Venting

I've just got to vent! What is the deal with customer service these days...or more accurately, non-customer service? I know this is not a new phenomenon, but lack of customer service at every turn in varying venues is a growing hot button for me. In my current employment, a good portion of my responsibility is customer service-related. I talk to numerous people everyday who feel they can't get any help from anyone--in this case insurance companies--or they don't have a voice that will be heard with the powers that be. More and more my position is turning into that of liaison and advocate for these people and more and more I see the need for it. And now, I find myself in my own customer service fiasco which just drives the point home even harder.

We are trying to close on our new house. We signed final purchase "docs" last week and are waiting for funds to be transferred from our bank (back east) to the title company so that things can be funded and we'll get the keys.

Here it is a week later and we're still waiting!!

This process started over 2 weeks ago! Our first request for our funds was "declined" because a signature from the builder was missing on one of the forms we submitted. After being told several days later that "a letter is in the mail to you", I quickly re-gathered all the forms, the supporting documents (double checking all signatures, etc.) and overnight-ed (faxes are not accepted) the required information. I called the next morning to verify receipt of everything and was told by the customer service guy, "Mike" that, according to the notes on the file, "everything looked good" and had been reviewed "by the committee".

Eager to know how soon the funds would be released, I called the following day to see how soon we could anticipate receipt of the funds. After an extremely long time on hold, the customer service gal #2 came back and said it appeared the request had once again been declined because a more recently dated closing document was needed from the seller. The most recent one was signed July 14, 2008.

WHAT?!?!

I asked her if I could please speak to a supervisor. Of course this took another 1/2 hour on hold. No, I'm not kidding. Thankfully it was a toll-free number I was calling. After a while a supervisor, Giselle, came on the phone and tried to explain the situation to me. None of which made sense. I asked her repeatedly if she could just review the documents we submitted and to look for herself, rather than going by the notes in the file. She looked over the documents and agreed that everything was in order--that we had in fact provided MORE than enough supporting documents and that clearly it seemed like everything should be fine.

After another extended period of time on hold with her, she came back to inform me that the "administrators" would have to look over the case again and get back to me, and that the only way she could resubmit the request was via email to that department and that "hopefully" she'd have some kind of response later in the day, "but certainly within 3 business days." She assured me that I could contact her if I had any questions or wanted to find out what was happening. When I asked for her direct number, of course she didn't have one. When I asked for her voice mail...of course she didn't have voice mail. So, when I did call her back because of an additional question I had, the 3rd customer service guy I talked to told me she wasn't reachable and then asked me again what the issue was and that he could put in a request, etc.... UGH!

Thankfully, Giselle, that I had talked to the most extensively called back by end of the day to let me know that the paperwork submitted had been approved and they would accept what they had in front of them. Yeah! Chalk one up for the customer. She said I could call back the following Monday (this last Monday) to check on the status and see how soon the funds would be sent. I asked if the funds could just be wired to the title company since there had been so many delays. I was promptly informed that 'they don't do that' and that a check would be sent directly to us for the amount. (The wheels of my mind were turning...'which means a hold by our bank, and then a subsequent hold by the title company...')

I checked in on Monday as planned. Of course, I couldn't reach Giselle, so talked to customer service person # 4. Was told by # 4 person that it is "in process", and could take another 2-3 business days. "Please feel free to call back tomorrow."

Tuesday AM I called again, this time, I talked with Mike from last week! He had good news and verified that "it was processed last night, but could take up to 2-3 business to days to finish being processed." HUH? "Feel free to call back tomorrow to see when you can expect the funds."

Which brings me to this morning.

I talked to yet another customer service gal who proceeded to go through a review of our entire file!! I gave her the reader's digest version to bring her up to speed and told her I was just checking back to see when the check would be going out. She proceeded to put me on hold to "double check" some items first. She came back and informed me the check would be going out today! Yeah!! (Again, the peon customer gets another boost!) I then informed her that I was told by Mike (yesterday) that I could get a tracking number since the check is being sent overnight via UPS to our house. Long silence on the other end of the phone.

"Mam, it isn't overnight delivery, it is expedited delivery." I assured her that we had been over this several times with the other myriad of customer service people and each verified that we had selected "overnight delivery" on our request form. I even double checked with Mike yesterday who said it would be via UPS and that a tracking number would be issued for OVERNIGHT delivery.

Again, this customer service gal takes "the tone" with me and says, "mam, we don't offer overnight delivery."

WHAT!! AM I BEING PUNKED??

I asked her to look over the copy of the request we signed, etc. She began reading to me in the most condescending voice one could possibly muster, "If you would like to expedite receipt and have your funds sent to you via overnight delivery, check this box." (The same selection I have confirmed each time with previous customer service people.) She proceeded to tell me that this statement doesn't mean overnight delivery--it means "expedited" delivery which could be 2-3 days for delivery. However, I was more than welcome to call back today before 4:30 Eastern time to get a tracking number, although they may not have one for me until tomorrow morning....

Okay, I'll confess, I'm beginning to lose it! Since when did "overnight delivery" not mean "overnight delivery?"

I immediately called the title company to let Mary, our account person, know the most recent information about the situation. She has been great in keeping everyone notified, updated on the process, etc. (A very great customer service person). Just now I received a phone call from our mortgage person, Laurie, who informed me that (of course) our interest rate lock runs out today. The good news is, we can get an extension until Friday with no charge if we KNOW FOR SURE that the funds will arrive tomorrow and we have a tracking number (see above) or, we will have to pay an additional $360 to lock in our rate for 7 more days. *** SEE UPDATE BELOW***

So, lucky me, I am going to make another phone call this afternoon to see if I can get a tracking number that may not be available until tomorrow morning, for a check that we requested "overnight"--but may not come overnight--so we can get our current interest rate that we're locked into through today, but may or may not be for the next week, for a house that we've already signed all the papers on that sits empty waiting for us, so we can move into it....who knows when.

Today I'm thinking that a long hot bubble bath in my new soaker tub sounds ideal. Of course, I have no idea when that will happen.

(Heavy sigh.)

*** I just had to give an update since I last posted. My husband and I decided to go ahead and lock in the interest rate for 7 more days and pay whatever we have to just to help alleviate some stress. When I talked to Laurie (mortgage gal) she said she had already done some phone calling on our behalf (there's more great customer service for you!) and the Builder is going to pay the $360 for us, understanding that the delay is not of our doing. I'll admit I burst into tears when I heard this. God is so mindful and I'm humbled once again as I'm reminded that He's aware of the details and is very much in the midst of the circumstances. Thank you, Lord for providing and blessing!