Random Musings

i just got off the phone with an ikea customer service rep (anthony) who seemed more intent on not doing anything for me then helping.

fast facts: an ikea leather couch ($1300+) that i bought had a defective cover that just split down the middle for no reason. i took it into the ikea store in dec 2007 where i bought it with proof of purchase - they told me it was in fact a defect that was common with the piece i had purchased, but they were out of stock. they took my name, number, address, and all relevant info and said they would get the piece in stock in 1 month and would contact me then. i asked for a reference #, they told me no worries, that they would call me. i asked for a number where i could reach them for updates and they gave me their national #.

fast forward 4 months - no word, so i call customer service. i get bounced to the national handling and they said they cannot find my report. (of course). and then they said they would need to “document” my case, so they were going to forward me to someone else. i got forwarded to anthony who said my problem was a “quality issue” which they do not handle over the phone. and he said i had to go back into the store to resolve it. i asked to be transfered to the store, so i could call them and not have to drive myself all the way over there to find out it is not in stock again. he said he could not connect me to the store because the store does not take calls from customers - that their purpose was to help in store customers only. i asked if i could get my case documented by him since that was why i was transfered to him in the first place and he said no, because it was a quality issue. so then i asked what kinds of cases does he document, and he said “not quality issues.” wow, thank you for being so helpful. so i asked again if he could document anything for me so i at least had a record and he said my case was too old since i bought my sofa more than 90 days ago and he only handles cases that where purchase was within 90 days. so i asked, ok, if i had purchased my sofa within 90 days, then he would be able to handle it? and again he said no cause he handled purchases made within 90 days except for quality issues.

so i gave up on trying to understand what his job was and asked again if I could be connected to the person who had forwarded me to him. and he said no. i asked why not, and he said he didnt know who forwarded me to him. i asked him if he could query my name since i had given all my information to the person i had spoken to previously and he said that they do not track customer service calls, they only record them (what the…? huh? i dont believe that for a second especially since ikea is a multi-national behemoth. they must have a well developed call tracking system) so i asked if he could transfer me to anyone else and he said no, that i had to go into the store because it was a “quality issue” and no one in his call center handles “quality issues”. i just do not understand how they could not call for me to even find out if my initial file was still there? is that too much to ask?

if this post is no longer making sense, its because the entire conversation made no sense. i asked him again why customers could not reach in-store people directly, and he actually just stopped talking. i asked again and then sat in silence and said “hello? hello?” before he said, “yes, i am here”. i explained to him that i am not trying to make his job difficult and that i was trying to understand for my own reference how customer service was handled at ikea so i could make sure i am going to the right places and to see where my initial order may be and he basically made it clear that i needed to stop talking to him, stop trying to reach anyone by phone and that my only option was to go back in store. it became very clear from the canned sentences he was giving me that their training was directed at just trying to get me off the phone. if i was an in-store ikea employee, i would be pissed -the back-up team is selling you guys out.

so is that ikea’s only response? you are the one that sold me a busted couch.

if only i wasnt so broke, then i would never need ikea again!!!

Update: Aug 2008 - 8 months after my first attempts to get defective leather couch cover replaced, i came home with a nice, new cover.  after my blog post was published by the average joe’s guardian angel, aka the blog consumerist.com, i was contacted by an ikea customer service rep.  they said they would get a replacement cover to my closest ikea but it would take several weeks, weeks turned into months, but sure enough - eventually one came through.  i am so relieved to have a normal cover and although it did take 8 months to replace, hopefully i now have a cover that will last years.

finally! someone writes a good post about social networks in asia (tho i do have to say, I think qq is more an IM client, even tho it is an IM client on crack).

as i have been discussing the future of soompi and the potential for growth in the asian market with a lot of really smart people in the valley, i have been amazed with how little people know about the largest internet market in the world! social network services in asia are for the most part profitable. that, in and of itself, is a phenomenon worth studying.  also, is virality a cultural by-product there? or is a result of product development? these are all questions that could have major impact on how we do business here.

well, go read the post - its got some great insight. in the meantime, i will keep doing my research on the matter:)

my buddy nick douglas just did an article on soompi.com, digg.com and colbertnation.com over on gawker. funny article about how all three online communities are battling it out on the TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People polls for our respective champions. personally, i love everyone in the top 5, but i have to go with the one my site is rooting for:) that would be rain…for those of you that don’t follow korean pop charts;) but it is an interesting point about how mobilized online communities can yield massive results online.

as i have mentioned before, women 2.0 is a organization focused on increasing the number of female entrepreneurs - they hold great events and this is their biggest event of the year. so get moving on that business plan you have been sitting on for ages, and give it a whirl. things dont ever happen unless you make them happen.

WOMEN 2.0 CALLS BRILLIANT ENTREPRENEURS TO PITCH!
Deadline to Enter is April 15, 2008 — Full details at: http://pitch.women2.org

The Women 2.0 Business Plan Competition gives passionate entrepreneurs an opportunity to launch or showcase their ventures. Business plans will be reviewed by a panel of top-shelf Silicon Valley investors and entrepreneurs, and all submissions receive written feedback from our judges! Read more about our judges at http://www.women2.org/?page_id=44#judges_bios

Not a woman and want to submit to the Women 2.0 Business Plan Competition? No problem! Find some brilliant women and pull a team together.

Have several ideas? You can submit as many paper napkin ideas as you like!

- Submissions accepted worldwide (finalists must pitch at Stanford live and in person on May 10, 2008).

The winning team will get:

- Legal advice from Orrick