# What's the best company/customer service you've dealt with? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 14, 2009, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-company-customer-service-youve-dealt-with/506355 "2009-08-14T00:10:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![perfectparanoia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a5b964/32.png) [@perfectparanoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/perfectparanoia)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-company-customer-service-youve-dealt-with/506355/41 "2009-08-14T20:24:31Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Southwest Airlines. Every single time I’ve had to deal with their agents, they’ve been unfailingly polite, efficient, very helpful, and go out of their way to give me what I don’t deserve. I’ll never fly another airline if I can help it. Third! I wanted to change a flight the other day. I just presumed that there would be no cancellations or changes on my already super-cheap flight and I would have to just book an extra flight and ‘burn’ the first. However, I called up cause it couldn’t hurt right? I get a message saying that the wait time for an agent is about ten minutes (to be expected) \would I like a call back from an agent when it is your turn\? What? Uh, oh-kay… Typed in my number and expected to not get a call back. However, nine minutes later bring-bring. They actually called me back. The agent was very helpful, didn’t call me an idiot for not noticing the huge ‘View or change your flight’ button on their homepage and walked me through changing it online. Not only that, but the new fare is super-duper-cheap so they are giving me back the difference as a credit to my next flight. Huh? But you could have just taken my money. Other airlines would have. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-company-customer-service-youve-dealt-with/506355/42 "2009-08-14T21:58:24Z")
Hewlett Packard. Years ago (before the internet) the rep asked if 2 days was too long to recieve an update. Popular Science. Oddly, I was having a bizarre problem with the subscription and they actually got a notice from a collector. One phone call fixed everything in a very professional manner. Part of the problem is that only one of the notices had a phone number. I was still impressed by the demeanor of the person I talked to. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-company-customer-service-youve-dealt-with/506355/43 "2009-08-14T23:46:00Z")
Bed Bath and Beyond. Tons of variety in the merchandise, sales folks who go out of their way to help you find what you want, no pressure, and you can use a coupon on each item you buy…even expired coupons. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2009, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-company-customer-service-youve-dealt-with/506355/44 "2009-08-15T00:26:44Z")
> [@thirdwarning](#): > > We love the Verizon customer rep people. Every time we call, they’re helpful, patient (even when we’re somewhat stupid), cheerful. They always make sure we have what we need, and they have never once sounded as if they just want us to get the heck off the phone. Too bad they don’t know the difference between [dollars and cents](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCJ3Oz5JVKs)… ---
**Author:** ![apollonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2bfe46/32.png) [@apollonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/apollonia)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2009, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-company-customer-service-youve-dealt-with/506355/45 "2009-08-15T01:07:00Z")
Westjet. I’ve flown all over Canada with Westjet, and I have never had an experience to turn me off of them. Their check-in attendants are all unfailingly polite and helpful, even when, say, you feel like the biggest idiot in the world because it’s six AM and it’s pouring rain and you haven’t had your coffee yet and you just want to get on the friggin’ flight to Halifax so you can shut your eyes for another two hours–doesn’t matter, they will serve you with a smile. If you lose something on one of their planes, they will just about move heaven and earth to get it back to you. The flight attendants are always cheerful, smiling, and more than willing to get you anything your little heart desires that they can safely procure on their plane. And, most importantly for those of us who do not tolerate idiocy, _they don’t bend the rules_. Yes. If your carryon is too big, their gate agents will ensure that everyone else has space and check yours, if need be. Flight attendants do not hesitate to ask someone nicely to stop if they’re being noisy or otherwise disruptive to the comfort of the 149 other passengers on board. It’s a great airline to fly with kids, they’re very understanding and helpful. And they constantly have fantastic sales. ---
