Yet another step backwards for the Mint customer service...
Raufus
Posts: 6,817 ✭✭✭✭✭
So, Mint spends g-d knows how much on a new web site which I think it's safe to say that most of us don't like for the reasons stated in another thread.
Well, you can rest assured that along with the new web site and the new product ordering system that the customer service policies are far worse than before.
I have a subscription to the 5 oz ATB coins. I received the Great Sands coin a couple of weeks ago. It had a huge white spot on the reverse.
I called. They said, per usual that it would be no prob to send it back for a replacement and that I was welcome to fax the return shipping receipt over for a refund on my return shipping.
They received the coin on 9/29. Having not received an email from the Mint noting the return I called.
With the new system no matter when you call there is a 10 ish minute wait along with the stupid "due to extremely high call volume..." message when the call volume is not obviously always extremely high.
Finally I have time to sit and wait. After 15 minutes someone answers. She looks up the order. She informs me that with the new system they no longer accept exchanges of damaged coins!!!! This is incredible. She says that you have to return for a refund and re-order. I said that I was told by their own rep that this was fine and asked will they honor this in my case as I sent it back prior to the new policy being enacted. She said no.
Thus, when you receive a damaged coin you have to now pay to ship it back (they won't refund the return shipping as promised) AND pay them to ship another to you. Further, being that I ordered at the subscription price she said that I have to re-order at the full price regardless of what I paid originally. She kindly noted that there will be no more subscription pricing.
This is all just UFB. Only in the Govt. They send out all of these surveys, all of this B.S. about customer service, yet the changes which they make are uniformly negative.
What company operates like this?? It only gets worse.
P.S.: I was on hold with the Mint while writing the above wanting to ask about the status of my refund. She gets on the phone, asks me for the tracking number, tracks it to TN and informs me that they'll have to send out a tracking service request to TN so that I can get my refund. I said "what if I had not called?" She said you'd likely have received a refund eventually. Love it.
Well, you can rest assured that along with the new web site and the new product ordering system that the customer service policies are far worse than before.
I have a subscription to the 5 oz ATB coins. I received the Great Sands coin a couple of weeks ago. It had a huge white spot on the reverse.
I called. They said, per usual that it would be no prob to send it back for a replacement and that I was welcome to fax the return shipping receipt over for a refund on my return shipping.
They received the coin on 9/29. Having not received an email from the Mint noting the return I called.
With the new system no matter when you call there is a 10 ish minute wait along with the stupid "due to extremely high call volume..." message when the call volume is not obviously always extremely high.
Finally I have time to sit and wait. After 15 minutes someone answers. She looks up the order. She informs me that with the new system they no longer accept exchanges of damaged coins!!!! This is incredible. She says that you have to return for a refund and re-order. I said that I was told by their own rep that this was fine and asked will they honor this in my case as I sent it back prior to the new policy being enacted. She said no.
Thus, when you receive a damaged coin you have to now pay to ship it back (they won't refund the return shipping as promised) AND pay them to ship another to you. Further, being that I ordered at the subscription price she said that I have to re-order at the full price regardless of what I paid originally. She kindly noted that there will be no more subscription pricing.
This is all just UFB. Only in the Govt. They send out all of these surveys, all of this B.S. about customer service, yet the changes which they make are uniformly negative.
What company operates like this?? It only gets worse.
P.S.: I was on hold with the Mint while writing the above wanting to ask about the status of my refund. She gets on the phone, asks me for the tracking number, tracks it to TN and informs me that they'll have to send out a tracking service request to TN so that I can get my refund. I said "what if I had not called?" She said you'd likely have received a refund eventually. Love it.
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Comments
Most systems are designed for a mean number of transaction, where we see problems are when there is a surge, this is not unique to the US Mint, remember the Health Care web site? It is silly to design to the surge level because it results in an infrastructure that is expensive to maintain, and beyond the surge, it not going to be utilized. It is like designing a tank for a golf cart.
