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We usually rail about clueless and rude customer service personnel in this column. For once, though, we will highlight instances of clueless customers themselves. You know, the customers who want to return wireless devices protesting that charging them involved a cord and electricity consumption, customers who wonder whether buying a 2G and a 3G data plan together will turn their Internet connection into a 5G marvel, or the poor customer who wanted to return the dishwasher because the crockery wasn’t spinning, or the customers who declare they wield the right influence for things to work ...
An Aircel spokesperson tells of a customer who claimed he was calling from the Chief Minister’s office. His attempts at recharging online for ₹110 failed. Please try again, the customer service agent said. “In that case, I’ll complain to the CM,” he threatened. We would love to hear what the CM said. When the recharge worked, did it sail through on the strength of the threat or did the CM have to intervene?
A manager at a Havmor Ice-cream outlet in Ahmedabad says they get their share of eye-popping queries. Some want “ice-creams that are warm” as they don’t want to deal with sick children, runny noses and sore throats later. “There are humorous customers who ask for free sugar pointing at the sugar-free ice-cream packs or inquire whether the whisky flavour (non-alcoholic) ice-cream is available during dry days.”
For a dessert that was originally sold only on Sundays, it’s not surprising that it prompted the following incident. The Havmor manager narrates: “Once a lady entered with her child who was crying for an ice-cream. She asked for an ice-cream sundae. Hearing her, the child cried aloud and screamed that he wanted an ice-cream immediately and not on Sunday. The lady tried to explain that she is giving him the ice-cream now but he wasn’t ready to calm down till he got to hold it in his hands.”
The word ‘free’ on a packet of merchandise probably arrests all thought in some people. Or could it be plain ignorance? The executives of a Chennai-based oil company which launched an oil it claimed was trans fat-free were gobsmacked to find a customer demand her freebie on the basis of that freedom. Trans fat has never had it so good in recent times, surely!
What are your favourite stories of clueless and restless customers? Mail us at cat.a.lyst@thehindu.co.in
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