This is a bit of a rant and praise post. This week I have experienced two opportunities to provide good customer service, and in one case, the company in question was terrific, and in the other scenario….not so much.
Traeger – the good
I am a huge fan of Traeger, but of late, their website has not been working correctly. On four separate occasions, I have tried to make a significant purchase, and each time, it has either failed to work or something has gone wrong behind the scenes. I have contacted the customer service department twice, and they have been very nice and tried to be helpful. The first time did not produce any outcome, but the second time, Esther provided great service. She continued to work on the problem even after we hung up and ended up calling me back three times. In the end, the company extended a significant discount for my troubles, and the product will be here in a few days. This is a win for me and them, as it reinforces my brand loyalty.
Nikon – the not so good
I love Nikon products, and brand loyalty is not going to wane, but talk about frustrating. Nikon has had a few key products that have been hard to get and in particular, a lens that has been on backorder for a year. I placed an order several months ago and patiently waited for the restocking. Apparently, a new batch was available, and they placed my order. Unfortunately, I received no advanced notice, and the credit card company, protecting my best interests (and theirs), questioned the sudden large purchase. Typically, this type of rejection means I validate the purchase, call the company, and ask them to run it again. Not Nikon. Their system simply canceled my order. I contacted them to see if this could be rectified, and the only option was to reorder. Again the item is on backorder, and there is no telling when the product will be available. The customer service did reach out to me, stating if I reordered, they would expedite the request. I had already reordered, and “expedite” means they will send it to me when new stock is available — no real benefit.
