If you've been reading this blog long, or if you know me at all, you know how I feel about working customer service. The fact that I hate customer service as a career path doesn't mean that I don't provide good service while on the job. I dislike my job intensely, but I do pride myself on doing it well as long as I have it. That being said, I also am honestly thrilled when I receive above par customer service from someone else. And this week I received just such service.
On Wednesday I received a book I ordered from Amazon.com. Unfortunately it was far from being in pristine condition. The book had not been manufactured correctly; the cover was not applied correctly and was coming off at the corners, so that I could see the cardboard underneath, and the binding showed all the signs of not lasting very long at all. This was unacceptable. I certainly wouldn't have bought this book in a store (I'm one of those anal book people that looks at every copy on the shelf to make sure he's getting the one in the best possible condition), and I felt that I should hold Amazon to the same high standard. So... I immediately got online after opening the package and went to the customer service page of the Amazon website. A few clicks and a little typing later and I had signalled my intention to return my defective item. I was informed that I would be contacted by e-mail within a few hours vis-a-vis my return.
Less than two hours later I did get an e-mail from Amazon, informing me that an order for a replacement copy had already been processed and that it would be shipped the next day, overnight shipping. The e-mail also pointed out that the return shipping would be free and contained a link to where I could print out a pre-paid postage mailing label for the USPS. This afternoon (Friday) I returned home to find the new copy at my door. That's right I''ve received the replacement copy before I've even sent the first one back. Now that is excellent customer service. My loyalty to Amazon.com is just a little stronger than it was before, and here I am telling other people about it. I'm even thinking of writing an adulatory e-mail to Amazon praising them for some of the best service I've ever gotten. You have to understand, I never do things like that.
And as far as embracing the inner geek goes, yep, it was a Dungeons and Dragons book. I've spent an alarming amount of money lately on the hobby. As I constantly tell my gaming group "I just love buying these books." I fear this means that perhaps I really have given up hope of ever seeing a woman naked again without first paying a cover charge. So sad, but no time to dwell, I'm going to go crack open the Dungeon Master's Guide II, and- don't I have a miniature to paint?
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