This cat was out of a concert ticket
In face of corporate indifference, frustrated customers reach out to help complain effectively
You have a consumer problem that should be easy to fix, but you can’t sort things out. Many companies have communication rules that seem designed to frustrate you.
That’s where I come in. As a Toronto Star “fixer” since 1999, I can use my high-level contacts to help stranded customers get a hearing.
Here are two stories of people batting their heads against a wall of corporate indifference until they tried the media route.
Ticketmaster cancelled his ticket
Bob Kapur bought a ticket for a Sept. 12 Toronto concert by Yusuf Islam (formerly known as Cat Stevens). He received a confirmation and thought things were fine until a week after his purchase in mid-August.
“Ticketmaster said my order had been cancelled because ‘the number of tickets ordered for this event exceeded the ticket limit posted online at purchase.’ But I bought only one ticket,” he told me.
His call to the giant ticket seller led to an explanation that he frequently bought tickets (as tracked by his computer’s IP or Internet Protocol address). That was true. “I attend about 100 shows a year. I’m an avid concertgoer. Their assumption was that I’m a scalper. I’m not,” he said. “I was told to simply buy another ticket.
“The problem is that the price I bought at was completely sold out and the only tickets available are $100 more than what I paid. To me, that’s patently unfair.”
He asked Ticketmaster to replace his ticket or cover the gap if he had to buy one at a higher price. Despite four escalations to customer service, he was still shut out.
I contacted Ticketmaster’s chief operating officer, Patti-Anne Tarlton, before 8 a.m. on a weekday. She responded 10 minutes later.
“Thank you as always for sharing, Ellen,” she said. “Will connect directly with Bob and close the loop to his satisfaction.”
A few hours later, his original order was reactivated. He asked me to tell Tarlton — who is the niece of legendary Montreal concert promoter Donald K. Tarlton — that he was completely satisfied with the outcome.
“In the case of Bob Kapur, I am afraid our system’s high speed protections flagged the order erroneously,” Tarlton said. “Fortunately Mr. Kapur (with your assistance thank-you) brought it to our attention early enough for us to be able to intervene manually and release this same seat to him.”
Porter charged double for a flight May Wong was at Boston’s Logan Airport when she learned by email that Porter Airlines had cancelled her flight back to Toronto. She and her two companions had been placed on a next-day flight at 11 a.m.
She tried to reschedule to an afternoon flight at no cost, as promised, but the website link in the email didn’t work. The toll-free phone lines were jammed, too.
After three hours, she cancelled the existing reservation and booked three new tickets on a Porter flight to Toronto at a cost of $808.14.
“Porter, please respond by phone, web or email to confirm that you wouldn’t dare to charge me twice for one flight after delaying us by an entire day,” Wong (a VIP Porter customer) told the airline on July 25.
On Aug. 5, she received a $400 refund for the 11 a.m. flight and $150 in travel vouchers, to use by Feb. 4, 2017.
She asked for a review, since she was still out of pocket after paying for the more expensive replacement flight.
Porter initially denied compensation, saying her group had flown with another airline. Not true, she said, sending her Porter flight number.
A customer care co-ordinator sent another denial, saying it was not possible to give a partial refund for a ticket that had been used.
No other passengers had problems changing flights online, Porter said. And while the call centre was busier than usual, she should have held for an average wait time of 1.5 hours for an agent to be available.
“I’ve been a happy Porter user until now, but they’re trying to overcharge me and I can’t let it go,” she said, asking for a nudge.
Porter spokesman Brad Cicero shared good news within hours. An additional refund was coming. “This makes for a full refund of $808.14 on the second set of tickets purchased,” he said.
“The $150 in travel vouchers remain available to use in addition to the refund.
“Thank you for bringing this to our attention. I am sorry that it was necessary, as this resolution should have been offered earlier in the process, given the unusual circumstances.”
Ellen’s advice Reaching the higher levels of a company often requires an assist from someone else. Ask any tough cookies you know for advice on how to complain effectively.
I’ve seen many corporate honchos apologize after seeing customers rebuffed by front-line staff. They jump at the chance to win back clients who would have left and told their friends not to go near the company. Ellen Roseman’s column appears Tuesdays in Smart Money