Be persistent when asking call centres for refunds

It’s frustrating to reach out to a large company, only to get a canned response that fails to address your complaint. What is it like to work there and follow a script?

Burt Helm, a senior writer for Inc. Magazine, trained as a customer service representative at a U.S. call centre to learn how to handle the demanding job.

“I have to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ at least twice,” he writes. “I have to keep my refunds-per-call metric low. I don’t realize it at the time, but I also have an audience.

“The call centre’s CEO is secretly monitoring my calls from his office.

“‘You say ‘um’ too much,’ he cheerfully tells me the next morning. Never say ‘um.’ In the customer service jungle, this signals weakness and uncertainty.”

He was told to keep refunds low by going through a choreographed dance.

First, offer clients a simple cancellation with no money back. Then offer a 50-per-cent “courtesy” refund.

Finally — and only if the customer boils over with rage and mentions calling the attorney general or the BBB — give a full refund.

“Between each step, reps put the caller on hold to ‘speak to a supervisor.’ But we actually spoke to the supervisor only once, between calls, about the best place to get tacos nearby.”

I thought of this story when Lola Kerecki told me about Canadian Tire’s refusal to help with an outdoor fireplace, whose bricks developed serious cracks just a month after use.

“It had great reviews online, so I thought I was making a good purchase, especially since it was on sale for $299, down from $399,” she said. Kerecki sent photos to the retailer, posting them on Twitter and Facebook, showing the damaged bricks. She feared using a fireplace that could ignite her house. Unfortunately, the sales receipt had disappeared. But she had a credit card statement that showed the dollar amount, store location and item number. Canadian Tire insisted that a Visa bill was not a proof of purchase. Things changed when I contacted the retailer on the customer’s behalf. “We will be sending her damaged product back to the manufacturer and she will receive a full refund,” said spokeswoman Jane Shaw. Joyce McKerrow had a problem with online retailer Amazon. While ordering a $20 travel guide for cousins in England, she accepted the one-day delivery she was offered. Later, she found a $145.71 charge on her credit card statement. She had unwittingly agreed to a 30-day trial offer for Amazon Prime, a service that offers guaranteed delivery. (The annual fee is £79 for oneday shipping in the U.K., while the Canadian service is $79 a year for two-day shipping.) McKerrow received an email about Amazon Prime, but saw no warning that she’d be charged if she didn’t opt out after 30 days. In any case, her order was put through on Sept. 10 and the Visa charge came on Oct. 16, too late to cancel. Should she ask her credit card issuer for a refund? I opted to contact Amazon.com, which contacted Amazon.co.uk. In less than two days, she was released from a service she didn’t want in the first place. Laura Lee was upset to learn she couldn’t get the Canadian Opera Company’s reduced ticket rate for those under 30 for a matinee of Madama Butterfly. “I am a 28-year-old woman who uses a wheelchair,” she said. “A customer service rep said the un- der-30 rate could not be applied to any wheelchair-accessible seating area. I could have a cheap ticket or a wheelchair accessible seat, not both.”

This is incorrect, says COC spokeswoman Jennifer Pugsley. Wheelchair-accessible seats are available for purchase at a reduced rate on a first-come, first-served basis, but may have been sold out for the performance she wanted.

“Alan Moffat, the patron relationship manager, told me the under-30 accessible seating does exist. He was very apologetic and will remind staff of that fact,” Lee said happily.

Advice: call centres follow the rules. You have to be persistent to get a refund. Look for executives’ contacts online instead of relying on supervisors who may never hear about your problem. Ellen Roseman writes about personal finance and consumer issues. You can reach her at eroseman@thestar.ca or ellenroseman.com.