Unbeatable Customer Service from ISOtunes Audio

Unbeatable Customer Service from ISOtunes Audio

Typically I adore Amazon, but occasionally hiccups occur. Such happened when I bought the highly rated ISOtunes bluetooth headphones. They arrived on time, but when I opened the package - things didn't look brand new, more like refurbished. I tried using the headphones and ran into some functional issues pretty quickly.

I could've called Amazon's Customer Service, knowing they'd take care of the problem, as they always do, but decided to contact ISOtunes Audio directly. I described my problems and send the email.

The very same day, in fact I think it was in an hour or so, I got a nice email from ISOtunes, apologizing for any issues, assuring me that they'll take care of it and asking me to do a few simple troubleshooting steps to see if I can eliminate my problems. I followed the steps and unfortunately they didn't solve the problem.

Quick email reply to them indicating so was quickly followed by their reply indicating that a) they'll be sending me a brand new unit and to ensure there aren't any more issues with Amazon fulfillment - they'll be sending it directly from their factory; b) provided it's ok with me, they'd like to also send me a prepaid label for shipping the old unit back so they can play with it and see what the problem was.

They actually asked me if I wouldn't mind sending the faulty unit back, at their expense. How many companies go that far? VERY FEW.

2 days later - I had a brand new unit, as promised, as well as a pre-paid box with return label so I can send the old unit back to them.

You can see the personal, hand-written note accompanying my package.

Now everyone occasionally has issues and hiccups. What always makes companies extraordinary isn't perfect products, but the way the handle issues that come up. ISOtunes Audio did everything right, they took care of my problem very quickly and efficiently, therefore I highly recommend their company.

Oh yes, and their headphones are very nice, especially considering they're wireless and have pretty good noise suppression as well. If you're looking for well-priced wireless headphones that work well and are sold by a responsible and responsive company - look no further than ISOtunes Audio.

JetBrains

JetBrains 
Business: Programming & Web Development Software Tools
https://www.jetbrains.com/phpstorm/

I've been using an IDE (Integrated Development Environment) for developing software for years. For those that don't know - these the kinds of tools programmers use to write software, then debug (test) it to make sure it works right. That's the basic definition.

The IDE I used before was ok, but then I came across these folks and their product appeared to be more polished, more feature-full and priced better, so I thought I'd take them up on their generous 30-day free trial and see if it's as good as people claimed.

With anything new and feature-full - there's always a learning curve, which I don't mind a bit. But also, there are some key differences, to be more specific - the debugger, which is an essential part of any IDE, was using an open source 3rd party one (ie it wasn't built into their IDE) and thus required some tinkering.

After looking at videos, web sites etc. - it still wouldn't work right when it came to debugging. Keep in mind that JetBrains is NOT the company who makes the debugger, they simply interface with it, if it's set up and configured right. The debugger itself is provided and maintained by a totally different company/people.

I finished my trial period and was politely asked to submit a survey about the experience. I realize the debugger isn't theirs, but I couldn't get it to work right and thus indicated that it's an essential part of the development process & I couldn't get it to work - that's a deal breaker for me to use their product. I didn't reach out to them directly, I simply voiced my issues in JetBrains survey.

First, big kudos to JetBrains for actually reading the surveys. They immediately contacted me via email and thanked me for my sentiments and offered to help. Keep in mind - I have NOT agreed nor bought anything from them at this point.

What followed later was realization that these are Russian folks, located in a very different time zone (and continent) and I'd normally get email replies once in the morning, something they sent when I was asleep.

That nightly process lasted for about 2 weeks. Every day I'd get an email from them asking me to do something or look at some settings or send them screenshots etc. They were actively trying to help me get something working that wasn't even their product. They were trying to help me, someone who is NOT their customer, nor spent one red penny with them at that time.

After 2 weeks of very slow progress, and me realizing we're not really resolving the problem - I asked them if perhaps they'd want to come into my computer remotely and try to get things fixed that way, cause this single nightly email approach was taking way too long and I wanted something more immediate and functional instead. To my surprise (since most companies throw their support policy in my face and tell me they can't) - JetBrains folks did just what I asked and scheduled a time, convenient for me, to come in remotely.

