good customer service | bad customer service

Over the last 2 weeks, I've seen both and I need to share.

Good customer service
Porter Airlines flew me to Newark and back so that I could go to Rhinebeck. On the trip home, I learned my flight was cancelled when I got to the airport [I gave them my home number as a contact number, otherwise they'd have called my cell and I would have known much earlier]. The problem was an equipment issue and they needed to get a part to rectify it. It was a substantial bump in their schedule, and here's how they handled it.

With very little fuss, they
a) put me up at the [surprisingly lovely] Marriott adjacent to the airport
b) provided dinner and breakfast vouchers
c) when the morning's flight was delayed the next day, provided lunch as well
d) as they gave updates on the delay, they would let us know when the next update would be so we wouldn't just be sitting there, wondering, like the poor folks waiting on the Delta flight at the next gate
e) gave me two credits equalling nearly the entire cost of my flight because of the problems, unasked.

I will fly Porter again, unquestionably. [I haven't even mentioned their deluxe lounge in Toronto where everyone waits for their flights with free wifi, delicious coffee and yummy cookies, plus the fact that they serve small meals, beer and wine, ALL FREE, on almost every flight.]

Bad customer service
Rogers Wireless

I'm just shaking my head at this. I placed the order for the iPhone on the 22nd of October [a week ago]. They didn't mention at the time that I could just go to a store and buy a phone and it would be faster. Sure wish they had. Here, let's use the same list system:

a) first sales rep was rude and cross when I asked why, as a loyal, long-time Rogers customer, that I had to pay more for an iPhone [$249] than a new customer [$199]. No explanation, just curt answers and lots of being bored with me. Transfers me to...
b) second sales rep who was much nicer and, though he didn't tell me about the in-person shopping option [only hardware upgrades can be arranged in store; new purchases must be done online or over the phone, go figger], he was at least nice and gave me a service discount well in excess of the overcharge for the phone. Fair enough.
c) on Monday [the 27th], was told the phones had come in on the 24th and would likely ship that day or the next.
d) on Tuesday [okay, I was eager. sue me], was told it hadn't shipped yet. Maybe tomorrow.
e) today, was told there are NO PHONES and none came in on the 24th. I could cancel my order and go to a store now [NOW they tell me], but must wait until the cancellation goes through. Another 24-72 hours. They can't cancel my order right away. Not even the supervisor I waited an hour to talk to. Dude.
f) finally get transferred to another customer service guy who seems to be intelligent and actually cares about my business. Gives me very complex options designed to make me happy while working around the unbelievably STUPID rules and systems at Rogers. He types a lot of notes into my file. By the way, have been on the phone for 1 hour 52 minutes, mostly on hold.
eta: g) spent an hour at the Rogers shop based on the instructions of guy in step F. Guy in step F has been smoking something and what he tells me will happen at the shop CANNOT happen. Leave without iPhone.
h) Call Rogers again on the way to the Purl and get someone who now says that the reason they can't cancel my original order is because IT'S ALREADY SHIPPED. See item e). I have no idea if she's right this time and likely won't until the damned thing actually shows up.

So what am I frustrated with? Not the people at Rogers so much as the red tape, stupidity and unnecessary complexity of their [not very good] systems. Why should their own employees have to figure out how to bend or break their rules to make their customers happy when they have valid requests?

By contrast, Porter just made it all better before I even asked. That's customer service. Take that, Rogers.