a value of humans

I'm a loner ... not "anti"-social, just non-social. I find many things
in life improved by the absence of humanity

BUT ... not everything


today I set out to buy a new digital camera, I had reseached and knew what
model I wanted, researched some more and found the best price.

I filled out the online order form with credit card number, shipping
address, etc and clicked "submit"

Unaware of the magnitude of my own stupidity, I tried to "multi-task" as the
next page loaded on my dial-up. After a minute, I clicked an X to close
a page and it proved to be the browser, by mistake :-( Now I had no
idea if the order had been processed or not, I hadn't seen a confirmation
page but was that because of my error? and my camera was on it's way, my
card billed?

So I tried the 1-800 number shown on the website for "customer service"
A FULL HOUR and 1/2 later I finally got to talk to a human, after being
disconnected a few times, getting busy signals many times, and getting left
on hold for at LEAST a total of an hour before some of the disconnects and
including 27 ( timed ) minutes the last long wait that was finally answered.


I have determined that "customer service" IS a good place to have humans
available to talk to in large numbers ....


Larry L ( who really doesn't find much of our modern high tech culture to be
an 'improvement' ... including phone trees and much of online life,
including shopping )

Larry L typed:
snip
I have determined that "customer service" IS a good place to have
humans available to talk to in large numbers ....

I hope so. I like being employed.
--
TL,
Tim
-------------------------
http://css.sbcma.com/timj

On Apr 29, 6:40�pm, "Larry L" wrote:
I'm a loner ... not "anti"-social, � �just non-social. � �I find many things
in life improved by the absence of humanity

BUT ... not everything

today I set out to buy a new digital camera, I �had reseached and knew what
model I wanted, researched some more and found the best price.

I filled out the online order form with credit card number, shipping
address, etc and clicked "submit"

Unaware of the magnitude of my own stupidity, I tried to "multi-task" as the
next page loaded on my dial-up. � � After a minute, I clicked an X to close
a page and it proved to be the browser, by mistake :-( � � � �Now I had no
idea if the order had been processed or not, I hadn't seen a confirmation
page but was that because of my error? and my camera was on it's way, my
card billed?

So I tried the 1-800 number shown on the website for "customer service"
A FULL HOUR and 1/2 later I finally got to talk to a human, after being
disconnected a few times, getting busy signals many times, and getting left
on hold for at LEAST a total of an hour before some of the disconnects and
including 27 ( timed ) minutes the last long wait that was finally answered.

I have determined that "customer service" IS a good place to have humans
available to talk to in large numbers ....

Larry L ( who really doesn't find much of our modern high tech culture to be
an 'improvement' ... including phone trees and much of online life,
including shopping )

99 & 9/10% of US Corporations, and maybe even world corporations, do
not know the meaning of the words "Customer Service." They are
prodigious assholes..
Welcome to todays world.

Larry L wrote:
I'm a loner ... not "anti"-social, just non-social. I find many things
in life improved by the absence of humanity

BUT ... not everything


today I set out to buy a new digital camera, I had reseached and knew what
model I wanted, researched some more and found the best price.

I filled out the online order form with credit card number, shipping
address, etc and clicked "submit"

Unaware of the magnitude of my own stupidity, I tried to "multi-task" as the
next page loaded on my dial-up. After a minute, I clicked an X to close
a page and it proved to be the browser, by mistake :-( Now I had no
idea if the order had been processed or not, I hadn't seen a confirmation
page but was that because of my error? and my camera was on it's way, my
card billed?

So I tried the 1-800 number shown on the website for "customer service"
A FULL HOUR and 1/2 later I finally got to talk to a human, after being
disconnected a few times, getting busy signals many times, and getting left
on hold for at LEAST a total of an hour before some of the disconnects and
including 27 ( timed ) minutes the last long wait that was finally answered.


I have determined that "customer service" IS a good place to have humans
available to talk to in large numbers ....


Larry L ( who really doesn't find much of our modern high tech culture to be
an 'improvement' ... including phone trees and much of online life,
including shopping )

You only have yourself to blame, Larry. Don't **** around with the mouse
while you're waiting for something important. The way these outfits make
money is by cutting costs so they can sell cheap. That means, among
other things, having few people to answer the phones. If you don't mind
paying top dollar and you want your hand held, go to a store.

I find the Internet to be an incredibly useful tool for getting the
stuff I want.

--
Cut "to the chase" for my email address.

On 29-Apr-2008, "Larry L" wrote:

m a loner ... not "anti"-social, just non-social. I find many things

in life improved by the absence of humanity

BUT ... not everything


today I set out to buy a new digital camera, I had reseached and knew
what
model I wanted, researched some more and found the best price.