They did exactly as they promised. The gentleman, Eugene Morozov, on the other end may have been Russian, but he spoke perfect English (we had all communications done in English), he quickly looked at things, changed a few settings and I had a working debugger in no time. he was very courteous, clearly very knowledgeable, and got things working very quickly.

So to recap, this company, JetBrains, spent significant time & effort to resolve a problem for a 3rd party piece of software, for someone who is NOT their customer nor spent any money with them so far.

You can't buy that kind of customer service or experience for any amount of money. HUGE KUDOS TO JETBRAINS! They totally deserve it. Am I still considering their product, you may wonder... After this experience - I would NOT consider any other product, even if it had more features or functionality. I'm DEFINITELY buying PhpStorm from JetBrains and will do my part to support them financially because they not only deliver a great product, but they have phenomenal, exceptional and totally trustworthy support that makes them one of the Extraordinary Companies, a company I'd highly recommend to do business with.
https://www.jetbrains.com/phpstorm

St. James Espresso

St. James Espresso
Got Wifi? Not here!
http://stjamesespresso.com/

I walk into the place with my son and there's perhaps another 1 or 2 people there. The barista has a face like she lost a child in an avalanche, takes our order. We sit down and fire up the Chromebook and can't get on to the Net. I politely ask for the SSID and credentials, she spits those out and my son tries it - no go. After a few attempts, I decided it's time for me to get involved... but - same result. I go back to her to verify the info... she says the same thing. I bring the box and ask her to login for me, since we can't. She tries and guess what - she can't login either!

She checks her phone and then says that she doesn't know why but it should work. Cute, no? So, I ask, can you call someone to see what the problem might be. She replies... "NO!", "my boss is very busy right now and probably won't even pick up the call".

Now THAT'S what I call 'Customer Service'... NOT!!!

So, my son sees this big table in the middle of the room, filled with games... He picks one up and before has a chance to open it - the lady appears next to him and says that until they can catalog all the games - nobody can play. So, now is she not only inept at getting us online, she's also a game nazi...

And did I mention that we spent $8+ on a bottle of mineral water and small iced chocolate drink?

Thus this was the last time I step my foot into that 'establishment'.

Unbelievable how inept some companies are when it comes to customer service and they expect to stay in business with these kinds of practices... Unreal!
http://stjamesespresso.com

Company: Unknown

Company: Unknown
Business: Extended Car Insurance

I get a call, out of the blue, in the middle of working on a project... a nice-sounding young lady says that my 2013 Hyundai Elantra's warranty is running out and they can provide extended warranty.

First, it's a 2012 Elantra. Second, my warranty is for 10 years or 100k miles, of which I've managed to rack up over 60k miles, but certainly nowhere near the limit.

Before I can say anything - she proceeds that they can get me a quote for what it'll cost and... again, before I can say anything, she'll connect me with the rep who'll give me the details.

Then she drops a bomb, asking me what my name is. I told her that I'm working, don't have time for background checks and if she can quickly get me the quote - fine, otherwise we're done. Following her silly script, she proceeds to ask me if another time would be better. I honestly told her that it's an unknown, since I have a very fluid schedule, again reiterating that if she wants to get me the guy/quote whatever... quickly, we can all get on with the rest of our day.

She politely thanked me and... hung up.

The moral - being nice isn't enough. Following a script is dumb and useless and this approach is a sure way to lose business. I wasn't objecting to getting a quote, I was totally opposed to them wasting my time with a sales pitch, as if that sales pitch would have an ounce of added value to me.

Company: UPS

Company: UPS 
Business: Shipping

I needed to send back few pairs of shoes I ordered at Zappos. I take the box, which was opened, with label printed on a sheet of paper (not affixed anywhere) and just hand it to UPS Store employee. He asks me if I needed a receipt, I told him I didn't... and that was that!

Literally in and out in less than a minute, spending $0, time and energy - thanks to immense customer-friendly approach of Zappos/Amazon & the UPS Store.

