Case in Point: Why Customer Service Matters

The following is an email I just sent to the BorrowLenses.com help desk (help@borrowlenses.com). It is the only email they have listed. Anywhere. So there was no one to cc in hopes that it would be seen by someone in their marketing or customer service department. But it is a really good example of why good customer service is important and why you should never, ever, EVER charge your customers' accounts without sending them a notice that it has happened and why.  

Subject: Re: [#KKZ-800-12036]: Re: Your Returned BorrowLenses.com Order 145307 Has Broken Rental Items

Hey Jonathan,

I returned the part. Hope you got it. Noticed that I have a $44.95 charge from Borrow Lenses about to clear on my checking account. Yet I have no notification from you guys that you have done this or why.

Not cool.

I really like your service and was hoping to use it a lot in the future. However, I need to express disappointment at your handling of this issue. 

The light handle broke off while I was using it. Upon inspection, it was clear to me by the presence of what appeared to be glue that this was not the first time. I reported this to the gentleman at Foto Express in San Jose when I returned the equipment. After I was contacted by a less-than-friendly rep, I made arrangements to return a piece that had fallen off and I literally found while speaking on the phone. I had the piece in an envelope ready to mail out minutes afterwards. I was then notified by you that it would not be that easy and I would need to put it in a box with a tracking label. Which requires a trip to the post office - something that is a bit out of my way and took a few days to deal with. But I did as I was leaving town last Friday and got it sent off to you as requested. 

And now I am being charged $44.95 without any word from Borrow Lenses as to this happening or why. I'm smart enough to deduce that this is because the fallout of your broken product resulted in your inability to rent it out and therefore I'm being charged for a full week. I get it. I just wish you guys would tell me about it instead of just taking the liberty of charging my account. That is something that a Zappos or Amazon or Nordstrom or any other company that I know Borrow Lenses aspires to be like would do. This actually wouldn't be an issue with them in the first place. 

But what really disappoints me is that I am a first-time customer of yours trying out an untraditional service but trusting you enough to give it a try and see how it works - and this is how I'm treated. I wonder how you treat your repeat customers and am currently on the fence about sticking around long enough to find out. 

Sincerely,

Cory Fossum

Comments

[Jim at BorrowLenses.com]

Cory I am very sorry to learn about this. On behalf of Borrowlenses.com I want to apologize. I'm the head of marketing at Borrowlenses.com and I've talked to our staff to learn more about your situation. Our employee did not follow our established protocol and we've taken steps to make sure this does not happen again. This type of situation is not the norm for us and I hope you'll continue to use our service in the future. If I can be of any service to you please contact me directly and I'll personally assist you.