Today I am sharing a personal story , I am the client and I will never buy anything again from that company but I won’t reveal their brand name , I am not that bad as their customer service is.May be I have to reveal the name because this way I will help more people to avoid them , I will leave that up to you as a question at the end of the article…

But let’s take it from the start.

Me as a client for the first time

Let’s go back in time , at least 12 years ago when we had the hotel business running up with my sister.I decided to buy all my electronic equipment (computers & peripherals) from that company.We are talking for tens of thousands of Euros deal.

That company (the seller) was making a difference in the market , although it was a start-up but with a remarkable size , and I decided to buy from them and not from my regular resource , which was a mini computer store downtown.

The equipment satisfied our needs and expectations and throughout those years I was buying goods from them and them only.The customer service was almost excellent and their support was fast.

2 months ago

I was in need for new equipment , supplies for my office.Without a second thought I headed over to my favourite destination.

It is very important to mention here that the company grew the latest years and now they compose their own branded computers & laptops with spare parts & accessories from top resources around the globe.Additionally many new stores and service centres opened throughout the country.

I bought a new desktop PC , a screen and other gadgets & accessories , a total of around €2000.But when I unpacked the box I found a fan sealed in a plastic bag.I called the company in order to find out if it was necessary to install this fan because the desktop is one of their latest models (new technology – high speed).

The rep told me it was necessary and he mentioned that the fan should have been installed from them and he encouraged me to do it on my own because it was very easy.

I am aware of technical stuff so I opened the desktop to install the fan on the inside.But I could not find any appropriate place to install it.The screws and the base would not fit anywhere.I called them again and the rep insisted me to bring the desktop to the service centre and I did so.

When they delivered the desktop they informed me that they had placed the fan on the top of the box , a special mini construction for that fan.This is a very unusual place to install a fan , which was the main fan by the way , the bigger one.

Let’s forget about the fan for a while , after 1 or 2 weeks I was in need for a second SSD hard drive because the initial one was very small in size.I headed over to the store and bought one SSD.

But when I returned to the office I could not install it anywhere on the box.I headed over again to the store to buy a base or any necessary accessory.The rep gave me one mini plastic base and he told me it would be very easy to install it on my own.

…but to no avail , the accessory could not be installed either on the box.I returned to the store and informed the rep about the case.He was looking me like I was a madman.He said , it is impossible , the base should be installed in seconds.Eventually he suggested me to bring the desktop again to the service centre.

Imagine how many KMs I drove and how many hours were lost just to install one SSD drive.

I brought the desktop to the store and left.I was waiting for their call.One hour later while I was in a business meeting they called me to …ask me to bring them the base for the drive.I could not hear them well because I was in a crowded room , so I decided to call them from the office.

I called back and the rep , the one who received the desktop asked me to bring them the base.This was another rep , not the one who sold me the first base.I repeated the whole story to the new rep and I told him that if I had a base that could do the job I would have done it myself.But the base was inappropriate so I brought the desktop over to them.

The rep agreed and during our call they found a base for my SSD and they informed me it would be ready in a few hours.

Funny things , I was thinking and just after 1 hour they called back again to tell me that the desktop was ready , the SSD was installed successfully.Additionally they installed a new windows system to the new SSD , which was a service that I would have to pay.

I headed over to the service centre but when they delivered the machine they asked me to pay an additional fee for the SSD instalment.I disagreed and I told the whole story from the beginning to the lab rep , that if the base was OK I would have installed the SSD on my own.

He agreed and not only , during our conversation I discovered that the box of the desktop , was not one made from that company although the brand name was placed on the box.

Obviously , they had stock of boxes in their warehouse , bought from 3rd party , and they composed computers using those boxes , which are very different than the ones this company produces.As a result none of the accessories they now sell can fit to those boxes.All the parts inside were installed with special mini constructions.Not a convenient solution for anyone.

But even after that incident and all the hours I lost I decided to forgive them , despite the fact that they tried to charge me fees for the SSD instalment.Because at the end they agreed and I did not pay the latest fees.

1 month ago

I was in need for a new laptop as the one I was using is very old.I headed over to the store again and bought one of their greatest models.I purchased accessories , a bag and many other gadgets as well.Another €2000.

Even I agreed to buy a software , that I did not really want it , just to make the rep happy.I took the laptop and the other stuff and returned to the office.

I had forgot about the software as I had left the mini bag in the back of my car.And it was 2 days ago when I found it and I decided to install it on the laptop.

…but the software disc was not recognised from Windows 10 , the system informed me that this version can not be run under Win 10.

I packed the software disc in the box and headed over to the store.I informed the rep of the case but he told me that they could not replace it because the box was a little bit torn.

I laughed and told the rep that they should replace it as it was their fault in the first place.They sold me a disc that could not be installed in my machine and I even asked him this question…”Are you telling me that a company with a warehouse of 20 acres big , does not have boxes to pack discs.?”

He said that he had to ask his supervisor and he left.When he returned and while I was looking to buy new stuff , he repeated that they can’t replace the software.

…That was the spark to feed a fire inside me , I was not expecting such an answer ….”OK , and I had bought a million devices from you , now I am not buying anything more” and I left all the gadgets that I had the intention to buy on the table and left.

That rep tried to catch me on the front door to deliver me the software , he said it belongs to me.I laughed and moved forward , now they can re-sell it to another client.

But because I am an entrepreneur and I have people working for me , I thought to call the store after a few hours to speak with the manager , just in case the employees did not inform him of the incident.But for that reason only , they had already lost me as a client.

The manager came on the phone and said that the employees had informed him of what had happened and he asked me if I want to bring the laptop back to the service centre so that they install the software free of charge.

I answered…”That you should have told me earlier this morning or call me back on the phone , instead you abandoned me without a solution , now it is too late , I am not a client anymore , have a nice day”

Final Thoughts

Repeated customers are a company’s main concern.Especially during the latest tough economic times we deal with at a universal range , it is essential to keep existing customers.Other companies fight tooth and nail to acquire new customers , no company has the luxury to lose old ones.

Customer service must be excellent by all means and when a company make mistakes the reps and managers should admit them and replace any damage immediately.

That company decided to chase the money and that only … may be it is the beginning of the end.Imagine how much more money they are losing from me alone as I am buying stuff very frequently.

…and imagine how many more customers they lose as I will be informing all my friends , partners , employees and those who will participate in those conversations.

That’s the story , do you think that I should reveal their brand name?…Thank you for your trust , another article has finished.I am waiting for your comments and thoughts.Till next time , your online partner.