customer service

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Japan's View of Customers as 'Gods' Is Backfiring

Tokyo introduces first-of-its-kind ordinance to address customer harassment

(Newser) - A first-of-its-kind ordinance in Japan, a country known for high levels of customer service, seeks to block customer harassment, or "kasuhara." The local ordinance, to go in effect in April in Tokyo, states "no person shall engage in customer harassment anywhere" and though it includes no penalties,...

Are Customer Service Reps a Doomed Breed?
Are Customer
Service Reps
a Doomed
Breed?
longform
Mar 3, 2024 6:02 AM CST

Are Customer Service Reps a Doomed Breed?

'Economist' explores how artificial intelligence is threatening the job

(Newser) - A few simple clicks online, no human needed on the other end. That was how Sophie Elmhirst's experience of buying contact lenses online was supposed to go. Instead, as she explains in the Economist , she made a mess of things with no fewer than four failed attempts. At that...

US Consumers Appear to Be Angrier Than Ever
US Consumers Appear
to Be Angrier Than Ever
survey
Mar 13, 2023 3:01 PM CDT

US Consumers Appear to Be Angrier Than Ever

National survey finds dissatisfaction (and retaliation) on the rise

(Newser) - If you've found yourself angry at a company or a customer service rep for one reason or another recently, a new national survey suggests you are very much not alone. In fact, the number of people reporting a problem with a product or service is at all-time highs in...

Frontier Airlines Has Ditched Telephone Customer Service

Support is now solely online or via text

(Newser) - The waiting time to talk to a person on Frontier Airlines' customer service line has now been extended to forever. The budget carrier says the transition to offering online, mobile, and text support only was completed last weekend, CNBC reports. Callers to the customer service line now get the message:...

You've Likely Talked to Their Employees, Without Knowing It
You've Likely Talked to Their
Employees, Without Knowing It
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Oct 10, 2020 10:00 AM CDT

You've Likely Talked to Their Employees, Without Knowing It

ProPublica looks at Arise Virtual Solutions, which provides at-home customer service reps to firms

(Newser) - You might not have heard the name Arise Virtual Solutions, but ProPublica points out there's a good chance you've spoken to one of their employees—sorry, "agents"—without realizing it. You may have thought you were talking to a rep from Comcast, or Airbnb, or Disney,...

Zappos Says Its Customer Service Reps Will Talk About Anything

They're helping callers deal with pandemic woes

(Newser) - Online shoe and clothing retailer Zappos says it realizes people in these troubled times have worries that go far beyond footwear—and its customer service reps are ready to help. In April, the company, finding that callers found small talk with their reps reassuring, started encouraging people to call for...

Your 'CLV' Might Affect How Long You're on Hold

'Customer Lifetime Value' determines how companies treat you

(Newser) - Some people seem to have better luck navigating customer service than others. But as the Wall Street Journal explains, that likely has little to do with actual luck and more to do with something called customer lifetime value, or CLV. If you have a high CLV score, chances are you'...

Wash. AG Blasts 'Shocking Deception' by Comcast

State attorney general's office expands $100M suit about service plan

(Newser) - "New evidence" has emerged to expand a $100 million 2016 lawsuit against Comcast by Washington state, with accusations of "deceptive conduct" that's "even more egregious than we first realized." That's per the state attorney general, Ars Technica reports, with an amended complaint filed in...

When It Comes to Service, McDonald's Isn't No. 1

Survey finds McDonald's is dead last; Chick-fil-A comes out on top

(Newser) - The fast-food industry may not be heralded for Michelin-rated fare, but chains can earn loyalty through the customer service they offer, ensuring consumers keep coming back for their burgers, tacos, and pizzas. And per 24/7 Wall St. , fast-food restaurants bested full-service restaurants for the first time ever on this year'...

Most Loved and Hated Telecom Companies in US

Sorry, Mediacom

(Newser) - Believe it or not, Comcast is not the most hated telecommunications company in the country. The American Customer Satisfaction Index, out Tuesday, ranks America's most loved and hated companies offering pay-TV, phone, and internet service, and though Comcast finds itself among the least loved companies, it's not the...

