Good v Bad Customer Service (Dell v EuropCar)

In February 2007 I bought two shiny new Dell 2007FP monitors for dual monitor love. They’re awesome and £500 well spent. I bought them from RDC and saved a bundle on the Dell prices. Since my move back to Wales one of the monitors developed a small yellow square in the top left corner. I rang Dell to check the warranty status. After some chatting and testing I was informed I would get a new one today. 11am this morning I get a shiny new 2007FP in exchange for my faulty one. Awesome customer service. The Dell guy on the phone was very professional and went out of his way to make sure I was happy. Big thumbs up!!!

Compare that with my experience with Europcar today. I paid online for a VW Golf rental car. I arrived at the depot and after some waiting I was given a Polo. I told them I ordered a Golf and that I didn’t have time to wait and that we’d sort out the difference in price when I brought the car back. I brought the car back this morning and was told that it was all head office that needed to sort out refunds like that. So it seems they mess up and I am the one that has to sort it out (excellent customer service). I was then told that the petrol tank was not full. I had only driven 70 miles and I filled up half way (£6) which means that I probably needed to fill about £2 or £3 in petrol. COME ON EuropCar!!! give me a fucking break. The tank registered as full but wasn’t overflowing to the brim. Fine I said whatever you fill it up.

I then get a call when I get back to work from a customer service rep saying that they didn’t like their customers to be unhappy. That’s nice I thought, she might sort this mess out – NO she proceeded to tell me that it was the head office and that if I’d waited I could have had a Golf as I’d requested. Then she revealed that I would be charged £1.60 per litre for the petrol that had to be filled. Now forgive me but surely a phone call like that should have been to do something to resolve the situation, NOT to piss me off even more. EuropCar – your procedures and customer service suck ass. And another thing – your depot is not in Downtown Colwyn Bay it’s in FUCKING Mochdre – a £4 taxi ride away.

Sorry for the rant but I had to vent