Hurray for customer service ineptitude

[donutsweeper]

I was on the phone with the customer service of a very fancy jewelry company earlier today to return a present my daughter got.  Their policy is that, since the bracelet arrived broken, shipping is free within the US.

"Where do you live, Ma'am?"

"Minnesota."

"I'm afraid that will require international shipping charges then."

"Why?  It's a state."

"A state of what?"

*headdesk*

Comments

[aeron-lanart.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry but.... hahahahahahahahaha

I really did LOL.
A state of what *snorfle*
I mean I don't do US Geography and even *I* know that one.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

You just have to laugh at it, don't you?

[adafrog.livejournal.com]

lolol

[http://users.livejournal.com/_medley_/]

Um. Wow. I know sometimes we jokingly call folks from the North foreigners, but um. Maybe whoever you talked to is living in some weird alternate universe where the South won the Civil War? No?

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

I couldn't quite place the accent- definitely american, not overtly east coast but with a touch of it, but also with a little typical southern, no idea but the fact she was AMERICAN and didn't know MN astounded me.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_medley_/]

Oh, I know. That's just crazy.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

It was the 'state of what' that really sent the conversation over the edge though. She was serious. *sighs*

[http://users.livejournal.com/_medley_/]

State of mind? State of grace? State of matter? State of...I can't think of any more.

[the-dark-side.livejournal.com]

Wow.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

If MN is no longer in the US does that mean I don't have to pay my taxes anymore?

*snerk* great icon

[the-dark-side.livejournal.com]

I wish.

I couldn't help myself. So many people commented on Tosh's screen after that TW episode (I think that was the circus people one), I just had to make it.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

I don't even remember that being in the episode. Oops, I guess I need to pay attention better!

[the-dark-side.livejournal.com]

It's what showed up when she was trying to figure out why the scans kept showing Cardiff was flooding.

[chatona.livejournal.com]

.... Even I could have done better than that and I fail at geography!

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

I hope I just caught her right before her coffee break or something, because otherwise....

[chatona.livejournal.com]

Otherwise, there is a LOT wrong with that. I mean, there is anyway, but at least maybe we could find within us the ability to excuse her complete and utter fail?!

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

as long as nothing goes wrong and the bracelet gets replaced and the chick did her job she's going to be excused in my book. But if it doesn't....

[chatona.livejournal.com]

That would obviously be good, if it all worked out. Yep.

[phoenix64.livejournal.com]

*sporfle* Wow, I'm used to that (and don't get me started on continental vs. contiguous), but Minnesota?! "A state of what?" indeed.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

(and don't get me started on continental vs. contiguous) Oh wow, I never even thought of the issue of that! Does it come up a lot?

[phoenix64.livejournal.com]

Constantly. Mind you I do a lot of online shopping. So many places offer "free shipping to the continental U.S." except for Alaska and Hawaii. I've tried explaining it, and once in a while I'll still drop them a note about displaying correct information, but mostly I've learned to just give up and not bother.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

Oh dear- hello- continental means ON THE CONTINENT! So the free shipping would be for Canada too I suppose. Obviously their site needs a beta.

I've had problems with 'we ship to X side of the Mississippi' before because it runs straight through MN and people get confused by that, but at least being in what *most* people consider the US shipping itself isn't a problem usually

[phoenix64.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately it's so common that when I complain that's one of the defenses: "But everyone knows we just mean the 48 states". And as much as I'm tempted to try and sue one of them, preferably for something that would be hugely expensive to ship, like furniture, I do understand that it does cost them more to ship up here. It shouldn't, really, because we've become a pretty major shipping hub for the Pacific Rim so a lot of freight goes through here. When I order something from Apple directly I can track FedEx and I can see it come from China, to here, to someplace in the Midwest and then back up here. It's silly.

Even when I complain to a site in a completely respectful manner along the lines of, "you should change that incorrect terminology so someone doesn't use it against you", I can't think of one instance where I've checked back later and they've changed it. Maybe they think 'contiguous' would be too advanced a word for some of their customers?

[rustydog.livejournal.com]

OMG.

It's anecdotes like that that make me ACHE to teach geography. If I could catch them as seventh-graders...

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

*pets poor, sad Owen* But she was very cherry about it!