Rude Customer Service?

[MudGrab]

Here is a series of e-mail between me and billing support for WebHostingPad.com. Let me know what you think.

First E-mail: From Me to WebHostingPad

Hello,
My webhosting was renewed today (03/13/2009), I had planned on cancelling my webhosting, as I do not have use of it anymore, but I was unaware of the time for renewal. I assumed that when the time came to renew my account that I would be notified, but I wasn’t notified that it was time to renew, instead I received notification of an invoice. I had originally paid for 1 year of web hosting, and that is all I wanted. If I had wanted 2 years of hosting I would have signed up for the 2 year plan, it makes sense. What can we do about this? I’m very concerned with this lack of communication between your company and me, the customer. Please let me know. Thankyou.

Second E-mail: From WebHostingPad to Me

Hello,

If you refer back to our terms, we tell you that you are put on auto renewal
and you were going to get renewed.

It was our policy that you agree that you read our terms and you understood it.

To cancel, please go to: https://secure.webhostingpad.com/cancellation.htm
Thank You,
Greg White

Third E-mail: From Me to WebHostingPad

You read those terms just as much as I do, that still does not give your company a right to not notify me before hand and give me a chance to cancel, that is the LEAST you guys can do, you have to agree with me on that. Remember YOU are working for me, I'm the one paying, you should do whatever it takes to make me happy with your service. How else does anyone cancel the auto renew? How much of my 71.40 will I receive back?

Fourth E-mail: From WebHostingPad to Me

Give me a break ??

I work for you ??

Why don't we just not even have terms and just say you can do whatever you like because I work for you.

Well since you are canceling, I guess I don't work for you.

Read the terms to figure out how to cancel
Thank You,
Greg White

Fifth E-mail: From Me to WebHostingPad

This is absurd, I can't actually believe I have received such a rude e-mail from you, a representative of webhostingpad, what happened to professionalism? I would like your supervisors e-mail address please. Thankyou

Sixth E-mail: From WebHostingPad to Me

Call on Monday.

Who was being rude ??

You basically said I'm your employee and I'm what suppose to kiss your butt ????

Learn how to treat people with respect, and you'll get the same.
Thank You,
Greg White

Seventh E-mail: From Me to WebHostingPad

YOU sir, are being rude. I am a paying CUSTOMER, YOU are offering ME a service for MONEY, so when a customer has a complaint I would expect that you would do whatever it takes to resolve the issue and please the customer, that is simple BUSINESS, McDonalds does it everyday when you go up to the counter and tell them you didn't want onions on your hamburger. I am amazed at how I am being treated, and I will take this series of e-mails to every web forum I know. Greg, no matter how a customer treats you should always be respectable, you have quite a lot to learn, I will be talking with your supervisor come Monday.

 

[nameadvertising.com]

He may be rude and unprofessional, but he never fails to sign off with a "Thank You" note. Consistent, either way.

 

[exxe]

Yeah, he's a bit rude. But, on the other side, I can say you're not the perfect customer

 

[MudGrab]

It doesn't matter if I'm not the perfect customer, there is a professional that is expected from businesses. My main concern with this whole situation is the lack of communication between myself and WebHostingPad, in their Terms of Service is the ONLY place an auto-renew is mentioned, you receive no notifications whatsoever, even on the billing control panel there is no way to turn off auto-renew and there is no notification anywhere explaining to you how to cancel the auto-renew. Does that sound right?

 

[Jeffreyw]

Greg White, whoever he is, needs more proper customer communication training.

 

[tekz999]

Both sides are wrong. Client did not set auto renew off. Representative gets personal.

 

[hina]

Remember YOU are working for me, I'm the one paying, you should do whatever it takes to make me happy with your service.

If you didn't say that, I am sure he won't get personal.

Read his reply... he mentioned "work for you" three times!

He's not professional, and you are not a perfect customer either

 

[stock_post]

that is one F*** bad company and they don't know the meaning of customer service.
May be a s** head running a peeled off master reseller account.

No way they are a real company with servers.

 

[EGS]

Well, you should've hosted with a more reputable company. I never even heard of that company, so as what's posted before, you're fault.

 

[MudGrab]

Remember YOU are working for me, I'm the one paying, you should do whatever it takes to make me happy with your service.

By YOU, I was referring to WebHostingPad the company, even though I'm starting to get the feeling that HE is the company.

EGS I googled "best web hosting" and found WebHostingPad on multiple lists, with some pretty good reviews, I do agree with the saying "you get what you pay for" though, haha.

 

[DMaN]

He may be rude and unprofessional, but he never fails to sign off with a "Thank You" note. Consistent, either way.

You mean the automatic signature insertion is working consistently.

Web hosting is a fiercely customer-oriented line of business. I agree that it could have been handled better by the OP, but that's what customer service is all about; you deal with people who might be put off or you recognize that sometimes certain statements are not necessarily meant to be threatening. (IE: General 'you' in the email pretty much always refers to the company.)

 

[draggar]

Both sides are wrong. Client did not set auto renew off. Representative gets personal.

I agree. GoDaddy and 1&1 never sent me a "renewal" notification if I had the domain and hosting set up with auto renew. They assume that if I want to cancel, I'll turn off auto-renew (well, 1&1 renewed anyway, but that's a different story). The OP should have checked that and turned it off. Its the client's responsibility to make sure their own account is set up correctly and yes they can charge you without notifying you (at the correct times for the correct amounts) since that is what "auto renew" is for. They should just send you a receipt or invoice when it is done.

The customer service rep was also wrong - very rude. When I worked in a retail store (cell phone tech) I've been insulted, threatened, weapons flashed in my face, stalked, people took swings at me, etc.. (you get the picture) and never once did I get personal nor did I stoop down to that level or start to act the way the CS rep did in the post.

 

[MudGrab]

The OP should have checked that and turned it off.

Well that's part of the issue, there is now way to turn it off on the billing control panel, the only way is to call but they don't tell you that anywhere. With GoDaddy they have a little check-box to turn auto-renew on or off, its visible and convenient.