Customer Service

I was driving around New England a lot in the last few days and because of limited car supply I went with Budget for the first time in a couple years. Previously I have used Avis (they used to try harder because they were # 2 – a well known campaign) and Enterprise, which majority of the time is very solid.

This time around budget was not so good, starting from a simple change I asked for in itinerary at Logan airport, being informed I may be required to pony up $75 to $300 for a drop fee, even though I would be returning the car a day early and in a much closer location. So after reason set in and we got passed that, I was told to drop the car off in Cambridge. He was not sure where the location exactly one, but there are only two in Cambridge. There were 5!! I asked him to google it, he pushed back and said he could not on this computer and hand wrote me directions to the middle of Cambridge (I know where it is) and he had no address for me.
Leaving stupidity at the airport, I went on my way for a couple days of business and on my way to return the car had to call the local guesstimated budget location. They did not pick up and I was routed to the call centre. She asked me for a couple numbers on my key chain that were perilous to grab while driving so I asked her to try using my name and pick up location. After a few failed attempts (although she found my original record) and much bewilderment I pulled over to find the 16 digit number she wanted. after that she directed me to the Sidney street location close to MIT. Got it. It was 530pm, she failed to tell me location hours and ask how far away I was. I got there and it was CLOSED!! I had my key and GPS in hand. Knowing I could put the key under the door but not a softball sized GPS system, I heard some rustling behind the locked metal shutter. I knocked and a bewildered pimply student came rolling out looking like she may miss her friends at the local coffee shop if she did not immediately leave..like now. I quickly told her my story in 14 seconds, she begrudgingly felt bad (she seemed sharp and quickly surmise it was a no win situation for her – cause I would have dropped the equipment at her feet and walked away) and manhandled the computer, closed out the transaction and printed out the receipt 5X faster than other rental agent, I have seen. In the end, I was done and happy to be rid of my ride.

Interestingly enough, another friend had a similar experience with Sprint lately and while on the phone with “the answer is NO” service agent, she twittered her issues to the world. She has 8,000 followers so not sure if they rank you based on the interwebby power you hold, but had a return tweet in 10 seconds!!! “Customer service agent, how may I help you?”. She explained her problem, mentioned to each agent who she was talking to and all of a sudden unfriendly phone agent, seemed more HELPFUL. They resolved her issue to 80 percent of her satisfaction level and she was ok with that. End of the tweeterama, she asked for the agents employee number and tweeted her praises for top notch customer service. Problem solved.

So to close, I flew Jet Blue this afternoon for the first time. I have heard its good, but the low cost apparently friendly airline, only goes point to point in the U.S.
I arrived early, for once, told them it was my first Jet Blue flight and I was excited, kind of…and they were very happy. Could have been they were in Portland, ME and its not that busy. As soon as I was typing to my friend that the plane seemed to be leaving on time, 26 second later they announced a delay. So much for hope. But 20 min later, after pounding out some work emails, they announced it had arrived and would be ready to board soon. They seemed to get the happy passengers off in record time and get us in our seats quick. All there messaging was about how we could help get the plane ready so we would get to our destination as soon as possible. Novel idea. The plane ends up leaving a little late, they offer us Doritos or Animal Crackers in flight (I’m a sucker for animal crackers) and 36 satellite channels and 100XM radio stations. What’s not to like.

We get to the destination 10 Min EARLY (now I did figure out they over estimated the flight time…probably on purpose), bags came in 10 min and I’m on my way.

So what’s the point? I have found a reason to twitter!! It will be customer service related (which ties in nicely to our companies new Agent Twitter integration) and I will sing the praises (at least today) of Jet Blue and poo poo budget and see what the Twitter-sphere has to say.

Typed from my Blackberry…all of it. My fingers are sore. Until next week.