Today I needed to drop off a contour modem during my limited time in Phoenix. I had been told by a helpful Cox phone agent on Thursday (when I cancelled the extra modem) that I just needed to drop it in the store. I was assured I did not need to wait in line, I did not need to talk to anyone. It would be scanned at some point within the 10 day window but the charges were off the bill. I repeat...I did not need to sign in, stand in line or speak to anyone. Literally get it inside the store. That's it. Awesome.
I arrive at 2:05 and discover they close at 2:00. Customers are in the store, as are 5 employees. I signal that I have a drop-off and am waved away like an annoying gnat ($300/month customer for 30 years but a gnat ). I wait around in 108 degrees for 5-10 minutes outside, hoping I can just pass the modem into the store when the last customers leave and someone comes to the door to let them out. Finally someone does came to the door , but not to help. He is there to get rid of the annoying gnat. He yells out...NO he CANNOT open the door! No I CANNOT explain this was already processed, and I just need to drop it inside of the store to be dealt with on Monday! I can't come back, I say. I am leaving town today I say. "Take it to a UPS store! I CANNOT OPEN THIS DOOR." Hmmm. Is this Fort Knox and you truly can't? How the heck are your customers getting out?
Being a Phi Beta Kappa college graduate I figure out that this 30-year-customer-with- a -$300-per-month-bill (a mere gnat, remember?) is up SH__ creek without a paddle. I will get nowhere with people who could care less about customers. They WON'T open the door or even listen. So I drive (literally) across the street to the UPS store ( who is awesome btw...I will write a glowing review on them next) so that they can package it all up, have it picked up by UPS, and drive it (literally) across the street next week (I hope UPS charges a premium for this service and that the charge gets taken out of this store's budget).
Cox's customer service over the phone, their tech support and the product itself is usually pretty darn good. The Cox stores are appalling and this store is exceptional in that regard. 30 seconds by one employee would have made all the difference. I am not a gnat, but a 30-year customer. Treat me like one. read more