Successful businesses with "screw you" attitudes

[KD5NRH]

Had a Gold's Gym membership at one time and was moving checking accounts and asked for them to bill me as opposed to the electronic payment I had set up until I got my new account established.  Account was closed and they continued to request payment, which the damn bank kept paying.    Got taken to collections by the bank because they wanted "their" money.

This one bugs the crap out of me; I changed banks when I moved back to Stephenville, and apparently forgot to cancel a membership in Dallas.  Over a year later, I started getting collection notices for charges the bank had accepted against a closed account for a full year after it was closed.

More recently, I changed banks after the divorce, but still had ~$30 left in the old account.  No overdraft protection or anything, but they accepted a $140 fraudulent charge on the by-then-expired debit card and started trying to collect on the $110 overdraft plus fees.  They learned some new words over the next couple of weeks.

[Pharmacology]

Maybe I've become spoiled by the gun industry and companies willingness to bend over backwards to keep its customers happy, but I'm always amazed at businesses that seem to thrive even as they treat customers poorly.

An example is the gym I've belonged to for about three years. Two years ago they opened a bigger facility closer to the downtown area, with two floors and much more new equipment. The facility close to my house is still open, but they've neglected it. There's seldom any staffers there, and they let things deteriorate. Last Thanksgiving I noticed that the TVs on the treadmills each got only one channel. Each treadmill received a different channel, but only one. And it changed every night, so if you happened to see a preview on Monday of a show on Wednesday that looked interesting, come Wednesday that machine would be receiving a different channel. Not a big deal, but the shopping network gets to be pretty obnoxious when you have to watch it for an hour.

I called every week from Thanksgiving until this week, and each time was promised that the problem would be fixed. It never was. I found another gym that's just as close, as nice, and even costs less. I called my current gym to cancel, and was told that I had to go to the downtown location in person to cancel in writing. Now why would that be? It goes on my credit card, and any introductory offers ended long ago. Could it be that, by requiring people to take the time to drive to their new location, they get some people who just let their membership continue?

I've run into a whole slew of such businesses lately, and I'm amazed that they're still in business. It's like Botach Tactical. They have the worst customer service ratings I've ever seen, but they keep going and going.

What makes such businesses immune from customer wrath?

Volume

[RoadKingLarry]

I have never heard a good word about ANY telecom company. Satellite TV, cable TV, internet of various types, cell phones, etc. Never. Heard. A. Good. Word. about their customer service. The closest thing I can say to a positive is that Verizon has exceptional coverage. That's it. Other than that, they are all aholes.

I've heard rumors that some of them treat their hourly employees with the same level of respect.

[Scout26]

I've never had a problem with Verizon.  They've always taken care of me, done what I've asked, and been courteous about it.  It's why I stick with them even though I could save money with another carrier.

Chris

Me too.   Great coverage, they have always provided great Customer Service, and I get unlimited talk and text, plus 250 kilo/mega/tetra/giga (some ridiculous number) of data, all for a flat rate of $45 a month.

[Cliffh]

We've had Dish TV service for a few years, got their Internet service last Dec.  They've actually had pretty good customer service the whole time. 

Earlier this week we got notification we'd used up our 10gb any-time limit, so I called them yesterday.  The rep was courteous and as helpful as could be - unfortunately the info I wanted isn't available; I wanted a usage over time chart and they're not setup to provide that either to us online or to their techs/reps.  She did mention the lack of that info has been brought up in their round table meetings and hope to have it soon.  Because of that (or my sterling personality) she added a couple GB to this month for free.

The other few issues we've had have been taken care of to our satisfaction.

[Boomhauer]

Me too.   Great coverage, they have always provided great Customer Service, and I get unlimited talk and text, plus 250 kilo/mega/tetra/giga (some ridiculous number) of data, all for a flat rate of $45 a month.

Sounds like the 250kb plan that my Mom has.

250kb is nothing when it comes to data. Nothing.

My 2gb plan, when I had a smartphone, was a hundred bucks a month with VZ. Not watching video, I consistently used about a 1-1.2 gigs a month. When I went to Sprint for the unlimited data and started tethering my phone to my laptop, I was hitting 40+ gigs a month if not more.

