Though it\u2019s not the Halloween season yet, we\u2019ve rounded up 10 of the worst customer service horror (and sometimes really awkward) stories that will give you bad dreams. Or call them cautionary tales for the business owners who actually care. Let\u2019s gather around the campfire!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Top 10 customer horror stories that should never happen<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
We do know why clients\u2019 nightmares keep them up at night. They are haunted by the following \u2018monsters\u2019:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Under-the-counter companies<\/li>
- Companies offering no real value<\/li>
- One-size-fits-all customer service<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
One of the best ways to realize how poor customer service looks is to read about other companies\u2019 bad luck. These 10 horrible customer support stories illustrate just the opposite of great service!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
#1 The unpurchased book<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
This bad customer service story took place in a bookstore. A customer came to buy a children\u2019s book but failed to find it. Luckily, a help desk representative was there, so a client asked where to find the much-needed book. \u2018It\u2019s behind you.<\/em>..\u2019 mumbled the clerk and pointed out in the direction of the children\u2019s bookshelf. Then the rep turned to a co-worker and said aggressively: \u2018She didn\u2019t even TRY to find it on her own<\/em>\u2018. As you can guess, the customer bought the book at another store. (The story was told in the book<\/a> by J.N.Halm \u2018Customer Romance: A New Feel of Customer Service\u2019).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The key takeaway is that customer support should always be helpful. Here is when proactive customer service<\/a> may come into the picture. Show your initiative, and be the first to help people even though the solution seems obvious. This way, you can build better customer relations<\/a> and multiply your client base.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
#2 The flushed-down-the-toilet customer service<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
I am always wowed by Amazon\u2019s customer support. However, the story<\/a> that happened with Barbara made me pause to think. Everything started when the woman ordered three cartons of toilet paper for almost $90. Can you imagine her surprise when she was charged with shipping costs of more than $7,000? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
At first, Barbara was concerned. I mean, Amazon is one of those companies that put a premium on its customers. But not this time. Sure, she contacted a support department and even wrote a letter to Amazon\u2019s CEO Jeff Bezos. The answer she received was that the refund wouldn\u2019t be possible as the package was delivered on time and undamaged. You can imagine the customer feeling was one of frustration and disappointment, as the issue wasn\u2019t resolved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/media.giphy.com\/media\/gegxDaAGQMcX6\/giphy.gif\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nThis crazy customer service story goes viral once the woman brings it to a local TV station. That\u2019s what forced Amazon to take action. Almost three months later Barbara was finally reimbursed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The problem was clearly in the missteps of the customer service employees. However, checking shipping cost details wouldn\u2019t go amiss. Later on, Amazon even stated that they were investigating this issue so that the future customer experience was improved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From my perspective, this bad customer support story could be avoided by proper customer service training<\/a>: discussing how to ask the right questions and going beyond some automated customer service process can pay off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
#3 The chaos of phone support<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Our selection of customer horror stories wouldn\u2019t be complete without one that\u2019s connected to phone customer service. Here\u2019s how Comcast, an American telecommunications corporation, has made a mark in handling calls from customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This cable company earned a reputation for nightmarish customer complaints. It usually has a busy signal. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. One client was left on hold for 3.5 hours while trying to cancel the Comcast service. Another cancellation request was rejected by a customer service rep who demanded the reason for the cancellation for almost ten minutes. These crazy customer stories are a boon for phone support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you don\u2019t want your customer support to be the same, just consider another all-around customer service tool. For instance, live chat can be a perfect match if timely assistance is your top-of-mind priority. Check some awesome live chat advantages<\/a> and arrive at a final decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
#4 The unexpected rage<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Attention! The next customer horror story can make you think twice before attending McDonald\u2019s. Once upon a time, a family of three visited a McDonald\u2019s drive-through. After waiting 15 minutes for their order, they asked for a refund. The cashier showed no signs of help, so the manager stepped in. His reaction was more than unpredictable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The video of the enraged manager\u2019s response was posted on Facebook and the incident was covered by local social media. This behavior is obnoxious for a brand as highly scripted as McDonald\u2019s. But the lesson of it is simple: the lack of quality management<\/a> backfired. This is the key element in boosting customer experience as it pinpoints whether your team is doing well (or not). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/media.giphy.com\/media\/9bhDoXzBs1VYY\/giphy.gif\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n#5 The negative customer reviews<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Every feedback has its power. As the stats show, 90%<\/a> of customers will first read a review and then decide whether to deal with a business or not. And the truth is feedback can make or break your brand. One hotel though was so against the idea of difficult customers leaving bad reviews that they even charged $500 for it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you have booked the Inn for a wedding or other type of event anywhere in the region and given us a deposit of any kind for guests to stay at Union Street Guest House (USGH) there will be a $500 fine that will be deducted from your deposit for every negative review of USGH placed on any internet site by anyone in your party and\/or attending your wedding or event. <\/em><\/p>Mashable<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nWhat was the audience\u2019s reaction to this policy? Needless to say, people were infuriated, and the word has spread like wildfire across social media. Then, the hotel management stated that it was a \u2018joke\u2019 and offered its excuses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sure, the sky isn\u2019t falling because of negative feedback. But you should always know how to handle it (without threatening your clients). These tips can help you do that correctly:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Reply promptly and apologize<\/li>
- Be polite and professional<\/li>
- Take it offline<\/li>
- Offer a refund (if need be)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n\n\n
