Customer Service Story Continued...

If you'll recall I am not too happy with Arts & Music (http://bfthsboringblog.blogspot.com/2018/07/the-rant-customer-service.html).  Quick recap:  As I have for the past 4 years I sent in my renewal check (before the deadline) for the "free" summer deal.  Check was not cashed; credit card was charged for the monthly renewal.  Called customer service; left a message.  Waited.  Filled out their customer service form on line.  Waited.  Got a call from customer service, but the rep was not very helpful.  Waited.  Called the customer service line again.  Waited.  Filled out their customer service form on line AGAIN.  Got an email from a very nice customer service rep who tried to be helpful, but couldn't provide me with the information that I wanted.  (Did they have my check?  When would they refund my credit card?)  Frustrated after nearly a month, I blogged...

Thank you all who read that blog.  Thank you all who SHARED that blog.  

You hear about the power of the internet.  You might think that my blogging and sharing it on multiple platforms would have helped me out.  You'd be wrong...

Maybe not completely wrong...Although I tweeted my blog to the company and got nothing as a result, I also tweeted to our middle school music program.  Since music teachers are THE BEST, Mr. M made sure my blog was seen by the local rep.  (The rep who handles our district; which is over 100 kids in the middle school alone.  We may be a "small" school system, but we have an LARGE music population.  When the annual Music In The Parks rolls around there are 8-10 charter buses for all the music students and although school is in session there are very few students who do not participate in the music program so it's like a ghost town.  NONE of this would be possible if it weren't for the awesome music teachers in the school...Yes, I’m talking about Mr. M, Mr. H, and Mrs. H!  THANK YOU!)

Amazingly, one day after Mr. M shared my blog, the rep called Mr. M and said he would handle it.

Suddenly, on the 19th (2 days shy of a month), I get a voice mail from the rep.  He assured me my check was received and my credit card refunded.  I check my bank account...sure enough my check HAD just been cashed.  I check my credit card...NO refund.  

So what do I do?  You KNOW I was on the phone to the rep immediately.  I told him I appreciated his help.  I told him that I saw my check had FINALLY been cashed, but my credit card still had the charge on it.  In good customer service mode, he assured me that sometimes these things don't go through right away and to give it some more time.  But if I didn't see a refund on my credit card in 2-3 weeks to give him a call back.  You KNOW I will.  I'll be checking...I'll be checking REGULARLY! 

So my problem has ALMOST been resolved, but I'm still not very happy with Music & Arts.  All this could have been avoided IF they had an option to do annual renewals on line.  AND once they realized they had a problem/backlog (which is what I've been told), they should have sent out an email to their customers or posted something on their website and/or social media sites to let customers know that there was an issue and they were working on it. (Proactive...it's everyone's favorite word!)  They need to have a better customer service phone plan put in place.  They should return phone messages within 24-48 hours.  If they really wanted to step up their game, they should follow up a few days later to make sure the problem/issue had been resolved.  There are so many "little" things that they SHOULD be doing to prevent problems like this.

So are you listening Music & Arts?  

Ok, so just as I was going to publish this, I checked in on my credit statement and low and behold, a credit was just issued.  Took nearly a month, but...The problem has been resolved.  (Although it took a lot of kicking and screaming to get it done.)

Now let me tell you another story about customer service. I'm STILL waiting for my replacement 5 Star Flexes (https://bfthsboringblog.blogspot.com/2018/06/schools-out-summer-vacation.html) which were supposed to arrive in 10 or so business days and that was as of the end of June, so...I emailed Mead again. Within an hour they contact me with an apology for not getting the replacement out sooner, but they had a stocking issues.  They do expect to get the replacement to me in August.  Now that is how customer service is DONE!  

Again I say:  are you listening Music & Arts?