Downright Lousy Customer ServiceImage via Wikipedia
40 Bucks For An 18 Dollar Adapter?
Following is the content of an online email I sent this afternoon to Alltel. The ‘Customer Service’ guy at the local store was rude. Yesterday when I went in, he tried to sell me a car-adapter when I wanted a home adapter. The car adapter was 40 bucks. Then he told me that the home adapter was 40 bucks also.
I looked these things up on Alltel’s site. The car adapter is indeed about 40 bucks, but the home adapter was 18. So I printed that page and went back today to get my 18 dollar adapter. He insisted it was 40 bucks, even though the page from the website clearly shows it isn’t. All I wanted was a new AC adapter for my phone….
‘Went to the local Alltel store to replace my AC adapter for my phone. The adapter is sold online by Alltel for about 18 dollars. The local Alltel store in Reidsville NC wanted to charge me 39.99 plus tax. THIS IS MORE THAN TWICE what is advertised online. The CSR told me it was because online I pay no shipping. WHAT HAS THAT TO DO WITH ME WALKING INTO A LOCAL STORE? When I asked for a manager I was told the manager was not there. When I asked to speak to anyone in charge I was told there was no one in charge.
I agreed and left the store.
Can you guys explain to me why I should:
1. Pay 40 bucks for an AC adapter that is listed online for 18?
2. Continue to use Alltel services?Thank you.
Jon Knight
ps. the preferred call number is the alltel number, but since i don’t have a charger now, you probably cannot reach me there. best to use email. also, why do i have to enter my information 2 times on consecutive pages? do you think this is customer service?’
This reminds me of the run-in I had with Verizon several years ago. I gave them precise information about where I lived and they looked the address up in their database. I was assured that my service would be exemplary there. I got home and there was no signal at all, not even one bar. So I went back to their store, canceled the account and was told I would not get my deposit back because I canceled the account early. It took 13 months, almost to the day, to get my money back, but I did get it back.
Alltel might not have lost me because of the merger with Verizon. But they have definitely lost me because of their downright lousy customer service. They have no idea what customer service is.
I am Jon, looking really hard at Nextel Wireless…
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