#6 The Twitter feed with a schedule<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Do you want your customer horror story to go viral? No? Then take advantage of social media. This happened with the UK airline that lost a passenger\u2019s baggage. Such a situation is common. But this passenger added an element of \u2018action\u2019. He complained on Twitter saying this airline\u2019s customer service is horrible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/helpcrunch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/twitter-complaint.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nThere was no answer for several hours, so the angry customer sponsored his tweet which was seen by 76,000 people afterward. The airline did respond with \u2018Sorry for the delay. Our Twitter feed is open from 0900-1700GMT. Please send us a direct message for further support<\/em>\u2018. The company didn\u2019t apologize and made the man even angrier. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The customer replied, \u201cHow does a billion-dollar corporation have 9-5 social media support for a business that operates 24\/7?<\/em>\u201d. This customer service nightmare proves that omnichannel round-the-clock support can help make customers happy<\/a> and win their loyalty. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
#7 The ‘mind-reading’ sales manager<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The customer journey<\/a> is a process of gathering info and getting inspiration before making a decision. That\u2019s what it\u2019s all about, right? An Australian brand Gasp had a different view on this. The things with Gasp\u2019s customer service desk have gone so far that a woman looking for bridesmaid dresses was laughed at by staff for her size 12 and received a half-hearted apology via email. Anyway, how did this customer horror story unfold?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The lady and her bridesmaids were picking over some options at a Gasp store. Initially, they were treated well by a sales rep. However, the latter became pushy and decided the women weren\u2019t there to buy anything and said: \u2018I knew this was a joke the minute you walked in!<\/em>\u2018. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The sales rep was of course wrong and had bad intentions. The bride-to-be stormed out of the store immediately and sent an email complaint to the Gasp customer support department. Do you think that\u2019s where the apology comes from? Not at all!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The shop answered that they aim at \u2018fashion-oriented clients\u2019 and the sales rep was \u2018too good at what she does\u2019. The moral of this crazy customer support story is that every client deserves to be treated with patience and respect. It\u2019s also vital to train your staff on how to adopt a customer service mindset<\/a> to avoid such mishaps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/media.giphy.com\/media\/LRrMyiUxwGfkSmnw7r\/giphy.gif\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n#8 The illegitimate check<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
This customer horror story is sort of silly. One man wanted to pay off his car loan and tried to cash in his tax rebate of $8,000 with his bank. The clerk didn\u2019t believe the check was real and asked a client where he got it from and where he worked. The bank manager also said the client\u2019s registration address was fake. Intrigued?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The next day the man was arrested for fraud<\/a> and spent several nights behind bars before the police and bank investigators were able to drop charges. What happened to a car? It was auctioned off and the poor guy was fired (obviously, he didn\u2019t show up for work). The fact that the bank didn\u2019t apologize straight away makes this customer service horror story really miserable. And that is where the support department dropped the ball.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Only one year later the bank apologized for this mind-blowing mistake. The main takeaway: trust your customers and don\u2019t get too suspicious of taking your customer for fraud!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
#9 The United Airlines’ great blunder<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The United Airlines staff damaged a musician\u2019s guitar on board years ago. David Caroll was taking his seat when he noticed a few crew members throwing his instrument on the tarmac. He was powerless even though he reported this damage and horrible behavior. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Everything he faced was indifference and the unwillingness to help. After this customer service horror story, the musician recorded a song<\/a> called \u2018United Breaks Guitars\u2019 and wrote a book<\/a> \u2018United Breaks Guitars: The Power of One Voice in the Age of Social Media\u2019. They soon got millions of reviews and won huge popularity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is a great example of how bad customer experience can damage a business. But it\u2019s also a reminder that empathy is central to building a winning customer support team<\/a>. If the staff doesn\u2019t care about the mistakes and making amends, things won\u2019t work out. Practice empathy with customers regularly by asking more questions and showing your commitment. Clients always want to feel heard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
#10 Ridiculously following the protocol when it makes no sense<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
This story happened to my friend who lives in the UK and loves ordering groceries online. One Friday afternoon, she was making another online order at the local shop through a Deliveroo app. But this time was special as she was waiting for friends to visit her for a special birthday dinner later that day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My friend put together a list of about 24 items with all the prawns, antipasti, and goat cheese tasty treats. Having completed the order and paid for it, the girl put the phone aside and continued going about her business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
After a few minutes, she glanced at the app again to make sure everything was in order and saw that only 2 items from the whole grocery list were available, collected, and on their way to her, while over 20 products were crossed out and marked as unavailable. As a result, a courier was delivering her beans and Feta cheese in a huge plastic bag across the whole city. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As he arrived, he asked for ID since the app demanded proof of identity if there were any age-restricted items in the order, even if they were not available, and not being delivered… I don\u2019t think beans or Feta cheese fall into the category. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
My friend complained to the customer care of Deliveroo, saying that she would have never ordered anything if she had known that basically, all the items from the grocery list were unavailable. There should be a human touch, and an improved process of the app for cases like this one, when most of the items from the order are not available, the system should pop up a question asking to confirm if the customer still wants to proceed with an order. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Support agents weren\u2019t really keen to work on customer loyalty, and instead said, \u201cSorry, there is nothing we can do\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Sorry_horror](\"https:\/\/helpcrunch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Sorry.gif\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nAs a takeaway, remember that customer satisfaction goes beyond protocols. In particular one-off situations, it\u2019s essential to show human understanding and support. Also, please, keep constantly improving your product and customer experience strategy, so it meets your users’ needs to the best level. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bottom line<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
People complain and that\u2019s a common thing. Don\u2019t let them get angrier and keep these customer service horror stories in mind. They are a vivid example of how you should NOT treat your clients if you want your business to be number one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To avoid a dreaded nightmare customer service situation (and not to end up in a blog post like this one), a support team should handle every client request politely, professionally, and promptly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Plus, you need to monitor customer-centric behaviors, understand the client\u2019s end-to-end experience, and take the initiative. Mix advanced software with your talented experts to succeed. You can sign up<\/a> for HelpCrunch right now to give it a shot! <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"