Customer Service: The RIGHT Way

This isn’t regularly scheduled programming for my blog (incidentally, I have a big multi-part post in the planning stages), but I was so blown away by this I just had to give props to Bealls.

The last time I posted about customer service I was wondering about freelance customer service because of several bad experiences I’d had.  Freelancers occupy a unique place that doesn’t necessarily place a lot emphasis on traditional customer service, though I’m sure the experience ranges from exceptional to awful depending on the freelancer.

But this post doesn’t really have any relationship with freelance web design or web development, it’s about an experience I just had with Bealls and Amazon.com.

One of those bad experiences I had a few months ago was with a Shoes.com purchase I made through Amazon.com.  Shoes.com sent me the wrong size shoe.  Even though it was their mistake and I made my preference clear, Shoes.com refused to make an exception to their “no exchanges on Amazon.com orders” policy.  By the time I finally got the return label (the process was fraught with delays and technical problems) they didn’t have my size anymore and I gave the shoes to my sister with the promise that I would never order any product from Shoes.com again. It’s not that they were the worst ever. But they caused a problem and then placed most of the onus of solving that problem on me without even holding a my original order for me.

Contrast that with Bealls.  A few days ago I ordered some shirts from Bealls through Amazon.com.  I had purchased this particular style of shirt in black at a local store.  After wearing it a few times I decided I liked it enough to search for it on Amazon in the hopes someone would have it in other colors.  I ordered a red one and a brown one from Bealls.  When the package arrived (in just a couple of days), I opened it to find that one of the shirts wasn’t quite what I’d ordered.

I have a problem with one of the shirts I received. The red shirt is of the same brand and material, but a different cut of collar (than what is pictured on the site and in comparison to the brown).

The picture on the site and the brown shirt show a v-neck that is rather wide. The “back” of the collar does not have the wide hem that the front of the shirt has. This causes the shirt to fit very differently than the red shirt I received, which has a narrow v-neck with a wide hem all the way around.

I don’t actually care to return it because I don’t want to go through the hassle. But I *would* like to receive a red shirt of the same cut as I ordered (the shirt pictured on the site, the same cut as the brown).

I will pay for it, but I want to make sure I receive the right one this time.

I received this amazing response just a few hours later!

Thank you for taking the time to contact www.BeallsFlorida.com

We apologize for the incident that has occurred. Bealls will issue a credit back to your account for the amount of $11.99. Please do not return the shirt, you may keep it or donate to charity. However, if you
would like to reorder the shirt please call and speak with a customer service representative at 1-800-569-9038. Thank you.

Thank you for shopping with BeallsFlorida.com
Bria-Call Center Agent
Bealls Department Stores
bdsorders@beallsinc.com
1-800-569-9038

This is the right way to do customer service. I didn’t hate the red shirt I got, I just prefer the style of shirt I have in black and brown. But their response not only made the “to return or not to return” dilemma completely simple, it also completely acknowledged and made reparation for the mistake.  I didn’t even have to ask!  In fact, I wouldn’t have asked for the solution they offered because I’ve become too jaded to expect that kind of service.

Ultimately I think this is the type of service that every business should give to its customers. But I know through personal experience that many, actually most, businesses do not provide this level of service.  So I want to share it with heartfelt thanks to Bealls.