Expedia Employee Cancels Mom's Flights After Complaint

She got cussed out, too

(Newser) - A Los Angeles-area teacher booked a New Year's vacation via Expedia, then responded to an online survey the website sent her about her booking experience. "I was honest," Cara Viramontes tells CBS LA . "I said, 'You know what, the lady wasn’t helpful. I asked...

The Internet Is Obsessed With Traveler's 47-Year Layover

Another great moment in online customer service

(Newser) - "Just wondering what you'd recommend I do during the 47-year layover your website has suggested?" James Lloyd asked last week on the Skyscanner Facebook page after noticing the travel app had recommended an itinerary that included a 413,786-hour layover in Bangkok. Mashable reports the answer to the...

Report: Kay Jewelers Swaps Diamonds With Fakes
Report: Kay Jewelers
Swaps Diamonds With Fakes
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
May 29, 2016 7:33 AM CDT

Report: Kay Jewelers Swaps Diamonds With Fakes

Complaints are piling up on Facebook about lesser diamonds, other stones

(Newser) - "It was flat-out theft." That's how one woman describes her experience with Kay Jewelers, which is facing a barrage of complaints from customers who say their jewelry was lost or damaged—or even that the diamonds in their engagement rings were replaced with fake ones. Chrissy Clarius...

Del Taco Manager Fired for Behavior in Viral Video

'Appalled' Del Taco cans him immediately

(Newser) - A Del Taco manager is out of a job after customers posted smartphone video of him getting mouthy in a dispute—just like they warned him they would, the Arizona Republic reports. "I don't give a [expletive], bro," the manager says at the drive-thru window in the...

The Apple Support Twitter Account Just Had a Huge First Day

It tweeted out 2,200 tips for users in 24 hours

(Newser) - "We’re here to provide tips, tricks, and helpful information when you need it most," reads the bio for the @AppleSupport Twitter account, which launched Thursday. Many, many people needed it. Business Insider reports that within 24 hours Apple's new customer service account had more than 121,...

Coat Story Goes Viral After Unheard-of Customer Service

Kelly Kinkel says she is now a customer for life

(Newser) - When McKinney, Texas, mom and business owner Kelly Kinkel called online shopping company Zulily to inquire about returning a coat she had purchased, she was prepared for the customary response: that she'd have to cover the shipping, or perhaps not be able to return it at all. What happened...

Target Troll Returns to Stick Up for Rainbow Doritos

Haters are 'slowing down collective progress for all humanity': Mike Melgaard

(Newser) - Mike Melgaard is at it again. The guy who famously trolled folks outraged that Target was taking down gender-specific signage is back, this time lending his "customer service" skills to the Doritos brand, Time reports. After Doritos' rainbow-colored chips debuted last week as a sign of support for LGBT...

Walmart Moving Its Greeters to Where They Should Be
Walmart Moving Its Greeters to Where They Should Be
in case you missed it
Jun 21, 2015 10:30 AM CDT

Walmart Moving Its Greeters to Where They Should Be

Retail giant plans to boost 'door presence' by putting greeters back up front

(Newser) - Walmart's shelves may not be as organized as they usually are, but a friendly "hello" will never be in short supply now that the retailer has started its latest experiment: moving its greeters back to the front entrances to boost "door presence," the Wall Street Journal ...

Dear 'Dummy': Comcast Greetings Get Worse

Another customer was addressed as 'whore'

(Newser) - When consumer advocate Christopher Elliott brought to light the story of a Comcast customer whose name had been changed to "A--hole Brown," the company apologized and called it a one-time fluke. Well, customers "whore" and "dummy" beg to differ, along with another who suspects his name...

Lowe's Holiday Help: Robots
 Lowe's Holiday Help: Robots 
Oct 30, 2014 1:48 PM CDT

Lowe's Holiday Help: Robots

But chain says high-tech OSHbot is there to help human workers, not displace them

(Newser) - Retailers typically hire more workers to help out around the holidays, but Lowe's is taking an especially novel approach to this year's seasonal staff: putting robots to work. The OSHbot will be available for customer service tasks at the company's Orchard Hardware Supply store in San Jose,...

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