Online companies that only have contact through email

[cr8crshr]

Sadly, Kern, it is now the excepted norm for anything related to Customer service. Companies are eliminating human Reps for AI and computerized interactions for anything relating to providing solutions and services for their products. They are pre-programmed with these artificial supposed reps that have only set patterns to answer questions and when you try and circumvent them, they cannot see it for what it is. So henceforth no real interaction with a Human. I use at times a sight...Get A Human...which has 800 numbers where when called, a Human actually answers. Helps to a degree although you may be talking to a remote worker who is too far removed from actually handling any inquiries. The email usage applies here as most likely you are talking to someone, who knows where they are, as all they have to do is reply to their emails. I'm old school and need that Human interaction to help resolve any issues I might encounter. FOOK this artificial BS and let's get back to Customer Service basics...cr8crshr/Bill

 

[33 IMP]

If I can't speak to a human, a company won't get ten cents of my business.

 

[Kern Dog]

It sucks to think that this is becoming the standard.
Yesterday, I talked with PEOPLE to resolve the issue with Summit racing. The man that called me was friendly and apologetic. Would a computer AI program do that?

 

[33 IMP]

Sadly, Kern, it is now the excepted norm for anything related to Customer service. Companies are eliminating human Reps for AI and computerized interactions for anything relating to providing solutions and services for their products. They are pre-programmed with these artificial supposed reps that have only set patterns to answer questions and when you try and circumvent them, they cannot see it for what it is. So henceforth no real interaction with a Human. I use at times a sight...Get A Human...which has 800 numbers where when called, a Human actually answers. Helps to a degree although you may be talking to a remote worker who is too far removed from actually handling any inquiries. The email usage applies here as most likely you are talking to someone, who knows where they are, as all they have to do is reply to their emails. I'm old school and need that Human interaction to help resolve any issues I might encounter. FOOK this artificial BS and let's get back to Customer Service basics...cr8crshr/Bill

Thanks for this, got a phone number for a human at Amazon. Maybe they can explain why the two gift cards I bought from them don't work.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

Being able to speak to them over the phone doesn't mean much either.... Back in May I purchased through a major online retailer (Edit after seeing 33Imp's post I'll add it was Amazon) a new kitchen sink, porcelain over cast iron... It arrived in a basic cardboard box with no padding and naturally it was damaged... The day it arrived I contacted the seller & was informed the sink was actually sold through a drop ship arrangement and they would need to get the actual supplier to either send a new sink or refund my money... I told the person on the phone that IMO it qas the company I purchased from was responsible to me and that they need to deal with their supplier.... Not my problem... Well somehow they didn't see it that way & I tried repeatedly to get resolution going further & further up the Customer Service line... Eventually I was emailing "senior executives" but getting zero response....

So I contacted my credit card company... Never done that before, always been able to get someone with the retail company to see things my way & do the right thing... Credit card company immediately pulled the funds and I was told the full investigation could take 90 days but unless the seller could find some pretty amazing evidence.....

Anyway it's been about 40 days so far I guess we'll see..

 

[4406bbl]

tried to get a hold of Haggerty for an issue with my insurance its like praying to the insurance gods no response ever. been 6 weeks ago. called them all automated no one there. **** them cancelled policy, would hate to have a claim with them. Back to Grundy.

You can have your regular car insurance agent service your hagerty by giving him the doc sheet and he can request to be the servicing agent. I have never had an issue talking to a human at Hagerty.

 

[Don selleck]

i talked to a local haggerty

You can have your regular car insurance agent service your hagerty by giving him the doc sheet and he can request to be the servicing agent. I have never had an issue talking to a human at Hagerty.

underwriter in Tecumseh Michigan, they won't even try to resolve it. started when I tried to get a policy added to an existing one. 2005 crossfire, not old enough. but they will do it as a collector car when you call them. never got thru after a 20 minute call. My time is worth more than there automated non human responses. sent 3 emails got confirmation they received and stated they would contact me soon never did. DONE. I'm worth more than that as a customer, I'll give my money to someone else

 

[4406bbl]

i talked to a local haggerty

underwriter in Tecumseh Michigan, they won't even try to resolve it. started when I tried to get a policy added to an existing one. 2005 crossfire, not old enough. but they will do it as a collector car when you call them. never got thru after a 20 minute call. My time is worth more than there automated non human responses. sent 3 emails got confirmation they received and stated they would contact me soon never did. DONE. I'm worth more than that as a customer, I'll give my money to someone else

Sorry to hear that, I have never had an issue with either calling Hagerty direct, or my agent.