I filled out the online order form with credit card number, shipping
address, etc and clicked "submit"

I also stay away from hordes of humans as I find many to be of little value
and also I like animals far better.
Some on this this list is are good examples of the former

But for cameras
call no one else but http://www.bhphotovideo.com/
All the pros go there for a good reason and the prices are equal to the best
and they are reliable.
There are a lot of rip off artists out there in the camera biz


Fred

wrote:

But for cameras
call no one else but http://www.bhphotovideo.com/
All the pros go there for a good reason and the prices are equal to the best
and they are reliable.

I'll second B&H as being the best place to do business. I've made
quite a few purchases from them, and they are prompt, the prices are
good, and they've yet to screw up an order.

When Carol and I were in NYC we decided to go see the store to get a
sense of what the brick-and-mortar side was all about. It was
unbelieveable. You pick what you want from the display, give the info
to a clerk, within seconds your order is coming down a long conveyor
belt from the warehouse. I've never seen such efficiency in a retail
store.

Apropos of nothing in particular (unless you plan to go shopping
there on Saturday), all the staff I saw appeared to be Hasidic Jews, and
the store is closed from Friday afternoon until Sunday morning.


Chuck Vance

Larry L wrote:
I'm a loner ... not "anti"-social, just non-social. I find many things
in life improved by the absence of humanity

BUT ... not everything


today I set out to buy a new digital camera, I had reseached and knew what
model I wanted, researched some more and found the best price.

I filled out the online order form with credit card number, shipping
address, etc and clicked "submit"

Unaware of the magnitude of my own stupidity, I tried to "multi-task" as the
next page loaded on my dial-up. After a minute, I clicked an X to close
a page and it proved to be the browser, by mistake :-( Now I had no
idea if the order had been processed or not, I hadn't seen a confirmation
page but was that because of my error? and my camera was on it's way, my
card billed?

So I tried the 1-800 number shown on the website for "customer service"
A FULL HOUR and 1/2 later I finally got to talk to a human, after being
disconnected a few times, getting busy signals many times, and getting left
on hold for at LEAST a total of an hour before some of the disconnects and
including 27 ( timed ) minutes the last long wait that was finally answered.


I have determined that "customer service" IS a good place to have humans
available to talk to in large numbers ....


Larry L ( who really doesn't find much of our modern high tech culture to be
an 'improvement' ... including phone trees and much of online life,
including shopping )



Your experience is "par for the course", from many of the online camera
dealers. I've had 2 similar experiences, that ended in my canceling the
order. Even if the retailer has a good "rating", I would steer clear of
most, unless you can get some real feedback. i've had good luck with
Abe's in Maine

"Larry L" said:

So I tried the 1-800 number shown on the website for "customer service" A
FULL HOUR and 1/2 later I finally got to talk to a human, after being
disconnected a few times, getting busy signals many times, and getting
left on hold for at LEAST a total of an hour before some of the
disconnects and including 27 ( timed ) minutes the last long wait that was
finally answered.

For internet site buying (With or w/o brick and mortar stores), I always
first dial the customer service phone number. NO phone number - no buy!

When a live person finally answers, I ask how to unwind my purchase and get
a credit. If the person on the line does not understand English I ask for a
supervisor, and if they do not understand English I hang up No English - no
buy!

Some people have the audacity to actually say they WILL NOT warranty their
product and accept returns. No return - no buy!

Next I always ask who pays the return shipping, if I change my mind and if
their product is not working. I don't mind paying the return shipping if
it's my fault but I refuse to pay return shipping if their product fails. No
return shipping - no buy!

Today most companies have an attitude that crosses all organizational
boundaries. So if the customer service people are obstinate and act like
jerks, so are sales and shipping and accounting, etc. Obstinate jerks - no
buy!

So the above notwithstanding, I find talking with friendly, helpful,
customer service humans means the eventual online buying experience will be
smooth and rewarding. Friendly people usually means that the screens and
computer system design was done with the eventual customer's best interests
in mind. It's truly a pleasure when I get disconnected that I can go back
and continue where I left off and know just where I am and the order's
status.

Good luck,
John

On 2008-05-01, John bass wrote:

first dial the customer service phone number. NO phone number - no buy!

[...]

jerks, so are sales and shipping and accounting, etc. Obstinate jerks - no
buy!

So the above notwithstanding, I find talking with friendly, helpful,
customer service humans means the eventual online buying experience will be
smooth and rewarding...

Nicely stated and I agree on every count. Too bad businesses adhering to
such a simple and sensible philosophy are so rare.

nb