Customer Service

Over the last couple of weeks, 3 new members from NZ have arrived as part of the project.

We've helped them get settled in, some parts were smoothed over for them cause we'd already been through the relocation thing.

Even so, they encountered drama's.
I must have blocked out first few weeks here out, cause I'd forgotten how ludicrous the customer service is over here.

Once you're outside the norm, it all falls apart.
Not having a Social Security Number is the first step to being way outside the norm.
For a land of the free, the SSN is a bloody good unique identifier, that is tracked extensively.
And what intrigues me is there is no such thing as privacy laws protecting the citizens personal information either.
Anyway, that's an aside...

I was reminded how bad customer service is here and how much I'm now willing to put up with bad service.
It seems to me the big corporations don't give a flying continental about retaining customers.
I guess with such a big population base, being mediocre enough to retain an average customer is cheaper than trying to do extra for any variation on the average customer.
You can teach them a lesson by not buying their product...
In NZ, a few disgruntled customers can be a death knell and a lot of effort is put into that not happening...

Over here, well... there are other fish to catch in the consumer sea.
And as a consumer, moving to the competition doen't gaurantee better service...

Oh well, a couple of more months and we'll have all forgotten...
Rant over