If you had a business, and thousands and thousands of customers returned stuff because they would not grade MS 70 (they were not perfect), how long before you would wait before you put in some circuit breakers on returns?
I waited 35 mins for Verizon to answer my call the other day. More and more companies are getting away from call center support, good or bad, you should not expect that to get better. But by all means, hope spring eternal. Point is, many companies stay in business with much worse service.
20 years ago, returns at the US Mint were unheard of. Collector and Dealers "Working the System" got us here today.
<< <i>A lot of things going on in this post.
Most systems are designed for a mean number of transaction, where we see problems are when there is a surge, this is not unique to the US Mint, remember the Health Care web site? It is silly to design to the surge level because it results in an infrastructure that is expensive to maintain, and beyond the surge, it not going to be utilized. It is like designing a tank for a golf cart.
If you had a business, and thousands and thousands of customers returned stuff because they would not grade MS 70 (they were not perfect), how long before you would wait before you put in some circuit breakers on returns?
I waited 35 mins for Verizon to answer my call the other day. More and more companies are getting away from call center support, good or bad, you should not expect that to get better. But by all means, hope spring eternal. Point is, many companies stay in business with much worse service.
20 years ago, returns at the US Mint were unheard of. Collector and Dealers "Working the System" got us here today.
>>I've been a regular USM customer for nearly a decade.
I understand the surge when a "hot" issue is released. This is not the case now. Whenever I've tried to call over the past few days, same message, same wait. This was not the case previously.
A blanket policy not accepting returns is just absurd. So, because some return coins that are not 70s no returns will be accepted even with huge white spots? This is just absurd. What reputable company will not replace obviously defective goods?
Further, they won't even honor the policy that my coins were returned under with their explicit permission??? This sounds fine to you and as one should expect?
The irony of all of this is that the Mint has been sending out many cust. service surveys, advertising that improved ordering system, spending our tax dollars to do so and this is what we get. Even worse than before.
1. Yes, then adapt.
2. No, be sure to cancel all contracts.
I waited 35 mins for Verizon to answer my call the other day. More and more companies are getting away from call center support, good or bad, you should not expect that to get better.
Oh, I absolutely disagree with this. When did we start accepting really bad response as "okay"? I don't accept it.
20 years ago, returns at the US Mint were unheard of. Collector and Dealers "Working the System" got us here today.
If your coin had a gash through Liberty's face on the obverse, would you keep it? Me neither, which is why I decided to pay the $21.61 for Insured Registered Mail to get a refund.
If the Mint's quality and policies continue to deteriorate, they will lose business. This means that more "unintentional" "mule" coins and missing mintmarks or missing letters can be anticipated to spike collector interest when they start missing the lost business.
It's the Mint. Expect the mediocre. Hope for the best.
P.S. Raufus, I agree with you about the total irony of the Mint Surveys.
I knew it would happen.
No need to call
Capital investment depends on confidence. - Martin Armstrong
<< <i>Simple do you need to do business with them.
1. Yes, then adapt.
2. No, be sure to cancel all contracts.
Wow. Thanks for such an insightful comment.
Why even post this?
<< <i>Recently I returned something just by filling in the return form and I received a prompt refund
No need to call >>
I called to get a refund on my return shipping.
It turns out that had I checked the box to exchange the coin for another of the same item that, per my prior post, would not have been honored.
As to the prompt refund, this is also apparently no longer the case.
This is the cause, abuse by some resulting in hurt for everyone.
<< <i>
<< <i>Simple do you need to do business with them.
1. Yes, then adapt.
2. No, be sure to cancel all contracts.
Wow. Thanks for such an insightful comment.
Why even post this? >>
Because many of us are using option 2. And the surveys go in the shredder or junk email folder.
Just another screwed up govt program and getting worse every year.
I have no issue with the new system but they should improve the quality or spell it out a little better.
NGC registry V-Nickel proof #6!!!!
working on proof shield nickels # 8 with a bullet!!!!
RIP "BEAR"
The Mint, of course, has a monopoly on it's products and thus no incentive at all to do better.