Tag Archives: Future Shop

Future Shop Customer Service – Pass

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Last week I posted an entry about my experience with the customer service at Cambridge’s Future Shop.  Let’s just say I was not happy with how I was treated.  There was a time when the best I could hope for was to send a letter to a manager somewhere at “head office” and hope they would get back to me.  But this is now and the Internet has changed things.

After posting about my experiences I sent an email to a couple of people at Future Shop.  I know they received the message because I could see in my Google Analytics that they visited my site.

futureshop_search

I even heard by email from one of the people I emailed indicating that customer service would be in touch with me.  The folks at Future Shop did some research on my site before they got around to contacting me.  I can’t really blame them for that.  I found it curious that they looked at my “rants” which is just a category for my posts that don’t fit other categories.

Last Friday I received a call from Phillip the District Manager responsible for the Cambridge Future Shop.  He was quite apologetic about how I was treated.  He commented that this store generally does very well as evidenced by the picture in my previous post.  He actually called out the picture so apparently he was one of the visitors to my site.   While I never asked for specific compensation I was told that I would receive a gift card as an acknowledgement that I wasn’t treated in a manner that I should have been.  Phillip believes in winning customers one at a time.

Following my call with Phillip I received an email from Jim Steffler the General Manager of this Future Shop.  He too was apologetic.  I was getting the sense that Future Shop was taking this issue seriously.   I coordinated a time to stop by and pick up the gift card I was offered.  Even though Mr. Steffler was in a meeting he made time to come out and meet me personally.  That was a nice touch.  He could have hid in the back but he didn’t.  I appreciated his willingness to confront the issue head-on.

Even though my friend Jim doesn’t think corporations are listening I have evidence that they are.  It would have been better for Future Shop if this problem never happened but I feel they handled the fallout quite well.  Now would be a really good time to shop at the Cambridge Future Shop as customer service has received some attention in the last few days.

Future Shop Customer Service – Fail

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While in line today at the Future Shop customer service counter in Cambridge, Ontario, the clerk wondered aloud “why she had a job”.  Well I couldn’t agree with her more.  I just spent 30 minutes in line and for 20 minutes of that time the customer service rep was on the telephone dealing with personal insurance for her vehicle.  How do I know the call was about insurance?  I overheard her provide details to the person on the other end such as: the vehicle is a Ford, it is only a four cylinder, the insurance should be in her name because she is older which makes it cheaper.  There were several other details but I don’t remember those.

To be fair there were two people physically in line in front of me.  One required that the Future Shop manager, Christopher LaCroix, get involved as it was complicated return.  The other was a fairly straight forward return/purchase of a Satellite Radio system.  While still in line Mr. LaCroix offered to help the person behind me.  I pointed out that I was in line first only to be told that the lady in question had already been in line.  Had I known they would hold my place I would have went and done some shopping and come back.

Is this store really the best Futurshop in the district?

Is this store really the best Futurshop in the district?

Now that I brought it to Mr. LaCroix’s attention that I’ve been waiting for 20 minutes he decided the best course of action was to walk away.  He did not offer to help even after the other person had been serviced and while the customer service rep was still on the phone.  A fourth person was serviced before I was helped as he too was apparently in line before I was.  I doubt this is how managers at Future Shop are trained to handle this kind of situation.

It was finally my turn to be dealt with and my my issue was dealt with speedily and efficiently.  The customer service representative obviously knows what she is doing.   I’m guessing today was not her first day in customer service.

In light of this experience I’m wondering when it became acceptable for a customer service clerk to take a personal phone call instead of or while helping the people that buy from the store?  This store was very proud of being awarded best store in the district.  They even hung banners above their entrance.  Is this the kind of service that marks the best in district?  Wow, I’d hate to see what it’s like to shop in the worst Future Shop in the district.

[UPDATE]

December 1, 2009

I just got off the phone with the district manager from Future Shop.  He seemed genuinely interested in what I had to say and viewed it as a learning opportunity.  He was embarrassed by the situation and wants to make it right.   He indicated I’ll be hearing from the store manager soon.