 

[kiwigtx]

The trim around my Coronet popped up on the corner sometime ago. Instead of going to a glass shop, like I did a few years ago while I was out and about, they now have no place of business since Covid. Mobile only and when I called it took two days to get back with me and he wanted to set up an appointment. I answered him as fast as he answered me. When I went looking for the location listed for him on Google maps, it was in the middle of a strip mall that didn't exist anymore. Pissed me off even more. It's only going to get worse for us.

I had a similar experience recently trying to locate a manufacture of carbon brushes. The address listed in the phone book online and Google was for an address that NEVER existed. I went there in person and spoke to a guy at the address that was two numbers short of his.....on a corner of two roads.
Turns out the company hadn't even been in the city for at least five years. They are now 150 miles away.

 

[beanhead]

I agree with the KernDog, not being able to talk to a live person sucks. Now if I'm calling some huge company like AT&T I get it...but if I need info about some silly car part, I'd like to think they aren't so big for their britches that they can't answer the phone or return a call...especially when it concerns their income!

Maybe we should start a list of the places that WILL talk to you on the phone.....
The 440 Source
Hughes Engines
The Mancini guys
Dwayne Porter/PR Racing
The Bullet Cam guys
Mike Beachel/ B3RE
The guys at Strange Axle
And then places like the Summit, that will talk to you but may not know what they're talking about...so know your knowledge!

 

[gkent]

Without reading all the replies I'm going to give you my take from a small business point of view. Most phone calls will waste a tremendous amount of time and result in very few sales. You get people who don't have a clue what they want. They're shocked at the cost. Or they're looking for the lowest price. So to the first point you spend a half hour determining the correct material for the task and then quote them a price. But now that they know what they need they're free to call up your competitor and state exactly what they need and quote your price so the competitor can undercut you. And all this happens at their convenience which is very often your most inconvenient time. So screw that, give me emails or texts any day - to which I can read at my leisure and reply at my leisure.

FWIW, I'm in the market for a Dana. I've contacted Dr. Diff, Strange, Mosers, Bears and two local shops - all by email. They can answer me at their leisure and I can read their replies at my leisure.

 

[Kern Dog]

Guess what, Lipshitz...it has ALWAYS been the way you describe.
"Email only" may have helped the vendor but it is of no benefit to the many customers that want a person to person contact.

 

[Sahara]

Another tangent to this is the places that have a phone number, but you never get a person to pick it up. Ever.
I work for the territorial government as a painter. Every day I am out painting, not at my desk, and usually not able to answer my cell phone when painting. If I need to reach ANY of the other government departments I need someone to pick up the phone when I call. I can’t hang off of a ladder frantically poking at my phone while trying hard not to drop my paint brush or spray gear. Email doesn’t always work because I generally need answers NOW.
Also, literally every local plumber and electrician offers 24 hour service. Not one will answer their phones after hours or on weekends.

 

[Gus chiggins]

AI ?

When AI becomes aware, yikes.

 

[Kern Dog]

RockAuto I have similar feelings about. I like their selection and prices, but I get the feeling they they put a lot of effort into trying to keep it "email only". Can get frustrating at times in my experience.

Years ago when the wife and I bought our new Challenger, I wanted to buy a set of side stripes for it. I was a member of ChallengerTalk.com and wanted to use one of the sponsors of the site.
The sponsor was like the ones I've complained about here. NO phone contact, all email or messaging through their site.
Screw that...I was looking for something specific and unique, not something original or stock. VERBAL words can express what written words may not.