Customer service…  quite often when this topic is discussed, especially on the interwebs, it’s focused more on disservice than it is on service in a good sense.  I’ve posted about some nightmares in the past, not the least of which was when the folks at Canadian Tire embarrassed me by accusing me of trying to defraud them of a set of tires.  It’s really easy to zero in on the negative.  It’s fascinating somehow, almost gossipy to relay stories of injustice and the sheer gall of those that treat their customers in less than perfect ways.

The previous paragraph was not intended in any way to change your minds about doing so.  I’m ok with the venting.  I’m ok with bashing corporate mishandling of its customers.  The internet has given customers a stronger medium to impact corporate goodwill.  Consumers now have a super strong voice and corporations are forced to quickly address complaints before they grow internet legs and go viral.

Speaking of segues, I recently had a significant customer service event that I’d like to pass along.  However, this one is nothing but positive.  A few weeks ago I was visiting my brother’s family and they showed me something amusing.  It was a pair of my niece’s Crocs.  They had been stored in a hall bench, and I suppose the bench was placed too close to a heater.  One of them had shrunk just a tad, to say the least.  It was quite comical to see.  But… she loves those Crocs, so I suggested to my sis-in-law to contact the company and see if they would do something about it.  The Crocs were purchased only last May.  My suggestion was not really received well so I took a picture and sent it off myself.  I explained to them, via the

online feedback link, that these were purchased less than a year ago and I described exactly how one of them came about shrinking in size.  (How else can something shrink, if not is size?  Hmmm….)  Anyhooo… they responded in a fairly cookie cutter way, indicating that for manufacturing defects there is a one-year warranty if I have the original receipt.  I responded indicating that I no longer had the receipt, and the shoes were exposed to heat, so I guess I’m out of luck.  In no time I got another response asking me to send more pictures as proof of purchase.  The next thing I know they are asking me what size they should send, strongly hinting that they would send the size she needs now, as opposed to the size that was purchased for her 9 months earlier.

Today a courier arrived with the new Crocs.  Impressive!