Now a prior experience with USPS, and clear reasons why a) I'd never do it there again and b) why they constantly lose money and customers. I walk in and they tell me the box needs to be closed and taped by me, asking me if I have the tape. Normally, I don't carry packaging tape, I carry wallet, I carry keys, but I do NOT carry packaging tape, USPS, and I can't imagine practically anyone else does either. Also, it's YOUR job to package & ship stuff, that's why I decided to walk into your establishment!

Anyway, after buying the silly tape for $3.50 or so, and using 1% of it on my box (the other 99% are still collecting dust somewhere in my garage, likely never to be used again)... I leave irritated, after spending time and money I didn't want to spend.

I'm MORE than happy to spend a bit more at UPS Store, MORE than happy, to get the kind of service they provide and as for USPS... that's the place I'm avoiding at all costs...

Bite Squad

Bite Squad
Lousy Policies & Customer Service
www.bitesquad.com

My son was sick yesterday and everyone else was gone, so I couldn't go out to buy something to eat (and we were pretty empty).  Thank G*d for online ordering, right?

To make things simple (or so I thought) - I figured I'd order from an Indian restaurant, which is located about... well, as the Google maps points out - 6 min from my house, just up/down a small hill.

I go to Bite Squad's web site, nice enough site, cleverly marketed byline said Food. Delivery. Service... all good.  I was first asked to select a city, then found the restaurant I wanted, and followed their ordering process - worked fine.  

I get to the part asking for delivery address, get that in place, then we go through the whole payment necessity - no problems.  As soon as I got done with all of that and ready to click the final submit order - it gave me a prompt stating the address is out of their delivery area.

So, my first assumption is - a mistake, obviously everyone makes some, no big deal.  They have this very nice chat built-in (very convenient), so I raise this nice lady on that and ask her.  She says she needs to check and disappears for a few minutes.

Then she gets back and says we're out of the delivery area.  I couldn't believe my eyes/ears etc. - it's 6 bloody minutes away from the restaurant, how can it possibly be "out of the delivery area"?

She said she'd need to check and asked me to wait a few more minutes.  I thought surely, after looking at the Google Map - she can tell that it can't possibly be out of the area, but no such revelation occurred to her.  She got back with the same sentiment and that was that.  

I couldn't believe it!

I explained the situation and asked if they could do it anyway, since we really are that close and I really can't go pick it up myself (which was her 'brilliant' suggestion, why didn't I think of that ).

No go.  So despite their claim on their byline - I didn't get the food, it wasn't delivered and the service/policies clearly sucked royally... and that's after I went through the entire order process, including payment!

The moral is clear - never use Bite Squad Seattle again!

I did wind up using Eat24Hours instead, I did wind up paying them over 50% more for the very same order, but they did deliver... although as Billy Crystal would say - "don't get me started" on Eat24, another outfit to be avoided, but that's for another post.

Company: 1&1 Internet, Inc.

Company: 1&1 Internet, Inc. 
Business: Hosting

I got this email today, clearly indicating that I'm going to be charged extra for 'extended support' unless I upgrade my PHP to a higher version.

So, I look it up online, and I'm running a higher version already.  I figured I'd call them to make sure they don't overcharge me.  Surprisingly enough - they answers within 30 seconds (last time it was an hour).

The lady was polite enough, but with little to no capacity for utilizing her brain (as in not following some silly script).  She verified that I indeed ran a higher version, then I asked why the email?  She said that's just to notify you that if you didn't... I interrupted her, quoting the email, which clearly stated that I wasn't.  So, I asked again, am I or am I not.  She says that I was, this was just a notification.  

I asked her (surrendering my calm voice to another occasion) if they screwed up with the email?  She said 'No', if you can believe that.  Being a logical fellow - I wanted to clarify, if you didn't - then I am running the older version, right?  No, she said, you're not.  That doesn't compute in my brain, so I tried to force the statement again, either the email is screwed up or I'm running the older version, which is it?  She continued with her take that it's nothing more than notification... 

After 3+ attempts at sanity - I decided to give up, barked that they better NOT charge me anything extra and hung up the phone.

