Comedy of Errors

OK, so one of the contracts we have where I work is with a Computer Manufacturer (name withheld to protect the stupid). The basic overview of this contract is that they have customers who call into their tech support center needing assistance. Their tech support people determine the problem, decide which part needs replaced, and dispatch it to us. We, in turn, order the part they instruct us to order and we must perform the service they request upon receipt of the part - 95% of the time it is the next business day.

For anyone unfamiliar with the computer service industry, if a unit is under warranty and a part is replaced, the manufacturer requires that the defective part be returned to them within a specified period of time before any credit is received. We must provide payment for the part in advance and they give full credit once the defective part is received. Anyway, I don't want to bore you with the details... so onto this particular incident.

There are 2 particular customers who will not provide a defective return to Computer Manufacturer (CM from here on out) if the defective part is a hard drive. This is due to security reasons - the hard drives in question have information on them that the customers do not want to take any chances of being leaked.

So, for the call in question that we received - CM sent the call to us via the virtual dispatch site that we use. In the notes of the call they (CM) specified, "that the defective Hard Drive will not be returned, as it is a defense organization." In other situations where we do this for customers, we must fill out paperwork that we have for the specified customers and return the paperwork in place of the defective part. This call did not have any paperwork given to us (what we already have is customer specific, so it could not be used) so we printed out the information from their website, highlighted the notes that they (CM) put in there, and send that paperwork in place of the defective part.

Two weeks later we received the box back, with the paperwork inside, and a letter stating that we did not return the defective part to them so we were going to be charged the full charge for the part. It also stated that if we wished to dispute the charge, we needed to send an email to their specified email with the details of the case and the reason for the dispute. *Sigh*

So, I compose the email, stating the customer's name, the order number, the part number, our ID number, and the reason for the dispute - that they (CM) were the ones who told us not to return the defective drive!

One week later (today) I receive a reply from their dispute department directing me to contact Joe Schmoe for assistance with this problem. That Joe handles all cases where the defective drive is not returned.

So! I forwarded the entire email string to Joe - the customer's name included - and received the following reply:

I assume this is an CM or CM2 desktop under warranty.
Please contact MR (person who works for my company) for paperwork requirements.

Also, I assume the customer is XYZCompany.
If not, then it does not process through me.
I will need to research further if not XYZCompany.

He copied, on his email, 2 other people within my company - and one within his (Mike P). He received almost immediate replies from 3 of the 4 people he sent it to. All three said about the same thing - DUH! Did you even READ THE EMAIL??? (of course you had to read between the lines to get that and if he was incapable of reading the email I had already sent, he probably didn't get the inclination of the replies, either!)

Mine said, "No, the customer is not XYZCompany - it is a CM call. CM dispatches it to us. As stated below, this call was ran for 'Defense Organization'."

The one from Mike P. said, "This is not an issue for Joe Schmoe. Joe only has this process for XYZCompany, this call is for 'Defence Organization'. RTD, please issue full credit for the order to 'Company ID.' Per the note of the case from CM, the partner was directed NOT to return a defective part. Any question please contact me ASAP."

I absolutely adore Mike P. He is the absolute best at his job, and everyone else's job in their company apparently! It is because of him that I recommend this brand of computer to anyone I talk to - because of him I can get almost any issue I have with this Computer Manufacturer resolved almost immediately.

Errors made:

#1 - Whoever opened the box was unable to read, apparently, and could not comprehend that the company for which he/she works was the ones who instructed us not to return the defective part. Thus the box and paperwork were returned to us with instructions on how to dispute the rejected part.

#2 - Why the paperwork states to file a dispute via email to their "disputes" department if they cannot handle the disputes and will just send me elsewhere.

#3 - Sending me to Joe Schmoe for assistance when he is not the one who handles such cases - he only does work for XYZCompany. If they know his name well enough to send me to him, they should know what his position is within their company.

#4 - Joe Schmoe making assumptions and not reading the email before sending an unintelligent response. Didn't anyone ever tell him what happens when he assumes??? (Ass - u - me) But in this case I think he only made an ass of himself. :)

#5 - Me even thinking I could get any correct assistance from anyone else other than Mike P. I should have just gone directly to him when I read the instructions in the call!

Anyway, this is my form of venting about the situation. :) Hope it didn't bore you!