Today I had a very important job interview across town. I called the organization at 6:40 to get more information regarding the process of receiving copies. The gentlemen who answered the phone said there was no problem and he could have the copies fairly quickly. I called back a second time and a woman came on the phone and acted as if she was inconvenienced by me. Because of her tone, I said well if I need to pay for a rush I can. She later uses this wording against me.
Everything worked out initially. When I got to the establishment I waited in the front for five minutes without being greeted. I was there only customer, although they later claimed that they were inconvenienced by my "rush" order. I sat there panicking because I was on my way to an important interview. Finally after they clearly saw me and walked away I rang the bell. A gentlemen came up and said "waiting on copies?" I said "yes" he walked away and I waited for an additional five minutes before he came back. No Hello or how are you or thank you for your business.
When he came back he quickly said 2-35. I don't know what was going on in my mind, but I handed him my card. He swiped it then told me that one of the papers was not front and back because he felt it would be hard to write on....So he made the decision about my order without consulting me prior. I was in a rush so I brushed it off. When I walked out I realized it was $235 dollars that I spent on about 60 copies. One of the packets was a few pages and the other was a few pages. Both had portions where you would be expected to write, but for some reason he felt one should be front and back and the other shouldn't.
If I am going to pay $235 for some copies I think I should get them the way I want.
I rushed off to my interview. I left the copies in the sealed plastic package they put them in. I knew I wasn't going to use them and figured if I don't unwrap them surely he will understand that they weren't to my liking.
I return. Once again have to wait to be greeted. A lady comes up. I explain to her that I am a teacher and I was on a sample teach/interview. The copies were wrong and I was unable to use them. I didn't realize the excess of price and could I get a refund or partial refund. She said no, was not sympathetic at all, and said "we made the copies that's not our fault your interview is passed"
Muhammad, the manager, came up and did not say hello or how are you or my apologies for not originally making them correctly. He said you took them so you knew. You agreed to them! Which I don't recall agreeing. I remember my written instructions. I explain to him that as a teacher this is an extraordinary cost to me, they weren't correct, and I didn't unwrap them. He once again says "no refund"
I think to myself, okay I get it. He is a business owner. So I tell him well can I pay for the cost you paid for the production. So you don't lose any money even though you made the mistake. He tells me no. That he doesn't make a profit. Clearly he does.
So hear is the issue.
1. Customer service. For the amount that people pay for copies I would assume that a the least we could receive is a sympathetic friendly human being helping us. Never did anyone seek to understand my perspective. Never did anyone take any fault in any production. Simply "you took it" or "well you said you could pay extra"
2. Quality of the work. Simple instructions to make something front and back were not followed. At the end of the day they were wrong. We can play the he said she said game. But the only proof is the document we both have is the original email. Muhammad may reply, and if so we can upload the email for verification.
3.: The lack of humility and the presence of dishonesty. The establishment never told me thank you for anything. The establishment was uncompromising when it came to the product of the work. The establishment put all the blame on the customer and provided no sympathy despite the fact that I paid 235 dollars for something they did in less than 30 minutes. The dishonesty factor came in when I attempted to pay the cost of production and get a partial refund. Exact words "I don't get profit. I have to use my printer and paper" You clearly have a profit margin. I wasn't trying to rip you off. I didn't use the product, it wasn't to my liking, and was needed for a very special occasion. The owner even gave himself a 5.
I'm sure this will be met with. "You did this or you did that" once again highlighting the inability for the establishment to acknowledge the perspective of the paying customers.
Although "thank you" never once came out of employees mouth let alone "welcome to cosmic copies" I will say you are welcome. You are welcome to my 238 dollars for work that was done incorrectly. Regardless of the minor mistakes. They were mistakes.
This struggling teacher will be going to corporately owned places from now on. At least there I feel like a human and not a dollar sign. read more
