Customer Service - What Are Your Expectations

I don't expect to profit from someones mistake. I think Dominoes started that trend with 30 minutes or it's free. People hope something will be wrong so they can get a free lunch. I think it's nice when it's offered and that is exceptional customer service. But I would never expect it or ask for anything free.

I do not expect discounts unless it is a really big snafu. I am easy going
and feel mistakes happen. Such is life. As long as the outcome is what
you wanted, all is well.

When I first read the title of your question about Customer Service expectations, my true expectations these days is that the person can speak English well enough for me to understand it and vice versa. Too heavy of an accent just leaves me befuddled.

Otherwise, your friends demanding and expecting extras, that seems full of self-entitlement. When was the last time they made a human mistake? Like a lousy dinner? Do families then get to demand another 7 course meal in lieu of their shortcomings?

I just expect a " iam sorry" and politeness, although I rarely receive it.

I'm pretty bad about returning things, kind of live under the "buyer beware rule" when it comes to that. Pictures that were lost, as long as they found them I'd be fine with just that and the "so sorry bout that" as the reasoning. I've never been one to demand compensation for a mistake. Mistakes happen all the time.

I am of the belief that mistakes happen and as long as I get what I paid for I am good. There are a few exceptions to this, if it happens a lot at the same place then I will raise it to a manager level.

I think my customer service expectations must be low b/c i've noticed recently I'm often surprised when someone is nice and helpful. lol!

In answer to your question, I do think human errors occur and I don't think you are always entitled to a freebie b/c of a mistake. For instance, if I'm in a restaurant and they don't bring what I ordered, I'll give them a chance to fix the error. However, if I get my meal as we are paying the bill, I might expect to have it taken off the bill b/c in all likelihood I wont get a chance to sit and eat it.

I've been in plenty of service jobs (retail and restaurant) to know that mistakes happen, everyone is only human. What I want as a customer, more than anything, is honesty and responsibility. I had trouble recently with our bank -- we were opening a new checking account and it took 3 visits and several chunks of wrong information and I was about to lose my top. Until one kid (and they are KIDS I tell you) apologized and said we messed up, it's a bad system and I'm so sorry. I was pretty happy then, just for him taking responsibility. I said "you just saved my business, right there." THEN, he actually got in his car the next day and brought the signature card to my house so I wouldn't have to make yet another trip there. This was all about service (I wasn't paying for a new checking account) and trying to make things right. I have HATED my bank up until now, and that young man kept me as a customer. Excuse me, I should go write a letter to his supervisor...

I do complain when things are wrong. But I do not expect more than what I paid for/agreed to. I can not stand people who think that they are owed something. I used to work in hotels at the front desk and I cant tell you how many people f**k up their own reservations and than take it out on whomever checks them in. They allmost always demand free nights and meals that they feel they are entitled too ( but they arent) and usually they get it.

Well, most companies who value service with a manager on duty who has to power too... will offer a slight discount or a little extra freebie.

I don't think the extra pictures are something I would ask for or expect... a small discount on my order would be nice though.

I am in the industry of selling to customers, it is rare, but if package gets lost in the mail or I ship a bit later than I intended, I will sometimes include a free little gift in the package or reduce their shipping fees. It's better to build that relationship, but certainly not required. I think, too many people expect handouts as well. Seriously, they are getting their new bag, but now they want an entire package too? Where is this entitlement attitude coming from? I bet that same person if the roles were reversed, would not go all out to give freebies.

It depends. If the problems have happend at that same outlet before, then yes...and shame on me for coming back after a second incident I guess.

But I do know that for me, who can not be out and about during regular business hours and my time is very limited (I do home daycare which is about a 65 hour a week at least commitment just here at home, without errand time on sundays), I DO not like to have to go back to a place because someone there did not do their job. I will often let a single incident slide, but places rarely get more than a second chance with me.

It depends on what's going on. Verizon didn't hook up a non-obvious phone jack in our basement. They are coming back to do it next week. In the meantime we get free channels for a few months - of shows I don't need or watch, so what's that really do for me? I'd rather a discounted installation bill if they were going to do anything.

Most of the time all I want is what I should have gotten. If I should have gotten a small bag, then please exchange it. If I should have gotten all my pictures, please give me the right pictures. If I don't need doubles of those shots, then it's just trash to get a whole new set. If they offer a coupon, then I'd take it, but I wouldn't demand it. If it happens often, then vote with your wallet and go somewhere else.

Sometimes it's a matter of just wanting the person to shut up and go away (the customer is not always right) so managers give stuff and then the customer tells their friend and so forth. While a lot of places are lacking in the CS department, many are not and the customer needs to accept fixing the problem without getting things they don't deserve.

