Customer Service
That is something that just isn't heard of in New Zealand I'm convinced of it! Not only are we overcharged for just about everything, the service that comes along with the product is shocking!
New Zealanders I think want better customer service, they complain about how poor it is, yet they do nothing about it. And when you do complain they are just gobsmacked that you actually did!
Yesterday is a prime example:
A bit of background on Pixie Photo first: They are photographers that are similar to the photo studios in Wal-Mart. They also have a mobile unit that travels to the rural towns like mine. I HATE THEM!! But I have no other choice in getting a portrait of the kids. Their prices are just outrageous too! They charge $240.00 or more a similar package that costs $1.99 at Wal-Mart, and they think they are affordable!
Well yesterday I made arrangements for my darling friend Nikki to help me get Aidan's 1 year old photo taken. So she came and picked up me and the kids. They were supposed to be there from 9-12 am and 1-4 pm. This is how they always do it you don't need to make a booking you just go. I always aim to be there at 9 am to get this over quickly while the kids are still clean and reasonably happy.
We arrived at 9:10 and the photographer was not there! Her set up was there, covered from the previous day but she was no where to be found. She finally showed up at 9:20, using the same story "oh, sorry my car!" What a crock of shit! She's been late before at another time I was getting the kids pictures taken and used the same line. This time her appearance pretty much told the story. Her underwear were hanging out her pants and they were on BACKWARDS! Hello, newsflash! Your car is fine, it's your alarm clock that needs fixing or you need to quit going to bed with guys you meet at the pub the night before and getting dressed in the dark as you sneak out of their bed on the way to work!
I was so pissed off when I got home I called the head office to complain. In typical Kiwi-style they were just dumbfounded that I had some sort of complaint. They didn't know what to do about it. Didn't offer me anything for having to wait etc....so I told them when my photos arrived, I won't be buying any extra, just taking my free one and walking away. I just don't think that kind of service needs to be rewarded with purchasing their products.
The list of places I've dealt or that Nikki has had a bad experience with would just make your blood curdle.
Ok, maybe I have some anger management issues with the customer service in NZ, but I really don't care. After 7 years of this I've just had enough!
What ever happened to the "customer is always right?"
Vent over.
posted by Michelle @ Thursday, June 22, 2006
4 Comments:
I've had the same issues with Pixie Foto. I can't complain over the phone as I feel I get treated as the 'American who complains about everything'. So I either write or e-mail. I seem to get a decent response then. The photo shoot that annoyed me was the one where she didn't bother trying to get Lauryn to smile, or she wouldn't take it when it was there and she was forever looking at the clock like we were taking too long! I was not happy! We got a reshoot for free and 20% off what we purchased. I've given numerous complaints to Denny's, Dominos and Pizza Hut for things too. I reckon places like Denny's would shape up if they worked for tips. Otherwise, why bother???? Ok, so as you can tell, I've encountered the same!
I think some thing similiar to Wal-Mart photo lab should be set up but then I've been reading/hearing they aren't too hot these days either and let anyone take photos. My friend for one does it and she is soooooooo horrible at it! I don't know what some people are thinking!
Ah, Pixi Foto. They're not too crash hot when it comes to good customer service. I've complained to them, numerous times, and rarely had a satisfactory response. I got both boys' portraits done at 4, 10 and 18 months. I got the free enlargement and most often I purchased just ONE other photo (smallest size). There's no way I would go for those horrendously expenseive package deals! Sadly my kids are extremely photogenic and all their shots were awesome so I was ticked that I couldn't afford to buy the lot. But anyway, I got really good free ones, ROFL!
I could go on about my woeful tales of their pathetic customer service, but I will just tell you one story. I went to "view" Tyler's 10-month portraits. It pisses me off no end that you have to make an appointment to view them. Even when you know you are just gonna take the free one and high-tail it outta there. I had to make the appointment 3 times because they aren't open every day and they only have "viewings" at certain (ridiculous) times. Anyway, I get there and see that the free photo (the one I had chosen at the time of the photo shoot, as per their stupid rules) was NOT the one I had picked! I asked why, and they said some light got in during developing and the top part of the photo was faded. I asked to see it, and couldn't believe my eyes. Yes, the top 2 INCHES of the photo was faded which meant that SOME of the brown background had gone a bit pale and orangey. But it was miles away from Tyler's head. I guess they were worried that I wouldn't want it because it wasn't perfect. That's fine, but why not print that one anyway, and offer another free one of my choice? I had to request for the one I had already chosen to be printed, wait another 2 weeks for it, and then make another time to go and "view" it. Crazy people. It was such a rigmarole and do you think I got the other one free to make up for it? No, they just threw it away!!
Pixi Foto suck. They really do.
So nice to know that I'm not the only person who thinks they are such crap! :-) I love coming home with my free print and then creating my own packages, wallets and such for family. I can make the prints just as good as them and only costs me about $30 for the entire family. Suck sand Pixi Foto!
The problem is with Pixi Fotos is that they do not employ professional staff and they dont really undrstand customers requirements - or they dont actually care about them. I have had the scenario where I couldn't get the photo I wanted because they said it did not look right when it was blown up. However, if I wanted it, I wanted it and it was not their decision to make. In their minds they are thinking if they let a less than perfect photo into someones home then others may see it and think oh I wont use them. What they forget is that when they go to that same persons home ad they are told how awful they have been treated by Pixi Foto and yes, condesendingly, that person will not use them anyway. They threw the photos I wanted away even though I was prepared to pay for them. Now good customer service would be to charge me for some other photo and let me have the imperfect ones for free anyway. I would be back in a shot if they had thought of that.
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