What is it with customer service these days? Here in Costa Rica I’m getting used to the non-existent service. But when I have to deal with US companies, I’m continually shocked at the poor service.

For instance, I looked on my credit card statement today and saw that a magazine subscription got charged to my card twice. I wanted to send them an email, but when I went to their “contact us” page, the only departments available were advertising or letter to the editor.

So I had to call long distance from Costa Rica to try and get my refund. When I mentioned to them that their was a problem with the website and I would have much rather communicated to them that way, I was rudely told that many people send emails and I clearly don’t know what I’m doing.

Despite the fact that I’m pretty computer savvy and know that they have a problem, they should really at least pretend to be and say nice things to keep me happy.

Let’s face it, whomever I may be talking to on the phone is an hourly employee who isn’t going to pass on my message anyhow. So s/he might as well be trained just to be nice. After all, without happy customers are they really going to stay in business?

Getting back to Costa Rica, we’re in the dark ages here as far as customer service goes. These people have no idea what it means to keep a customer happy. For instance I had to repair my cell phone recently. The top of the “flip” part of the phone keeps cracking near the hinges.

When I went to pick it up a week later, it was still cracked – but in a different place. They told me I owe them $24 and that they couldn’t fix it properly, claiming it was the fault of my phone. At the moment I was in such shock that I didn’t even say anything.

So let’s get this right. You can’t fix it, but you are still going to charge me for it anyhow? I brought the phone elsewhere and they fixed it just fine. So I know it wasn’t my phone causing the problem.

I guess I am just as much to blame. Shouldn’t I make more of an effort to tell companies when I’m not happy with them instead of just complaining to others? I don’t know. I feel like I’d be wasting my breath.