Customer No Service

Just How Bad Can Customer Service Get?

I had the strangest experience today.
My little Acer Computer was in need of repair. The fan had become quite noisy. It is still under warranty, so I sent it to the repair facility in Texas a few weeks ago. All went well and this past Tuesday I received an e-mail from the company stating that my computer was repaired and on its way back to me.
As promised, it was delivered early this evening by Fed Ex. I received two boxes instead of one, but both were in my name and address so I signed for them, took them indoors and promptly opened them. To my surprise, each box held an Acer Computer. So sitting in front of me now were two identical computers.
The first thought I had was that possibly my computer was not repairable so the company had returned it and replaced it with a new one. As I opened the computers to view them I quickly saw that each computer had a letter inserted into it describing the repair and addressed to the owner.
One computer was mine; the other belongs to a man in Tennessee
I located the customer service 800 # and called the company to tell them of the error.
The first person that I spoke to is a technician.He could not seem to comprehend what I was telling him. He asked over and over again, “Lady, you sent in one and we sent you two?”
Although I confirmed this as ”Yes,That is Correct” over and over, I got no information from him as to how we could fix this error , so I asked for a customer service rep. He tells me, “We only have one department here and this is it”. He then puts me on hold for 5 minutes. When he returns to the phone he asks again, ”Are you sure you received two?”
“YES I AM SURE ,I AM LOOKING RIGHT AT THEM.” I am now getting a wee bit testy. I did not know that my good deed would cause this much exasperation and I have had a long week and I am hungry and need a glass of wine and this idiot thinks that I am Joking!
“Hold on” he states again and there I am back on hold for 5 more minutes. When he returns, he asks me to read him the serial # on the computer not owned by me. Having already packed it back up ( I was expecting a quick phone call, a Fed Ex call tag and pick up and not a one hour project)I proceed to unwrap and open the box for thr second time. I read him the serial #. Back on hold again……10 minutes this time.
A different person comes back on the line this time. A young man, who seemed to have all the experience of a 19 or 20 year old. He is upset. Seems that the seriousness of the situation is apparent now that they have most definitly cross referenced the serial # and they now know that I am in possession of a computer that is not mine. But most importantly, they realize that they shipped it to me and someone, somewhere is waiting for their computer to be returned as promised.
So the young man has a sense of frantic in his voice and now he is proceeding to tell me what I have to do to solve his problem.
I have to pack up the computer, drive seven miles to a Fed Ex Office (he will provide me with the address) Pay to have it shipped back and I will be reimbursed as soon as they receive it.
I am speechless….. But only for a split second. Then the wrath of “You put me through all of this for the past 45 minutes” became words sternly and loudly spoken back into the phone.
I say to him
“ I am not driving seven miles to drop off something that you sent me by mistake, Schedule a pick up at my home and send Fed Ex to me with a call tag”.
“I cannot do that “ he states “YOU will need to drive it there. They are open until 9PM”.
“I DON’T THINK YOU GET IT”, I shout”I RECEIVED AN EXTRA COMPUTER,DELIVERED TO ME,IN MY NAME,AND AS A PERSON WITH INTEGRITY,I CALLED YOU IMMEDIATELY SO THAT YOU COULD RETRIEVE IT AND GET IT TO IT’S PROPER OWNER. YOU WILL NEED TO SEND A CALL TAG, BECAUSE THAT’S AS FAR AS I GO IN CORRECTING YOUR ERROR.I HAVE NO INTEREST OR TIME TO DRIVE TO A FED EX CENTER.I AM A BUSY PERSON AND I KNOW THAT SENDING FED EX TO ME WITH A CALL TAG IS A SIMPLE PROCESS FOR YOU TO DO. MY COMPANY DOES IT ALL THE TIME.
“Lady”, he says, I will get that computer back one of two ways. You will either do as I say and drive to a Fed Ex center or I will call the police and have you arrested and they will return it to us.”
I could not believe what I had just heard. I thought that he was young and probably inexperienced, but sending the police. “Did I hear you correctly?” I ask. You are threatening to send the police if I don’t drive to a Fed Ex Center with your mistake?”“Oh Please! Send the police! “ I say as I hang up on him. I am now having a fit of laughter.
So, the second Acer Computer is still in my possession. If it is not picked up in 7 days I’ll put it on Ebay! Any Bidders?
Oh, and by the way.If you hear that I am in jail for refusing to work for the Acer Company for free....Give me a few days to catch up on my sleep and then bail me out!