Customer Service #Fail

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Luciant
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Re: Customer Service #Fail

Post by Luciant » Wed Nov 09, 2011 12:41 pm

I am a Customer Service Manager at a Financial Institution's call center, and in all honesty I think you're being way too harsh on TLG and their "Business Continuity" plan. Issues pop up ALL the time, and those are what are normally planned for, NOT a major Natural Disaster.... in those events the goal is usually just to Save information and then get back up online as fast as possible. While we have 3 contact centers, when 1 goes down, it dramatically spikes the other 2 to a point where wait times get ridiculous. We call it "The power of 1", how 1 person calling in increases the volume for the rest.... imagine losing 1/3 or more of your staff. That is why it is not logical to think "Oh, they can just up and move their Customer Service." Remember that they have computers, phones, networks, and other systems that cannot be easily moved or cheaply replicated, so therefore there is no 'secondary facility' in most cases.

In all honesty, I get the most 'complaints' and 'suggestions to improve' from people who work in IT. I know people in that field are very smart, but sometimes too much for their own good and make assumptions about a company that they really know nothing about the internal workings of. My suggestion is not to assume you know best how another company should run, only figure out how they DO work, and deal with it. In my opinion, you are kind of a victim of your own assumptions... yes TLG has great customer service, and usually bend over backwards, but that doesn't mean you assume they will in each and every instance.
I have mixed feelings about new releases: I can't wait to see and get the new sets... but I can't figure out where I'm gonna put them or store them.

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Re: Customer Service #Fail

Post by sjhapke » Thu Nov 10, 2011 3:10 am

pumbaugh wrote:Shocked to hear about damaged items from S@H. Everything I get comes impeccably packed...

US and UK markets are two totally seperate business divisions for LEGO....why is the fact that a different region is being offered the set interesting? This stuff happens often in all lines of business. The promos run between the two regions are often very different. Some product comes out there months before the US and vice versa. I am a pretty hard to please customer and have never had a problem with LEGO customer service....prob the only company I can think of.

On a side note what is wrong with your Holiday set? Crushed? Water damage? I am looking for one for my son to open...and if you are totally disappointed in yours maybe we could work something out...
In fairness to TLG and S@H, the damage was the result of the US Postal Service (I will reserve my comments about them and their service). The entire box was waterlogged to the point of disintegration by the time I found it at my back door (they delivered two boxes from S@H that day - one to the front door, one to the back door - both shipped to the EXACT same address). We do not use our back door on a regular basis, and have never had anything delivered back there - on purpose or accidentally - in 9 years of living here. The product boxes and instructions were also severely damaged. The bricks were salvageable with a good cleaning - which is what I did with the Holiday set, since I could not get a replacement. I downloaded the instructions from lego.com.

I am a collector and keep all the boxes and original instructions for all my sets. I admit being a little anal about it, but when I place an order specifically to get a promotional set (moved up the purchase of one item and added two that I did not have on my wish list to get over the threshold), and I am not able to get that set in the condition I expected, I get upset. Did I maybe blow it out of proportion? Probably.

I suppose I took to heart the things I read here and on other forums about the spectacular customer service that TLG offers, and put them on a pedestal. The reality, based on my experience, was that they were probably average in their handling of the situation.

Had I been responsible for things, these are the steps I would have taken:
1. Changed the customer service auto responder to explain the delay in response was due to the shutdown of their office because of the storm.
2. Changed the message on their phone system to explain the same thing.
3. When the matter was finally resolved (mostly) and they told me they could not offer a replacement of the holiday set, offer something else - the newly located ARF trooper, another promotional polybag, some VIP points, a coupon or certificate offering $$ or % off my next order - anything. I would still have been upset, but at least I would feel like they were trying to make things right.

One recent development, for those who pointed out that the UK offer of purchasing the part 1 on Black Friday was not suspicious because they are a separate subsidiary/market - they have apparently made the same offer for the US, as mentioned in a thread here on TnB. If they are offering it, how can they claim to be out?

