I bought this band that goes around my waist and holds two 10 oz bottles of water. I use this while I run. It looks a little like a fanny pack that holds water. The reason why I like it so much is that it easily holds my iPhone X, keys, and gels. The brand is called G-Run on Amazon.
Good Customer Service
I have been using this hydration pack for nearly a year and have really liked it. However, I found that the water bottles get mildewy if I don’t wash them immediately. I contacted the company and they got right back to me by telling me that they would send me two replacement water bottles for free.
“Be sure to wash them immediately after use,” the owner told me, “otherwise, the same thing will happen.”
I admit, sometimes I do get lazy after a run and just toss them in the corner and return later in the day to clean them out. Anyway, after receiving the two new water bottles, I will be more diligent about keeping them clean.
This is an excellent example of good customer service.
Bad Customer Service
The other day, I saw an ad on Instagram for a sticker that either goes on your car or window that has your Instagram or any other social media handle. I’ve been on a quest to increase my followers on Instagram to get a community of 10,000. (Once you reach 10,000 you can have a call to action on your stories.) The sticker looked like it would be a good thing for me to have.
I placed the order with Turbo Vinyl. Within a few weeks, I got my order. I put it up immediately. I didn’t even look at it. I assumed it was correct since my Instagram handle is my name, @HilaryTopper.
After placing it on my red car, I walked away with a happy smile. Later that day, I was taking my son somewhere and he started to laugh. “Mom, why would you put up an Instagram handle that isn’t your handle?” he said.
I didn’t understand. I went over to the car to inspect and instead of it saying “@HilaryTopper” it read, “@HilaryToper.”
So angry
I was furious and reached out to the company via email. They didn’t respond. Then, I went back to Instagram, where I first heard of them and reached out there.
Instead of saying, “no problem, we will send you another one.” They berated me and insisted that I spelled my own name wrong. They said, “we won’t be doing anything for you.”
Now, even if it were my mistake, which it was not, they should have said that they would discount the price out for me or meet me halfway. But instead, it was the full price if I wanted to replace it.
This back and forth went on for a long time while they insisted it was my fault and took no responsibility. (Meanwhile, my mailing address with my name was correct.)
I asked them to send me the original order that I typed into their site and they refused.
Moral of the story
The moral of the story here is why lose a customer over being arrogant? If the customer says she is right, she is right. Why fight with her? This company spent a ton of money on Instagram ads and they don’t want to send a free sticker that cost them a quarter or even a dollar? The sticker cost me $10 each.
In any event, I will never use Turbo Vinyl again but I will surely recommend G-Run to all my running pals. A few dollar mistakes cost this company a ton of exposure and visibility.