Big O Tires

Big O Tires
3 little lights
http://www.bigotires.com/Location/WA/Kirkland/98034/047108

I had a pretty bad day, with multiple issues and got stopped by police informing me that several rear lights in my car went out ( #whoknew  right?) and needed to get it fixed.  My first stop the next morning was at my buddies at Les Schwab, but they informed me that they don't do this, so I went to another trusted place - BigOTires, since they always do a great job with my oil changes, are more reasonably priced than just about anyone else.  They told me that they can take care of this for me.

I was in a hurry, expecting another long day of variety of tasks that needed to be done, so I asked how long it'll be and not surprisingly told that it would take about an hour.  I explained that I'm in a hurry and they said they'll do what they can.  I sat down with my phone and 15 min later was told that they were done.  

I got charged a bit of $10 and that was that.  Great job, clearly done with my time constraints in mind, which makes these guys someone I could very much recommend for service and, when the time comes, buying new tires.

Network Solutions/1and1 Inc.

Network Solutions/1and1 Inc.
Extra Charges, Customer Service
www.networksolutions.com www.1and1.com

I've written in the past regarding terrible experience I've had with Network Solutions.  Yesterday was no different.  One of my domains was still registered with them and they sent me an invoice for renewal.  When I looked at the price - it was $37 for a year!  I'm used to paying $10-$15/yr, but not double that, so I decided that I'm going to move the domain to another provider.  I used their web site to attempt such move, but saw no options, other than moving another domain to them.  The status showed that my domain was unlocked (ie it could be moved), but the unlock code (something mandatory for the move) wasn't shown.

So, I had to pick up the phone and call them.  After about a 5-min wait - I was asked some security questions and explained that I need that code.  The person asked me, politely, why I'm moving the domain.  So, I politely responded that it's due to them charging me twice what the normal rate was, which was simply unacceptable.

Then the rep proceeded to tell me that from time to time they have sales going on and guess what, now they actually have such sale going on and I can register the domain for $14.99. 

At that point bells of recognition rang in my head and I realized we've been here before, a year ago, where I fell to their ploy because I didn't want to deal with it then and that's where the domain was unlocked, but it was never moved.  In any case, I told him that I think it's a lousy policy to charge people double, unless they call and bitch and then they pay a normal rate.  NOT how I like to see business conducted.

So, I asked to get the code.  He told me that they've sent me the code last year and I should be able to find it.  I proceeded to tell him that NO, I don't have that email or the code, so please just GIVE ME the damn code now!  He, seeing how unhappy my demeanor was by this time, told me that he'll be sending me email to the designated email address... Finally, I got my code.

I went through the normal hoops of confirming, approving etc., so the process started and hopefully they'll get it done shortly.  Then I got another email from them, giving me options if I the transfer request was in error or if I want to change my mind etc., for several paragraphs... and finally we get to this:

If you do still wish to transfer your domain name registration, we hope that you will reconsider and choose to stay with Network Solutions. We value your business and would like to keep you as a customer.

Seriously, if after all of the above, I still want to - you want me to 'reconsider'?   #unreal  

Then I made a call to 1&1 Internet, Inc., because I got an invoice from them, charging me $7.21 per month for PHP Extended Support.  I don't need Extended or any other kind of support, not from them anyway.  I know they've switched to a higher version of PHP and for those that wanted to run a prior version - they were charging extra.  Fair enough, I can understand the need.

However, in my case, I went to check and saw that I've switched to running version 5.5 and they required this 'extended' support for 5.2 and prior.  The switch occurred a while back, so I was perplexed as to why they're doing it.

Even though their web site indicated that I can cancel the service online, I finally went through their maze of what to do and when I saw I couldn't complete it - I called them.  To give them some credit - I did get an email to verify the cancellation, but that credit quickly evaporated, when I clicked on the verification link in the email it sent (which was 1 minute after I received it) and the resulting screen told me that my session timed out and I'll have to start from the beginning again ()

I spent about 45 minutes on hold!  Let me repeat that in case the boldness didn't sink it - I wasted 45 minutes waiting for someone to assist me.  They looked into the situation, and cancelled the offending charges.  I inquired of prior charges for the same unused, unwanted and unneeded service could be reversed.  The answer was 'NO', although they did give me a $15 credit to make me go away with something.