So the bottom line is that TLG and S@H are just another company who makes an amazingly addictive product that many of us spend WAY too much money on. Maybe I am hard on them because I have had great customer service drilled into my head for most of my adult life. Maybe I set my sights too high because of other people's experiences. Maybe I assumed too much. I put them on a pedestal that they were not able to reach in my case. I hope that others do not experience the disappointment that I have, and I have learned an important lesson - never expect excellence and you will never be disappointed.

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Re: Customer Service #Fail

Post by sjhapke » Thu Nov 10, 2011 3:25 am

Luciant wrote:I am a Customer Service Manager at a Financial Institution's call center, and in all honesty I think you're being way too harsh on TLG and their "Business Continuity" plan. Issues pop up ALL the time, and those are what are normally planned for, NOT a major Natural Disaster.... in those events the goal is usually just to Save information and then get back up online as fast as possible. While we have 3 contact centers, when 1 goes down, it dramatically spikes the other 2 to a point where wait times get ridiculous. We call it "The power of 1", how 1 person calling in increases the volume for the rest.... imagine losing 1/3 or more of your staff. That is why it is not logical to think "Oh, they can just up and move their Customer Service." Remember that they have computers, phones, networks, and other systems that cannot be easily moved or cheaply replicated, so therefore there is no 'secondary facility' in most cases.

In all honesty, I get the most 'complaints' and 'suggestions to improve' from people who work in IT. I know people in that field are very smart, but sometimes too much for their own good and make assumptions about a company that they really know nothing about the internal workings of. My suggestion is not to assume you know best how another company should run, only figure out how they DO work, and deal with it. In my opinion, you are kind of a victim of your own assumptions... yes TLG has great customer service, and usually bend over backwards, but that doesn't mean you assume they will in each and every instance.
Ironically, I am an I.T. professional, and have been in customer service my entire working life in one capacity or another. While I did mention Business Continuity in my earlier messages, I toned down my focus on that aspect of my complaint. While it would have been nice to get the situation resolved when it happened, as opposed to a week later, my main concern was that there was absolutely no messaging to indicate that there would be a delay, and why. Is it really that difficult for a company the size of TLG, or it's US subsidiary, to let their customers know why they were not responding, and that we were not being ignored?

As mentioned in another response here, my issues are two:
1. Communicate the issues to the customer
2. Make the customer feel like they are special and being helped with their problem

Are those not Customer Service 101 items?

I will admit, as a life-time customer service person, I am a horrible customer to deal with. I have had excellent customer service drilled into my head for all of my adult life, and have seen good people lose their jobs for less than stellar service. In this day and age, I seldom see good customer service, much less stellar.

Perhaps that is why I took the words of other AFOLs here and on other LEGO forums to heart and put LEGO on a pedestal. I am hopelessly addicted to these infernal bricks, and want to think the best of the company and people behind them. Am I being harsh on them - perhaps - but after reading story after story about how great they are at customer service, to find out that they are simply average (at least in my case) is disappointing.

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Re: Customer Service #Fail

Post by pterribilis » Thu Nov 10, 2011 6:49 pm

Read what you wrote...

Did lego crush the box?

Did TLG tell the delivery people to ship it to your front and back door?

Did TLG create the storm and purposely damage the sets you purchased?

Who is really the victim here? You who have the sets in hand and are getting replacement items...or TLG who are getting flamed on here by a customer they tried to help?

I stand by TLG on this one...They tried and for me that is more than many companies out there.

Just put things into perspective.

When your new car has a problem...even if you purchase an audi or bmw...they dont always bend over backwards. They dont give you a new engine or free upgrades if they miss out on a delivery date by a day yet you spend 1000x more on that product. i just bought a new Audi for 46,000 and i had trouble getting them to call me back to get winter tires installed...what do you think about that?

Luciant
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Re: Customer Service #Fail

Post by Luciant » Fri Nov 11, 2011 2:06 am

After hearing the details about what happened, it really does sound like something Lego would normally go above and beyond for. And I'm understand as I consider myself super OCD about the sets I purchase because I also keep everything included. It was the delivery company's fault really, but you can see they were trying to be nice and not have your Lego's sitting out front for someone to steal. Normally Fedex/UPS wont leave it, but on rare occasion they do. USPS always does though. How long did the package stay outside?

