In my B-school days, when Amazon was still rising and shining, I’d heard of a legend associated with its founder Jeffrey Bezos. It was said that he listened, really listened, to what his customers were saying and personally solicited feedback. Despite being uber competent, his employees feared receiving the dreaded e-mail from Jeff – a single question mark sent to the concerned department on his receiving a customer complaint.
Doubtless, Amazon wouldn’t be the giant it is today, without its focus on customer satisfaction, and that not merely as a slug line, but by walking the earnest talk.
Cut to a horror story and tell me if you relate.
A ‘business’ advertising its wares with a garish website and flatulent Popeye-esque claims, announcing their aim to please customers. Ergo, customer is impressed. Soon, customer is disillusioned. Now, customer wants the promised refund.
Through a year-long assiduous follow-up, she hears excuses ranging from ‘it’s Bakri-Eid, the staff is emaciated’, to ‘no-understand-English-did you mean refund, we thunk you said you was happy and did not want money back’. Mostly, they just refused to respond. On being written to, the owner spews mindless, blatant excuses, and simply refuses to bother.
The business in question – An online book rental from Mumbai called Librarywala (to be avoided like the bubonic plague).
An important question remained – must I fight to the finish, sword flashing, with the fervor of a Visigoth claiming victory from the Romans, and insist on the deposit they had collected from the customer with an obligation to return on cancellation of subscription…... or simply give up on a petty thief?
Because wisdom can be found in a variety of counselors, I asked for advice. I turned to my not-so-idealistic sister, who suggested writing poor reviews and reporting Librarywala on Better Business Bureau (doesn’t exist in India) and asked me to get over it, with a hint of Wall Street condescension.
The fight was never about the money, but the principle. Be that as it were, I’m finally laying down arms, although not without some patronizing advice of my own. What mama says makes sense. Just because it looks legit, doesn’t mean it is.
If like me, you think, a fly-by-night operator in this day and age, can only look like a dacoit with an eye patch snooping creepily from behind a boulder, we’re both mistaken.
Ask questions, read reviews, and give your custom to the worthy. And if like me, you have a heightened sense of fair-play, ask for your due, even if it doesn’t look like you might win.
In the end, "dishonest scales are an abomination to the LORD" (Proverbs 11:1). I rest my case.
