Why is Customer Service So Hard?

Everyone knows what good customer service looks like, right?  And I’m sure we can all tell stories of bad customer service experiences, too.

So why is getting it right so hard for some companies?  Moreover, why do some companies insist on creating policies that REQUIRE their employees to provide bad customer service?

“I’m not going to get fired for that.”

This was what I heard The Children’s Place employee say to another as they were talking about a customer who was upset with the company’s “return” policy.  So, obviously, the employees have been put on notice that they must follow this particular policy to the letter, or expect to be terminated.  I put the word return in quotes because what my wife and I learned recently is that the policy is to not allow any returns without a receipt. Based on the fact that I overheard this conversation on another visit, it seems like we are not the only ones to be frustrated.

Maybe that doesn’t seem like a big deal to everyone, but int seems ridiculous (and very “un-customer friendly”) to me.  Let me be clear.  If you have a receipt, The Children’s Place will, in fact accept your return.  However, without one, you are limited to an exchange for the exact same item (apparently, a change in size is allowed, but nothing else, including color), and if they don’t have it, then you are out of luck.

But what if you got it as a gift, you ask?  If you need a new size, you’re good (as long as they have the size you need), but if your kiddo would rather have the dino tee instead of the football one, you’re out of luck.  Maybe your daughter doesn’t have anything to wear with those hot pink tights, but she could use another pair of white.  Sorry, that’s not allowed.  Heck, I’ll even take store credit and come back another time, you say?  Nope, can’t do it.

How do they know you bought it there?

So, obviously, the issue is probably that they don’t want people buying stuff somewhere else and then trying to return it there. I’m sure that kind of thing happens to places that have more liberal return policies, right?  I’ve probably done it before at Wal-Mart, even.  The thing is, that cannot happen at The Children’s Place.  They are an exclusive brand. Everything they sell is their own brand, and their stores are the only place to get it.  If there is a label, it is obvious that it came from them, because it has their name on it.

I think that is the most frustrating thing about the policy.  Their attitude seems to be, “Sure we know it came from us, but now that we have your money (or whose ever money it was that was used for the purchase) we are done with you. Please go away.”  It doesn’t make me want to shop there a whole lot, anymore.

What do you think?

So, what do you think about the The Children’s Place return policy?  Is it stupid, or is it fair and I’m just over-reacting due to lack of sleep?  Do you have any other stories of terrible policy that create bad customer service?  Or how about some happy stories about good customer service?  Let me know in the comments.