I've been in Customer Service for all of my working life, and it's my passion, but I'm also a realist, so I generally expect to get average to lousy Customer Service since that's generally what you get most of the time. When I do get Great CS, I make sure I let supervisors/powers that be know. I also always plan for the worst, and hope for the best so I can be pleasantly surprised if things go perfectly =)

What really bothers me about your situation is that they said they wouldn't replace the holiday set because 'they ran out' but they are going to sell it at the Lego stores on BF for $9.99. Maybe if you asked them to send you a replacement instruction manual and just dealt with having to clean the bricks? I can understand possibly if they are thinking "Well.. he has the actual Legos, just the container and instructions were damaged... why is he wanting a total replacement?" (Lego doesn't usually ask you ship them back the defective product do they?)
I have mixed feelings about new releases: I can't wait to see and get the new sets... but I can't figure out where I'm gonna put them or store them.

sjhapke
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Re: Customer Service #Fail

Post by sjhapke » Fri Nov 11, 2011 7:21 am

Luciant wrote:After hearing the details about what happened, it really does sound like something Lego would normally go above and beyond for. And I'm understand as I consider myself super OCD about the sets I purchase because I also keep everything included. It was the delivery company's fault really, but you can see they were trying to be nice and not have your Lego's sitting out front for someone to steal. Normally Fedex/UPS wont leave it, but on rare occasion they do. USPS always does though. How long did the package stay outside?
Actually, the back door is exposed to the neighbors more than the front door is, and we have a very large area in between the storm door and the front door where they leave parcels all the time. Like I said, it is not rare to get boxes (I am an IT consultant), and all the delivery companies are familiar with our house. Assuming the damaged box was delivered the same day as the other one, it sat outside for about 36 hours, most of that in the rain. They had placed the box in an area that pools water as well.
Luciant wrote:I've been in Customer Service for all of my working life, and it's my passion, but I'm also a realist, so I generally expect to get average to lousy Customer Service since that's generally what you get most of the time. When I do get Great CS, I make sure I let supervisors/powers that be know. I also always plan for the worst, and hope for the best so I can be pleasantly surprised if things go perfectly =)
That is also how I usually approach things. When I went to the post office first, I expected they would not help me - par for the course (and for those who say it was all USPS's fault and I shouldn't hold TLG to blame, the USPS told me they have to deal with the shipper, not me). I always expect average to poor service and always recognize it when I have a good experience. It was the endless praise I have read on these (and other) LEGO forums that caused me to approach this situation differently. I was apparently wrong.
Luciant wrote:What really bothers me about your situation is that they said they wouldn't replace the holiday set because 'they ran out' but they are going to sell it at the Lego stores on BF for $9.99. Maybe if you asked them to send you a replacement instruction manual and just dealt with having to clean the bricks? I can understand possibly if they are thinking "Well.. he has the actual Legos, just the container and instructions were damaged... why is he wanting a total replacement?" (Lego doesn't usually ask you ship them back the defective product do they?)
My offer to LEGO was to get new instructions and boxes and I would clean the bricks. They never said anything about that offer, and immediately offered to swap out the damaged items (less the promo set). Yes, I did have to return the damaged ones (and would have any way - contrary to what some have said here, I was not after free stuff - I wanted the new, undamaged product I ordered, and I was willing to pay return shipping to get it).

I am not an unreasonable person, and am willing to give some in order to get what I want. All I ever wanted out of this debacle was the new, undamaged product that I ordered and paid for. Is that really unreasonable?

Stephanie
St. Louis, MO

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Re: Customer Service #Fail

Post by pumbaugh » Fri Nov 11, 2011 7:29 am

Your order was delivered by USPS from LEGO? I always get FedEX in which case they would be liable for the delivery of the product and you can even file a damage claim online....weird.

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Re: Customer Service #Fail

Post by sjhapke » Fri Nov 11, 2011 7:38 am

pterribilis wrote:Read what you wrote...

Did lego crush the box?

Did TLG tell the delivery people to ship it to your front and back door?