I asked some very basic, common sense questions, such as 'why are you charging me for something I don't need or use, especially when I'm NOT running a version that requires this extended support?'.  As you can imagine such questions weren't answered and I was given a number of useless "I'm sorry" in return.

These kinds of companies make me wonder how they stay in business.  How many people don't do what I do and blindly pay them month after month for something they don't want or need or use?  How much time is utterly wasted with these horrid phone calls, causing nothing but waste of time, money and sanity?

Anyway, today I got the email you see below.  Apparently they do 'care' and are inviting me to a complimentary business consultation and evaluation.  Goody!  I'm so thrilled ... that reminds me, I need to change my SPAM filters in Gmail,  so that anything coming from Network Solutions goes directly there, without taking even a single byte in my Inbox...  It's these kinds of companies that need to get business consultations, not offer them, since their Customer Service and Policies are completely and totally useless and unacceptable!

Les Schwab Tires

Les Schwab Tires
Dead battery or is it?
http://lesschwab.com/store/wa/kirkland/372

I was waiting for a store to open and was in my car, listening to my audio book, while checking some stuff on my phone.  All of a sudden the audio stopped, the stereo started blinking on and off a bit and I realized that my lights were on for about 20 minutes... I immediately turned them off, but the radio continued to blink.  I tried starting the car - the starter wouldn't even turn at all, no sound at all, totally dead.

I took the keys out, turned the lights off and went outside the car.  The headlights were flickering on and off, when I tried to put the key back into ignition - the windshield wipers started creeping up, with some delays and stop, even though nothing was turned on... I had a possessed car ;)

Luckily there was a car place around and they used jumper cables to restart my car, but recommended that I get a battery ASAP or it'll likely die again.

15 min later I was at my local Les Schwab in Kirkland, explained the situation and asked if they had a battery for my car.  They did and told me the total with installation etc. would be $191.  Considering the fact that they fixed my flat tires on about 3 occasions in the past few years and charged me absolutely nothing - I was more than willing to pay a bit more to show my appreciation.

There were lots of people in front of me that morning, but in about half an hour they called my name.  I talk with one of their folks and she tells me that they were done, they looked at the battery, tested it and even though it wasn't perfect - they didn't feel that it needed to be replaced.

I felt like a heel, thinking, I just blew $200 on something I didn't have to buy, but at least I'd get a new battery... So, I take out my credit card and she looks at me quizzically and I ask "how much do I owe you?" and I got the answer I've heard a number of times from Les Schwab before "_NOTHING_".  

They didn't charge me one red cent!

How many companies would do something like that?  Not many, that's for sure.  That's why I'm never buying tires from any other company in the future and giving them as much business as I can... hopefully, at some point, they'll actually charge me :)
http://lesschwab.com/store/wa/kirkland/372

Ford/Hyundai of Kirkland

Ford/Hyundai of Kirkland
Car charger fuse saga
www.fordofkirkland.com

My car charger died. Simple enough, I ordered a new one, one with faster charging time.  My phone will not die now! :)  Well, not exactly.

After plugging it in, I noticed that it wasn't charging.  I tried 2 plug-ins in my car - same result.  I then tried another charger - still no go... then I knew, it wasn't the charger - it was car-related.

So, I go to my dealer, Ford of Kirkland, and schedule for them to look at this.  My Hyundai was suppose to have warranty still.  The service rep told me that it's likely the fuse and it would take about an hour and a half to fix.  I was thinking that it shouldn't taken 90-min to replace a fuse, but that's what I was told.  I asked them to call me if they get done sooner and left.  Oh and no, this wasn't covered by warranty.

I went for a walk, figured they'd call soon... no such luck.  90 minutes passed and I went back to the dealer.  I walk in, the guy's on the phone, so after waiting for a few minutes, then taking care of another customer, the rep finally looks at me and informs me that they're "finishing up".  You'd think he could've uttered those 2 words a bit sooner, instead of having me stand there for 10 minutes, but I guess not.