[BlueStarLizzard]

Apple was the business that learned me on automated payments. Never again.
I had a subscription for an Apple account (email, support and such) that renewed once a year. After a couple years, the website out paced my laptop and my dial up, so I canceled it.

Three years later , I finally convinced those asshats that, yes, I really, really, really wanted it canceled.

[charby]

Mediacom

Be the only cable/internet provider in smaller towns, only competition is satellite and DSL.

Offer slightly better speed on internet, screw your customers.

[Tuco]

I am very polite to the staff when I go to a store...I don't want to be "that guy" to some poor schmuck who....

A sound philosophy.
As long as there are basic levels of courtesy and motivation to resolve issues, I'll show grace and patience.
Start on "the script" or minimize my concerns and I toss the gloves to the ice, and WILL NOT walk away.

[just Warren]

Wells Fargo was really insistent that I owed them $25 . It took two years and multiple phone calls to sort out. It probably would have been cheaper just to give them the money but I wasn't going to let them win.


Also a local car dealership insisted on charging me $55 for something that was covered under warranty. I would get the bill, call them and the person would clear it up on the computer. Next month I would get the same bill and call...so after six months I went down there and started yelling at them. Finally it stopped. I'm thinking it's some sort of scam. It costs them next to nothing to send bills out and it takes a small percentage of people paying for it to work out for them.

[RevDisk]

I can concur that Comcast is the devil. And yep, their "screw you" attitude is intentional. Because they have a near monopoly in many areas.

Verizon is usually ok, but sometimes can be... not great.

[birdman]

A sound philosophy.
As long as there are basic levels of courtesy and motivation to resolve issues, I'll show grace and patience.
Start on "the script" or minimize my concerns and I toss the gloves to the ice, and WILL NOT walk away.

I do this too.  Super polite, but as soon as they break "the deal" (to paraphrase Seinfeld), OH ITS ON!

Though, they never seems or realize that when arguing with someone if they go from calm to angry to calm again, the last calm isn't good...its when I'm switching from anger to "how do I destroy you" plotting.

[Monkeyleg]

Wells Fargo was really insistent that I owed them $25 . It took two years and multiple phone calls to sort out. It probably would have been cheaper just to give them the money but I wasn't going to let them win.

My brother treated a hospital the same way. When their first child was born, he was working two menial jobs just to get by. The hospital wanted cash, and he didn't have it. They arranged a payment plan of $10 a month. The woman was a real piece of work, though, so even after he got a good job, he kept paying just $10 a month. He paid that to them for years.

[Jamisjockey]

Oh and this thread made me think of Dick's Last Resort restaurants.
http://www.dickslastresort.com/
Screw you is the schtick that makes them popular. I don't get it, maybe the comedic factor? 

[Ben]

Oh and this thread made me think of Dick's Last Resort restaurants.
http://www.dickslastresort.com/
Screw you is the schtick that makes them popular. I don't get it, maybe the comedic factor? 

That's a long lasting schtick! I had a girlfriend in San Antonio many years ago, and she took me to the one by the Riverwalk. I thought it was pretty fun though. I remember figuring it was my kind of place because when we sat down at the bar, I looked down, and someone had carved "Ben" into the bar. Assigned seating for me. 

[RocketMan]

I can concur that Comcast is the devil. And yep, their "screw you" attitude is intentional. Because they have a near monopoly in many areas.

I had exactly the opposite experience with Comcast over the years that they were our provider in Oregon.  The few times we had technical issues, I called their customer service number and was always treated politely and the problem was solved in a timely fashion.
When we moved our service from Albany to Lebanon back in 2006, the move was handled professionally by their staff, no problems at all.
When we attempted to cancel our service when we moved to NC last year, no problems at all.  Again, it was handled in a courteous and professional manner.
The only thing we didn't like about Comcast was their rates.  The service cost way to much for what it was, but that's what you get from a monopoly whose service area exclusivity is guaranteed by the State of Oregon.