Did TLG create the storm and purposely damage the sets you purchased?

Who is really the victim here? You who have the sets in hand and are getting replacement items...or TLG who are getting flamed on here by a customer they tried to help?

I stand by TLG on this one...They tried and for me that is more than many companies out there.

Just put things into perspective.

When your new car has a problem...even if you purchase an audi or bmw...they dont always bend over backwards. They dont give you a new engine or free upgrades if they miss out on a delivery date by a day yet you spend 1000x more on that product. i just bought a new Audi for 46,000 and i had trouble getting them to call me back to get winter tires installed...what do you think about that?
I think that is an incorrect analogy. I paid money to receive a new, undamaged product from TLG. Until I receive that product in the expected state (or something close), how can I be held liable for the condition of the item. The Postal Service will not even discuss the matter with me as I am not the shipper.

All I ever wanted was what I ordered - new and undamaged merchandise. I was willing to accept replacement boxes and instructions, and was even willing to pay return shipping. When they told me the promo item was sold out, it would have been nothing to them to offer another promo item as a replacement or some other solution. But now, I have soured to ordering from them directly (undoubtedly more profitable to them than me buying via a retailer), and although they will continue to get money from me indirectly, a mishandled customer service issue over an item they value at less than $5 (per their invoice) has cost them a lot more in lost business.

And I am not flaming them here, so much as offering a view different from the one that I saw in reading these forums - one of glowing praise for their customer service organization. Is that not the whole point of this forum, to exchange information - good and bad - about this hobby that has us all hopelessly addicted?

Stephanie

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Re: Customer Service #Fail

Post by sjhapke » Fri Nov 11, 2011 7:44 am

pumbaugh wrote:Your order was delivered by USPS from LEGO? I always get FedEX in which case they would be liable for the delivery of the product and you can even file a damage claim online....weird.
I took advantage of the free shipping offer, which they ship via FedEx SmartPost (it is sent in bulk by FedEx overnight, then transferred to the local Post Office for local delivery).

I was already spending more then planned in order to get the promo item, and expedited shipping does not make a difference in delivery time to my home (the next step up gets the item here the same day, for more money. I have to move up to overnight to get it a day sooner).

So, I could have FedEx deliver it in two days instead of three by USPS for $15 more. Not really a deal in my book, especially on a $100 order.

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Re: Customer Service #Fail

Post by atmail35 » Fri Nov 11, 2011 8:15 am

I am surprised that LEGO made it somewhat challenging for you to get replacement sets. Perhaps they are cracking down because of past cases of abuse (not from you but in general).

I too have had issues w/ USPS leaving my item out in the rain without a plastic bag. This case was TRU and they replaced the item and sent me a label to ship the damaged one back. The only hope is that LEGO will discontinue the use of certain shippers who don't deliver items to LEGO/our statisfaction.

As far as the Promo Set goes, do you live near a LEGO Store? Can you appeal to a manager there? Or I would call back again and see if a different rep can help you. I'm guessing that at the time they told you it was "sold out" there were not any available at the warehouse, but perhaps they have restocked.

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Re: Customer Service #Fail

Post by pumbaugh » Fri Nov 11, 2011 8:45 am

I only order when they offer free shipping. I guess I am lucky I get true Fedex....I hate surepost as its just an extra day when I live very near to the UPS/Fedex depots in my area. It prob makes a 20 mile trip past my house en route to the post office lol. My USPS guy is great, even leaves me a handwritten note on my door letting me know he left my packages in the garage bay that is open.

I will consider myself blessed for once since I have moved out of the city and into a small town...I have wonderful courteous delivery drivers!

By the way did you get the promo item and it was damaged? I asked somebody before in this thread and never got a response, I am too lazy to go look. I am looking for one for my son to open-doesn't have to be nice condition, just useable instructions and bricks. I am pretty sure I could help you out with a good condition one.

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Re: Customer Service #Fail

Post by sjhapke » Fri Nov 11, 2011 12:04 pm

atmail35 wrote:I am surprised that LEGO made it somewhat challenging for you to get replacement sets. Perhaps they are cracking down because of past cases of abuse (not from you but in general).