All I want is good service. I understand that mistakes happen and I don't expect anything for free because a mistake was made. Like Kate B said, just take responsibility and apologize. I recently tried to return a pair of shoes to K-Mart. I had the receipt, but when I presented it to the customer service representative, she said she could not give me my money back with that receipt because the printing was messed up and some of the information was not printed on the receipt. She offered me an even exchange for another pair of shoes. I told her I didn't find any other shoes I wanted and that it was not my fault the receipt didn't print right. She did agree with that and then tried to get the store manager to print a new receipt. Well, I stood there for 20 minutes while she kept paging this one particular store manager. Finally, after 20 minutes of paging, someone hollered that that person had left 30 minutes ago. Then she started paging another person. I asked to see the manager; she said that's who I just paged. Then, another 20 minutes of phone calls back and forth between her and the manager and the receipt finally appeared. Then she tried to do the refund, and had some problems with the register. Mind you, I've been standing there now for 45 minutes! I didn't say anything, but I did sigh when she started having problems with the cash register. She then turned to the next person in line and commented on how it appeared I was becoming impatient! I'd been waiting quietly for 45 minutes, letting person after person go in front of me and she had the nerve to comment that I was being impatient! I still said nothing, but as soon as I had my money in hand I told her that K-Mart would not be seeing one dime of my xmas money this year! So, no, I don't want anything for free, I just want good customer service!

I have a good and a bad example. A couple of years ago a new restaurant opened and a large group of us from work went out to eat. We had about 15 people there and my order and another person's order was delayed coming out of the kitchen. It was only delayed about 5 minutes, but the manager personally brought them out to us, apologized, and told us he wouldn't charge us for the entree and he was having the kitchen make us a take home entree as well. I actually thought that was a little overboard. I would have been happy with just the apology!

My bad example just happened yesterday. I called in an order from work and picked it up. When I got back to work, I found that they charged us for two extra salads and left off two of our original salads. I called the guy who took my order and brought up the charge first, which he said he would remove. But when I mentioned missing two salads, he became defensive and kept telling me that he had counted the salads and put them in the bag himself. Except he had walked off to take a phone call and someone else bagged the salads. I was standing right there when it happened. So I am waiting for the store credit and if it's not there tomorrow, another call is going and this time to the manager. It's not like I am expecting a free meal, but the credit for the items I didn't get? Absolutely.

I worked in customer service for years and I always hated when people wanted something FREE. If it was a big inconvience sometimes I would try to give them a discount, but sometimes things rang up wrong and people would want that item for free. (seriously it rang up a dollar more and you want a $20 item free. I don't think so!) I think some places need to do better on customer service though. There is this walmart near us and I did a site to store order and I listed my hubby as the pick up person. Well for some reason the computer only listed me even though I called the website to try and fix it. They told me they were having troubles with the computer and it wasn't listing everyone it should be listing. well I spoke to the a manager and told them this and he said that he couldn't let my husband pick it up that I had to do it. Well the store is 30 min away in a town I NEVER go to. But my hubby works in the town so that is why I had the order shipped there plus me and my husband share a car, so I would have to wait for him to drive home then drive back there. I tried to explain this to the guy and he YELLED at me telling me that "I can't GIVE AWAY the merchandise!" I asked "how are you giving it away? I paid for it. In fact my husband's credt card paid for it. What if he showed you the card?" "He told me I was being difficult and that he didn't need my buisness." seriously! I asked to speak to the store manager and he said he was the store manager. Well my husband knows the store manager and worked with her for years so I knew he wasn't. I called to corporate office and they called him and told him to let my husband pick it up. When he did the man told my hubby 'You're wife is to sensitive." Wow we never shopped there again.

I typically expect an apology and a solution so it won't happen again. Case in point, I ordered a "set" of books from Amazon - had it express shipped and it only came with one book. Called CS, sorry, we'll send you a new shipment and refund your express shipping.
book "set" came again as an individual book. I called to find out what was going on. Was it me? The CS rep looked it up and said in deed he read the same way, but since not the acutal product, he'd put it in for a description update (oh and they gave me 10% off for my trouble - so sweet!).
That is what I expect. Recognizing a gap or issue is there and then them being empowered to correct it:)

I expect whatever is wrong to be made right within reason. I don't ask for anything overboard. I do speak up more with bigger issues, such as getting a defective item or having a dinner out completely ruined. I have received some coupons or free things for some problems, which seemed fair to me because I often have to spend time on the phone or make a special trip. I did get a ton of KFC coupons once though. I always clearly tell them to not give me any coleslaw because I am allergic to the sauce and I always order another side instead. It happens from time to time that I get coleslaw, so I always check my orders. Once I had a plate with the slaw on it, so I took it back and just expected them to make a new plate. When I took it back I said I had ordered no coleslaw and was allergic to it. The IDIOT took this plate back, scraped the slaw off, then put baked beans it its place. I asked for a NEW plate and to speak to the manager. I explained how their staff must never, ever do such a thing when food allergies are concerned and went into my schpiel about how people can get severe reactions and stop breathing. My hope is that they never be so lax with allergies again!