Trains.com

Worst Customer Service Award Goes to Kalmbach

1926 views
10 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    September 2002
  • From: Redding CA
  • 56 posts
Worst Customer Service Award Goes to Kalmbach
Posted by newusername on Wednesday, August 17, 2016 10:54 AM

I phoned Trains 2 days ago as I had a question about an email I received from Trains regarding my renewal of my magazine subscription. I was put on hold for over 15 minutes waiting for a customer service rep to answer. When I finallly reached a rep I asked my question. She said she had to check, and it would only take a minute. I told her OK but that I was not going to wait on hold for another 15 minutes. She responded that if it took longer than she expected (a minute!) that she would call me back. I said OK and was again put on hold.  After another 10 minutes on hold I was so pissed off and remembering she said she would call me back I hung up.  It's now been 2 days and I have never received a call back. So, congratulations to Kalmbach for winning the worst customer service award!

  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: Guelph, Ontario
  • 4,819 posts
Posted by Ulrich on Wednesday, August 17, 2016 12:05 PM

Just call back the next day. She likely got busy and forgot about you. Fortunately not a heart operation, just a phone call.  

  • Member since
    May 2005
  • From: S.E. South Dakota
  • 13,569 posts
Posted by Murphy Siding on Wednesday, August 17, 2016 2:24 PM

newusername

I phoned Trains 2 days ago as I had a question about an email I received from Trains regarding my renewal of my magazine subscription. I was put on hold for over 15 minutes waiting for a customer service rep to answer. When I finallly reached a rep I asked my question. She said she had to check, and it would only take a minute. I told her OK but that I was not going to wait on hold for another 15 minutes. She responded that if it took longer than she expected (a minute!) that she would call me back. I said OK and was again put on hold.  After another 10 minutes on hold I was so pissed off and remembering she said she would call me back I hung up.  It's now been 2 days and I have never received a call back. So, congratulations to Kalmbach for winning the worst customer service award!

 

What a lucky man you are, that you've never worked in a busy office on a day when things don't go as planned.  I sure hope you didn't take your frustrations out on an innocent bystander.  If you do that, they're likely to put you on hold and leave you there.

Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.

  • Member since
    January 2001
  • From: MP CF161.6 NS's New Castle District in NE Indiana
  • 2,148 posts
Posted by rrnut282 on Wednesday, August 17, 2016 4:19 PM

Oh no, he's completely correct, the poor thing.  He's been greaviously injured.  In situations like this, I call 911 and request a waaambulance.

Mike (2-8-2)
  • Member since
    May 2003
  • From: US
  • 25,292 posts
Posted by BaltACD on Wednesday, August 17, 2016 4:45 PM

Why would he need 'newusername' - inquiring minds and all that.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

  • Member since
    June 2009
  • From: Along the Big 4 in the Midwest
  • 536 posts
Posted by K4sPRR on Wednesday, August 17, 2016 5:24 PM

Its not just Kalmbach, this happens quite frequently with various customer service people.  Seems that as we transitioned to a "service oriented society", the service has got worse and more frustrating.  Be happy you talked with a human and not a machine.  Or my favorite; pressing one for "english", then when someone answers you have to ask for someone who speaks english.   Don't panic, just get accustomed to calling back.

  • Member since
    November 2008
  • 1,881 posts
Posted by Leo_Ames on Wednesday, August 17, 2016 5:34 PM

No need to be critical of the original poster or be sarcastic. Nobody likes to contact customer service and then not get any action or an ineffectual response or sometimes, even a downright lie. 

What's that old saying? It's something like "those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones". 

  • Member since
    May 2003
  • From: US
  • 25,292 posts
Posted by BaltACD on Wednesday, August 17, 2016 5:55 PM

Talk to me about ComCast and Verizon customer service and the ones that have outsourced 'Customer Service' to locations where US English is a 3rd or 4th language.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

  • Member since
    December 2007
  • From: Georgia USA SW of Atlanta
  • 11,919 posts
Posted by blue streak 1 on Wednesday, August 17, 2016 6:34 PM

BaltACD

Talk to me about ComCast and Verizon customer service and the ones that have outsourced 'Customer Service' to locations where US English is a 3rd or 4th language.

 
Then when you do get one asking for someone who speaks  " American English " will get all kinds of repplys.  Have found persons from the Philiphines speak very well.  + they take the time to go at your pace.
  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: Guelph, Ontario
  • 4,819 posts
Posted by Ulrich on Wednesday, August 17, 2016 6:42 PM

I'm pretty sure they speak English at Kalmbach. Hopefully the OP got that off his chest and feels better now. No point in getting your blood pressure up over stuff like this. There's no conspiracy and I'm sure no malice intended. We all drop the ball sometimes.  

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 9,610 posts
Posted by schlimm on Wednesday, August 17, 2016 7:18 PM

The best companies work hard to deliver excellence in customer relations. But in some fields, that has traditionally been a low priority.  

As far as spoken English goes, what is spoken by some in areas of the US is quite often harder to understand on the phone than some person in Asia. Individual differences capture more of the variance than location.

C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan

Join our Community!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

Search the Community

Newsletter Sign-Up

By signing up you may also receive occasional reader surveys and special offers from Trains magazine.Please view our privacy policy