I too have had issues w/ USPS leaving my item out in the rain without a plastic bag. This case was TRU and they replaced the item and sent me a label to ship the damaged one back. The only hope is that LEGO will discontinue the use of certain shippers who don't deliver items to LEGO/our statisfaction.

As far as the Promo Set goes, do you live near a LEGO Store? Can you appeal to a manager there? Or I would call back again and see if a different rep can help you. I'm guessing that at the time they told you it was "sold out" there were not any available at the warehouse, but perhaps they have restocked.
Unfortunately, the nearest LEGO store is 5-7 hours away in either Kansas City or Chicago. They have not yet graced the St. Louis area with one, or else I probably would have been one of the people to receive one of those coveted pre-Black Friday invites. That is how much I spend on LEGO. Unfortunately for TLG and fortunately for my local Target, TRU and Wal-Mart stores, my money goes to them. Now, it looks like my only viable option (USPS delivered the replacement order to my back door as well, fortunately it was not raining and I was paying close attention to the tracking info) is the local stores.

I have already re-contacted customer service to see what can be done. This is the first time I have had a problem with any shipment, from any vendor, much less LEGO. Like I said, I get shipments all the time - usually more delicate electronics and computer parts - and have never had an issue.

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Re: Customer Service #Fail

Post by sjhapke » Fri Nov 11, 2011 12:09 pm

pumbaugh wrote:I only order when they offer free shipping. I guess I am lucky I get true Fedex....I hate surepost as its just an extra day when I live very near to the UPS/Fedex depots in my area. It prob makes a 20 mile trip past my house en route to the post office lol. My USPS guy is great, even leaves me a handwritten note on my door letting me know he left my packages in the garage bay that is open.

I will consider myself blessed for once since I have moved out of the city and into a small town...I have wonderful courteous delivery drivers!

By the way did you get the promo item and it was damaged? I asked somebody before in this thread and never got a response, I am too lazy to go look. I am looking for one for my son to open-doesn't have to be nice condition, just useable instructions and bricks. I am pretty sure I could help you out with a good condition one.
Depending on which postal facility FedEx delivers the SmartPost items to, it is very possible that they pass my house on the way to my local post office. The FedEx office is two blocks away from the SmartPost facility here in St. Louis, and both are about a 2 mile drive from my house. If I could go as the bird flies, it would be under a mile.

The promo item did arrive, but the only thing salvageable was the bricks, which have been cleaned and disinfected since they would not replace it. Given the situation, I would prefer to keep them unless TLG decides to grace me with a replacement (I assume I will have to return what I have if they do, which is fine with me). Sorry.

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Re: Customer Service #Fail

Post by pumbaugh » Fri Nov 11, 2011 1:47 pm

I was not trying to get the set off you for nothing....I was thinking I have 3 of the Holiday 1of2 set and why waste opening one of mine when a rabid collector on the forum I frequent is looking for one in great condition...

If lego does not take care of you let me know...as I have mentioned before we can "work something out"....just did not feel the need to post it in public...

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Re: Customer Service #Fail

Post by sjhapke » Fri Nov 11, 2011 2:08 pm

pumbaugh wrote:I was not trying to get the set off you for nothing....I was thinking I have 3 of the Holiday 1of2 set and why waste opening one of mine when a rabid collector on the forum I frequent is looking for one in great condition...

If lego does not take care of you let me know...as I have mentioned before we can "work something out"....just did not feel the need to post it in public...
I did not think that, and I am sorry if I came off that way.

I do appreciate the offer and will let you know.

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Re: Customer Service #Fail

Post by pterribilis » Fri Nov 11, 2011 8:33 pm

I just received my Death Star, Diagon Alley and all the free sets promised in mint condition. packaging was great. Thanks again TLG

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Re: Customer Service #Fail

Post by sjhapke » Fri Nov 11, 2011 8:48 pm

pterribilis wrote:I just received my Death Star, Diagon Alley and all the free sets promised in mint condition. packaging was great. Thanks again TLG
I am happy for you. Maybe you have better customer service up there in the northland.

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