Finally, he calls me back and tells me that the fuses were blown by using this higher capacity charger.  Me, being my inquisitive logical self, asked a simple question - "_Why would CostCo be selling chargers for cars that can't work in cars?_".  The answer was that he doesn't know.  The 2nd guy came and said that he's done and told the rep not to forget about the "rear light".  So, the guy tells him he won't.  The mechanic tried to help with the story, but didn't help much at all, although he did remind him again about that "rear light".  And I knew that one of my rear lights was out, I was going to fix it myself, just haven't gotten around to it yet.

Then we continued this for a few more minutes where the guy didn't make any sense in trying to explain it... so I figured it's a waste of time and started signing the paperwork.  It came to $10.88.  

So, I paid the entire $10.88 and left.  When I got into my car - my high capacity charger was still plugged in to one receptacle, that receptacle still didn't work, but I plugged in a regular charger into the 2nd receptacle and it did work.  This, of course, also begs the question - if you are fixing the fuse, which was blown by a charger, why would you leave that charger still plugged in?  But, perhaps that's way too logical.

My high capacity charger works fine in my van, no issues, so clearly it's not the charger that's to blame.  These clowns in the service department were not only useless, but unbelievably inept, making me wait almost 2 hours to replace a few little fuses. 

And in the end... NO, the rear light was NOT mentioned at all.  This makes it my last trip to that dealership for service - they don't deserve my business.

Loretta Green LLC

Loretta Green LLC
Shaving Soap
www.LorettaGreenLLC.com

I know what you're thinking, who gives a second thought to shaving soap, but this company is something else.

I wanted to buy some shaving stuff with my birthday money and went to Amazon etc.  No big deal, bought the essential items, including shaving soap.  It was ok, nothing special, did the job... end of story here.

Well, once I ran out, I was looking to buy soap again and saw that this one was highly rated, so I bought it.  The soap was very good, lathered much nicer than my prior buy from another company, in other words performed really well, was delivered quickly... nice.

What makes Loretta Green LLC extraordinary is the follow-up to the sale.  Shortly after getting the soap - I got a very nice email from them, thanking me for my purchase and wanting to make sure I'm thoroughly satisfied and inviting me to contact them if I have any questions or needs.  I could expect such thoughtful follow-up after spending tens of thousands on a new Lexus or such, but shaving soap?  They certainly got my attention with this email.

About a month later I got another email, and I quote:

" _Hello Oleg,

It has been about 3 weeks since you placed your order numbered
102-3909806-8920211.

We want to ensure you are still happy with your Henry Cavendish Shave Soap! 

We appreciate every customer and want you to be happy with your
purchase. We want to assure you that this shave soap has been
manufactured with commitment to use only all natural non toxic
ingredients. We know your health is important to you and so it is to us! 

We also have a small favor to ask you. Could you take just a couple of
seconds to provide feedback on your buying experience with us? 
It would be greatly appreciated. We take all feedback seriously and 
want to ensure orders are processed promptly and shipments arrived as promised. You can provide feedback by going to Product Review

Remember we are dedicated to your complete satisfaction and will
work with you through any issues related to receiving and using this 
great product._
"
These folks know what they're doing, both product-wise and marketing-wise and they're certainly hitting all the right buttons here. Every company ought to do what they're doing, unfortunately - that's far less common.  So, my big kudos to Loretta Green LLC for taking care of their customers the way it should be done.

And yes, I would definitely be buying my next shaving soap from them.  They are doing things right and thus deserve the business!

This community is meant to provide value to people, to help them steer towards good and trustworthy companies and...

This community is meant to provide value to people, to help them steer towards good and trustworthy companies and away from the opposite.  Everyone's welcome to contribute, as long as it's within the guidelines below is is relevant.  Any deviation from such will NOT be tolerated.  

In other words, post useful & valuable content, don't just post because you can, or I'll drop you from the community... because I can!

DO post only true stories
DO add company's logo/product photos
DO add the company name on the first line, preferably bolded
DO add description of your story on the 2nd line, preferably italicized
DO post company's URL on the 3rd line
DO make them short enough to be readable, long enough to be relevant (up to 100 lines)
DO NOT use foul language, unless you want to enhance your point
DO specify company names and people names for full transparency
DO NOT engage in personal fights here (unless you'd like to be blocked)
DO comment, but only with relevant and appropriate content