

[mikpaq77]

Unfortunately this is not limited to the hobby...I've had several issues with customer service from everything to cell service providers to the small town (I live in one) store owners. Customer service in general is a thing of the past...my opinion only.

[RGM81]

The Upper Deck situation is one that was due to circumstances beyond their control - UD gets ripped a lot for things that they can control, but this was one that they really had little ability to oversee. Moving takes times, especially across state lines. In addition to the move, they also had some staff turnover on the customer service email side of things, hence why you never got a response. I'm not trying to sound like an apologist or make excuses for them--I had a similar situation with damaged Black Diamond cards that I actually sent in to be replaced and they sent them back to me saying that they hoped I would be happy with my replacements--but speaking as somebody that's moved a few times, it can take a while to get all set up and running in a short amount of time.

[steen101984]

The Upper Deck situation is one that was due to circumstances beyond their control - UD gets ripped a lot for things that they can control, but this was one that they really had little ability to oversee. Moving takes times, especially across state lines. In addition to the move, they also had some staff turnover on the customer service email side of things, hence why you never got a response. I'm not trying to sound like an apologist or make excuses for them--I had a similar situation with damaged Black Diamond cards that I actually sent in to be replaced and they sent them back to me saying that they hoped I would be happy with my replacements--but speaking as somebody that's moved a few times, it can take a while to get all set up and running in a short amount of time.

this is all true Richard but dont move if they arent prepared. They knew moving day was coming how hard is it to have them forward calls to cell phones? It doesnt take much a simple call saying we are moving we will call you back later. Instead of making him jump through hoops in order to get a card replaced.

[Fred Bear]

this is all true Richard but dont move if they arent prepared. They knew moving day was coming how hard is it to have them forward calls to cell phones? It doesnt take much a simple call saying we are moving we will call you back later. Instead of making him jump through hoops in order to get a card replaced.

This is my point. I would find it hard to believe that they had no idea that they were moving until it happened. I would also think that this would be something that anyone answering phones would be able to explain and provide dates/times of when they would be able to help (God forbid they would take down your information to give to someone to just call back and help when the move was complete). I would NOT expect to get dumped into a nameless voice mail over and over and over again (I actually did leave messages with my number, email, and an explanation each time). [Note: These 2 instances with UD happened months apart, too. I apologize if I made it sound like they were at the same time. The Black Diamond was in the fall and the Champs was in May/June.]

I've definitely had this experience outside of our hobby, too. It just frustrates me that companies, etc. seem to ask what could be different and then do nothing for their supporters.

-FB...

[RGM81]

this is all true Richard but dont move if they arent prepared. They knew moving day was coming how hard is it to have them forward calls to cell phones? It doesnt take much a simple call saying we are moving we will call you back later. Instead of making him jump through hoops in order to get a card replaced.

If you're in the middle of unpacking boxes and setting up your office, do you really want your cell phone going off every 30 seconds to have to deal with unhappy people that you can't actually help because your computers aren't set up yet? I know that you hate Upper Deck's customer service, but let's get serious here.

[TheIronHorse4]

I actually am always surprised about the beatings UD gets in customer service. I've always had great experiences with them, (although a couple of times operators were "busy" for quite a while). Replacements have always been quick and I always end up on the winning end of a replacement. But people will have different experiences with different companies.

[oldhasek]

UD customer's bad service is well known. Back in May I contacted UD for a factory damaged The Cup Enshrined card (8 or 10 creases on the back). They told me that they can't provide a replacement, but can send complimentary product. 'Til this day I haven't received anything.

[deankal]

If you're in the middle of unpacking boxes and setting up your office, do you really want your cell phone going off every 30 seconds to have to deal with unhappy people that you can't actually help because your computers aren't set up yet? I know that you hate Upper Deck's customer service, but let's get serious here.

Don't we have the technology today to leave a generic email for anyone stating " Sorry to our valued customers, but unfortunately we'll be closed for the next 10 days as we're moving to our new facilities."

Kinda self explanatory don't you think? I mean isn't that a better option rather than let the phones ring off the hook for hours and get sent to voice mail where you know you're not getting anywhere. I mean my wife (when she's away from her office) leaves a generic "Hi I will be away from my desk till Nov. 15th. If you have any questions please leave me a message and will get back to you immediately after that. Sorry for the inconvenience."

Serously that tough? Or is it just common sense they're lacking....

I've noticed A LOT of people make up alot of excuses for UD as " they were moving, how could they answer the phones" when a simple self explanatory voice mail could of solved EVERYTHING.

Maybe not everyone would of been happy to hear the news they won't be able to get a hold of them for a few weeks or days but they'd know why their not getting through to any UD customer service reps......no?

Kinda a more simpler, likeable solution rather than have the phones ring of the hooks for weeks and having all your customers upset and mad at you....don't you think?

[Fred Bear]

Just a quick update on my dealings with the online retailer...

Customer Service Manager did NOT call today. I'm a reasonable person, though, so I'm going to assume that he was just busy today and I'll get a call tomorrow.

- FB...