**Author:** ![Annie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/858c86/32.png) [@Annie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2009, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-company-customer-service-youve-dealt-with/506355/46 "2009-08-15T02:07:56Z")
[Bosa Foods,](http://www.bosafoods.com/) an Italian food store in Vancouver, My pasta machine clamp broke, Google-age brought no joy, so I moseyed in to Bosa to see if they had a replacement for sale. Some dude goes rooting around out back, comes out with one, asks “You bought the machine here-right, _right_?” “Uh, yeah?” (I have no frigging idea where I bought it, 10 or so years prior). “Then it’s free!” and gave me the clamp. And half the time the checkout girl gives you a chocolate with your receipt. Their pasta machines and attachments, when they don’t outright give them to you, are about half the cost of other places. Also, Italian food. Yums Shaw Cable. Yeah, a cable company whose CS doesn’t blow (picture quality and channel selection, some blowage, but hey). I can’t remember the last time we had a service outage, and when I find some new way to fark up my account settings or cable box they always manage to talk me though it without coming over and beating the shit out of the crazy lady. When you use the ‘ok, the wait’s over 10 minutes, do you want us to call you back’ option, they do! ---
**Author:** ![BaneSidhe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c5a1d2/32.png) [@BaneSidhe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaneSidhe)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2009, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-company-customer-service-youve-dealt-with/506355/47 "2009-08-15T04:17:25Z")
I’ll second the folks at SmartPak Equine. Also add: Windy City Parrot Land’s End Schneider’s Saddlery ---
**Author:** ![atomicbadgerrace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@atomicbadgerrace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/atomicbadgerrace)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2009, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-company-customer-service-youve-dealt-with/506355/48 "2009-08-18T04:50:08Z")
> [@perfectparanoia](#): > > I get a message saying that the wait time for an agent is about ten minutes (to be expected) \would I like a call back from an agent when it is your turn\? What? Uh, oh-kay… Typed in my number and expected to not get a call back. However, nine minutes later bring-bring. They actually called me back. A friend of mine who works in a call center is in the test group for this new “virtual hold” craze. Customer response is overwhelmingly positive; CSR response apparently isn’t so great. That’s pretty cool that Southwest is taking advantage of it, though. Holding forever does suck. > [@](#): > > Not only that, but the new fare is super-duper-cheap so they are giving me back the difference as a credit to my next flight. > > Huh? But you could have just taken my money. Other airlines would have. Not all airlines. Rebooking to a lower fare isn’t unheard of; some airlines will ding you for it (and effectively cancel out any credit to you), others won’t. ---
**Author:** ![CutterJohn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/91b2a8/32.png) [@CutterJohn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CutterJohn)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-company-customer-service-youve-dealt-with/506355/49 "2009-08-20T05:48:48Z")
I was in virginia, and my car broke down 5 miles from the nearest town. No cell phone at the time, so it was time to hoof it. Walked 100 yards, and an old guy stopped to ask if that was my truck and if i needed a lift. Yep, sure do, thanks. He turns out to be the owner of a car dealership, calls up one of his tow trucks, picks up my truck, gets it fixed, and on the road, all while we were sitting at the bar down the street from his dealership having a couple of drinks. Total time broke down, 1h 15 minutes. Best customer service ever! ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-company-customer-service-youve-dealt-with/506355/50 "2009-08-20T13:41:39Z")
I hope you paid for the drinks. ---
**Author:** ![Lunar\_Saltlick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/977dab/32.png) [@Lunar\_Saltlick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lunar_Saltlick)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-company-customer-service-youve-dealt-with/506355/51 "2009-08-20T13:58:23Z")
Lee Valley Tools. In fact, just about any company that specializes in hand tools. Hand tool folk tend to be old school folk, even when their business model is Web-based, and they strive to recreate the (probably non-existent) golden era of knowledgeable salespeople and prompt, accurate customer service that goes way beyond the call of duty. ---
