Wait. You Wanted Me to Help You?!

Friday morning I had a horrid customer service experience.  I'll give you a quick rundown in a second...but it essentially looked like this:

{via}

Like all of you, I get promotional emails in my mailbox multiple times a day.  Thursday evening I got an email that Swimsuitsforall.com was having a 60-80% sale.  Of course, I looked even though I had just bought a bathing suit.  I found a suit I LOVED!  But I'm on a budget and didn't want to make an impulse buy and the promo code found on the email said I had another 24-ish hours to take advantage of the sale.

Friday morning came and I still wanted that bathing suit, but the promo code wasn't giving me the 60% that it was supposed to.  Instead, it gave 30%.  Ordinarily, this would be a good buy.  But who spends twice the amount they thought they were going to a mere 12 hours earlier?  Being at work, I opted to use the chat function with their customer service department.  I didn't save our interactions, but the short version went a little like this:

CS: Hi, I'm Sue (name changed to protect the not so innocent).
Me: Hi, Sue.  My name is Cole and I'd like to get a bathing suit using the promo code I was emailed. It's only giving me 30%, not 60%.  Can you help me with that?
CS: Ma'am, did you actually place an order?
Me: No...I just explained that I want to place an order online using promocode: buyabathingsuit and it will only give 30% not 60% as described in your marketing email.
CS: Ma'am.  You need to call us.
Me: Why do I need to call you, Sue?  I'm at work and can't call.  Can you help me get a working promo code?  Is there a known tech issue that the code isn't working?
CS: Ma'am, are you near a phone?  You really should just call us.  It would be much easier.

That is where I gave up, and quite frankly, got ticked off!  Under normal circumstances, I would have just shut that browser window and moved on.  But the combination of calling me ma'am multiple times after I made a point of using her name (and providing mine more than once), and the CS reps horrible attitude pushed all the buttons I needed to go find the email address for Swimsuitsforall.com's Customer Relations Director.

I was wrote a detailed and slightly grumpy email that I tried to temper with desire to make sure others weren't having the same problem I was with their customer service call center. Honestly, I didn't expect an answer.  I was SHOCKED when I not only got a response, but it was within an hour of emailing!  My email was from Jessica, the assistant to the Customer Relations Director,  (Name not changed, as she is pretty fabulous.) who proceeded to ask all the right questions (what item # was I trying to purchase, can I replicate the error, can I try another promo code {which she provided}).

The end result is that Jessica's great customer service and desire to make things right meant I am getting my bathing suit at the right price!  Isn't it cute?!

(I am not getting paid for this post and do not have affiliate links with swimsuitsforall.com.  It's only because Jessica saved the day that I'm sharing their website info.)