The Dryer, Part 3
The beginning of the end of the saga started with a letter to Lowe’s Chief Executive Officer, Marvin R. Ellison.
Requested Resolution
I sent Lowe’s all of my documents and requested the following:
- Full reimbursement of both installation charges totaling $353
- A written apology acknowledging the service failures and safety concerns
- An internal review of the delivery team’s conduct and the service process that led to these failures
Response
I never heard from the CEO. My letter went to Shannon S instead. That’s what she goes by. Her last name is withheld, not because I want to protect her, but that’s how she signs her emails. When she calls, she just calls herself Shannon S. She is Lowe’s Executive Customer Relations person.
I answered the phone and woman with a sickening sweet Southern drawl said, “This is Shannon on a recorded line from the Lowe’s Executive Customer Relations.” She started all of our many conversations with this statement. She emphasized the word “executive.”
Lowe’s offered me 10% off of my original dryer’s price, which amounted to $70. “We already gave you $50,” Shannon S said.
“Oh no you didn’t. You gave me a $50 egift card, which I repeatedly told the customer service person I didn’t want. I wanted a credit on my account.”
Shannon S said, “I could have done that for you.”
“I didn’t know you existed. I spoke to the ‘supervisor’ at the time.”
Shannon S said I already received $50 and they were kindly offering me another $70.
“Not acceptable,” I growled.
She gave me a few days to ponder it. My cousin, a retired attorney, suggested I make a counteroffer of $150. I didn’t want to. After another phone call, I reduced it to half of the $353 I originally asked for, making my offer $176.50.
No dice. Shannon S again offered me $70. She kept telling me that Lowe’s doesn’t reimburse people for third-party installations. “But it is your fault I had to pay for two installations,” I explained.
I was on vacation during all of those calls. Every time my phone rang, my whole family froze. “It’s her,” I would say, and then go off somewhere to talk without kids and dogs making a lot of noise.
Eventually, I was back home from vacation, although Shannon S did call while I was on the ride home. This whole process of non-negotiations took a few weeks. It took everything I had to stay calm each time I spoke to Shannon S. She kept repeating the same thing. I kept repeating the same thing. After three or four phone calls, I was at the end of my rope. Okay, I told my attorney cousin, I’ll ask for $150, which felt like a complete failure on my part.
“No,” Shannon S drawled as smugly as she could. The $70 offer is it.
“Can I speak to your supervisor?”
“No,” she said smugly, “I’m at the top.”
I had given my brother the $50 egift card, and now I had to make a decision. Shannon S said she could deactivate the card. Fine. Now I had to tell my brother that the gift card was no good. I had a feeling he would never use it anyway.
With the $50 deactivated gift card, they would give me $50 plus $70 off my bill. Of course, the installation was not on my Lowe’s bill, but in the end, I had to give in. Shannon S wouldn’t budge.
Real Customer Service
As a side note, while on vacation, I had a little problem. I use these terrific poop bags called Mr. Peanut’s for my greyhound. They are a great product, and I have used them for years. The company makes the bags from recycled plastic. The bags are biodegradable, which fits into my way of thinking. I took three rolls of bags with me on vacation, and I popped the last roll into the holder and took my greyhound, Ruthie, for a walk. I needed a bag, and when I went to do the scooping, my hand went right through the bag. One side was not sealed. I grabbed another bag. It too was open on one side. The whole roll was damaged. It was no longer a bag, just a piece of plastic. Somehow, with three “bags,” I was able to get the job done.
We were leaving that morning, so I figured I would grab a few grocery bags. (I was in NC, where Shannon S lives, as it turns out, and they have not banned plastic bags.) We saved them from our grocery store runs, and I had the bags for the ride home.
I grabbed another roll of bags when I got home. Oh, no! They were also damaged. In fact, almost all of the bags in the box (which is 16 rolls) were damaged. If only one roll had been damaged, it wouldn’t have been a big deal. I purchased them on Amazon, and I had already written a very nice review for the product. I didn’t want to change it because I really do like the bags and what they stand for.
There is a way to contact the seller on Amazon, which in this case was the company’s website. I wasn’t even aware that they sell a bunch of other dog-related products. I sent a message explaining the problem. In the message, I didn’t ask for my money back, nor did I ask for replacement bags. I just wanted to bring the problem to their attention. Their website asked for a name and email.
Within five minutes of sending the message, I had an email from Michael Strianese, Mr. Peanut’s Caretaker, AKA the owner of the company. He said if I sent my address, he would replace the bags. I sent my address.
The following Saturday, I found a large box on my front porch. It was from Mr. Peanut’s! They sent me FOUR boxes of poop bags, a tote bag and a box of doggie wipes.
That’s what customer service is! That’s how valued customers should be treated.
Shame on you, Lowe’s
According to Lowe’s corporate website: they are “guided by” their mission: Solving problems and fulfilling dreams for the home.
According to Bing: Angry customers can reach large audiences — especially online — and happy customers are more likely to spread positive word‑of‑mouth. Businesses should focus on preventing negative experiences and encouraging positive ones to maximize both retention and advocacy.
According to me: Large companies don’t value the individual customer. It’s a numbers game with them. Hey, if this person isn’t happy, no problem. Another person will be along to take their place.
Lowe’s bottom line would not be affected at all if they gave me what I asked for. Mr. Peanut’s, on the other hand, is much more affected by refunds.
And, by the way, I’m still waiting for my other two requests, which were a letter of apology and an internal review of the delivery team’s conduct. Shannon S told me they sent a note to someone who would talk to the delivery people. Yeah, right. That’s not an internal review.
Shannon S and everyone at Lowe’s, take a lesson from Mr. Peanut’s. Do what’s right, and you keep a valued customer.
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Read more by Holli Friedland.