**Author:** ![Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glory)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-company-customer-service-youve-dealt-with/506355/52 "2009-08-20T14:26:59Z")
I’ll add to the praise for Southwest Airlines. Here’s an example: 2-3 years ago, I was flying from San Diego to Seattle with a stop in Oakland. My flight was supposed to leave Oakland around 9:00pm. Heard from my Seattle friends that it was snowing like crazy, the roads were completely iced over. The SW gate agent put me back on a plane to San Diego, got me a new ticket to Seattle for the next day - all cheerfully. My boyfriend picked me up from the airport in SD, we had another nice night, good breakfast and I arrived in Seattle after the sun had come up and melted most of the road ice - so I was able to drive home safely. SW saved me a cold, lonely night of sleeping on the Seattle airport floor! I wouldn’t have been able to drive home from the airport in those conditions. ---
**Author:** ![LVBoPeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/858c86/32.png) [@LVBoPeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVBoPeep)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-company-customer-service-youve-dealt-with/506355/53 "2009-08-20T14:53:08Z")
I will second Verizon- I’ve always had friendly, efficient help there and I call them several times a year for my job to upgrade phones, plans, etc. The customer service at our local Sam’s Club (at least the Fax & Pull people I have to deal with on a monthly basis) is awful. Last time I waited 25 minutes for the guy to bring me my order that was in a room no less than 30 feet from where I was standing (I could have easily gotten it myself!!). But- I called their Service Plan people to have a printer replaced and not only got 1). Real Americans that spoke English and 2.) pretty much “Oh…not happy? We’ll send you a new one ASAP, here’s your confirmation # and we are really sorry you had to call us” and the call was over in less than 3 minutes. Swwweeet- wish they’d put some of those people in the clubs. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-company-customer-service-youve-dealt-with/506355/54 "2009-08-20T16:31:31Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > Disney. > > It’s easy, and sort of trendy, to see them as evil or bad or something but holy cow, you stay at one of their resorts and the only bad thing that’s allowed to happen to you is having to get up in the morning. And even that you can skip if you want. > > Restaurant, maid service, child card, whatever: done with a smile and an eye towards making it easier for you to have a good time (and spend money). I have never felt less than completely satisfied with the attitude and enthusiasm of cast members from management to street sweepers. IIRC they have a secret shopper team that constantly patrols the park interacting with the staff as park guests. They are referred to as the “nice police”. If you screw up while dealing with one of them its pretty much a fired on first offense thing. ---
**Author:** ![TheMerchandise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b487fb/32.png) [@TheMerchandise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheMerchandise)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-company-customer-service-youve-dealt-with/506355/55 "2009-08-20T19:47:18Z")
Fresh Direct, a New York City based online grocer. Grocery shopping is one of my least favorite experiences here… the stores are always tiny and crowded, brands and quality are iffy, and then you’re stuck lugging whatever you’ve bought on the subway or down the sidewalk. With Fresh Direct, I pick stuff out online, pick a two-hour delivery window, and then some nice gentleman brings it right into my apartment. Once, something was left out of my order and I sent an email to their customer service rep. Within an hour, I had a response and a credit to my account. Netflix. Many, many people complain about them, but I’ve been a customer since 2001 and have always been happy with their service. Royal Caribbean cruise lines. My boyfriend and I took our first cruise earlier this year and it was a great experience. Every staff member aboard the ship was friendly, knowledgeable, and darned good at their job. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-company-customer-service-youve-dealt-with/506355/56 "2009-08-20T20:29:18Z")
I bought some green Penn racketballs and they were breaking every game. I complained on line and they said they had a bad mixture at that time. Then they sent me a case for free. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-company-customer-service-youve-dealt-with/506355/57 "2009-08-20T21:21:49Z")
Costco - very generous return policy. Lands End - I’d overnighted a bathing suit because I was leaving for a Caribbean vacation. Unfortunately, a blizzard hit the East Coast and the shipment was delayed through no fault of theirs. Nonetheless, the intercepted the package and refunded all my money. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-company-customer-service-youve-dealt-with/506355/58 "2009-08-20T21:23:08Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > I bought some green Penn racketballs and they were breaking every game. Dude, that’s nothing to complain about. That’s something to BRAG about. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-company-customer-service-youve-dealt-with/506355.md?page=2)