Comments on: Lulu Lens: Would You Use A Customer Service Portal? http://lulublog.com/2009/07/03/lulu-lens-would-you-use-a-customer-service-portal/ Adventures in Self-Publishing Fri, 12 Mar 2010 21:09:08 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Nick Popio http://lulublog.com/2009/07/03/lulu-lens-would-you-use-a-customer-service-portal/comment-page-1/#comment-28130 Nick Popio Thu, 03 Sep 2009 20:02:08 +0000 http://lulublog.com/?p=1284#comment-28130 Elizabeth, I'm very sorry you've had such a negative experience. If you email the reference id you received from customer service and a summary of the issue to me at npopio@lulu.com, then I will try to get you some answers. Elizabeth,
I’m very sorry you’ve had such a negative experience. If you email the reference id you received from customer service and a summary of the issue to me at npopio@lulu.com, then I will try to get you some answers.

]]> By: Elizabeth http://lulublog.com/2009/07/03/lulu-lens-would-you-use-a-customer-service-portal/comment-page-1/#comment-28127 Elizabeth Thu, 03 Sep 2009 19:55:18 +0000 http://lulublog.com/?p=1284#comment-28127 It's hard to believe that a company that completely relies on an email interface for its customer 'service' refuses to answer customer questions! I have sent over 10 replies to an 'existing ticket' over a three week period, with NOTHING in response. I even emailed their PR department (there are NO telephone numbers listed ANYWHERE on the website)and got no answer from there either! I am taking my business to Blurb. It’s hard to believe that a company that completely relies on an email interface for its customer ’service’ refuses to answer customer questions! I have sent over 10 replies to an ‘existing ticket’ over a three week period, with NOTHING in response. I even emailed their PR department (there are NO telephone numbers listed ANYWHERE on the website)and got no answer from there either! I am taking my business to Blurb.

]]> By: Nick Popio http://lulublog.com/2009/07/03/lulu-lens-would-you-use-a-customer-service-portal/comment-page-1/#comment-27434 Nick Popio Mon, 24 Aug 2009 15:49:56 +0000 http://lulublog.com/?p=1284#comment-27434 Kris, I can certainly appreciate your feedback. I will make sure our customer service managers are aware of it, and I can tell you that we are looking into options. Kris,
I can certainly appreciate your feedback. I will make sure our customer service managers are aware of it, and I can tell you that we are looking into options.

]]> By: kris Johnson http://lulublog.com/2009/07/03/lulu-lens-would-you-use-a-customer-service-portal/comment-page-1/#comment-27432 kris Johnson Mon, 24 Aug 2009 15:35:30 +0000 http://lulublog.com/?p=1284#comment-27432 You tried to boost your profits by hurting your own customers. Greed was why you abandoned live chat. How was that a good plan? So much greed in this nation. It's ruining everything because it's all driven by weakness. We want the live chat. Too bad if you have to hire more workers. If you're growing, you can afford more help. Maybe start spending more time thinking about what you're doing instead of fixating on greed. You tried to boost your profits by hurting your own customers. Greed was why you abandoned live chat. How was that a good plan? So much greed in this nation. It’s ruining everything because it’s all driven by weakness. We want the live chat. Too bad if you have to hire more workers. If you’re growing, you can afford more help. Maybe start spending more time thinking about what you’re doing instead of fixating on greed.

]]> By: Nick Popio http://lulublog.com/2009/07/03/lulu-lens-would-you-use-a-customer-service-portal/comment-page-1/#comment-26553 Nick Popio Thu, 13 Aug 2009 14:46:34 +0000 http://lulublog.com/?p=1284#comment-26553 Hi Kay, I'm sorry you've had a bad experience. Can you tell me what the reference ids you were given by customer support are? I will try to escalate your issue and make sure you receive a response quickly. Regards, Nick Hi Kay,
I’m sorry you’ve had a bad experience. Can you tell me what the reference ids you were given by customer support are? I will try to escalate your issue and make sure you receive a response quickly.

Regards,
Nick

]]> By: Kay Sencabaugh http://lulublog.com/2009/07/03/lulu-lens-would-you-use-a-customer-service-portal/comment-page-1/#comment-26552 Kay Sencabaugh Thu, 13 Aug 2009 14:39:13 +0000 http://lulublog.com/?p=1284#comment-26552 Customer service? What customer service? Last Saturday I received a book that I had ordered from your company. One corner of the box, as well as one corner of the book it contained, was mashed. I immediately went to your website to report this, and received an automated e-mail asking for a digital photo of the damage, which I promptly sent. Not having received a reply, I went back to your website last night and sent another e-mail referencing the first ticket number. Imagine my surprise this morning to get the same automated reply again requesting a digital photo! This is no customer service at all, and frankly, I'm disgusted. I want to communicate with a real person to get this issue resolved. I paid a ridiculously high price to have this book shipped, because your website said that the lower priced shipping could not be tracked, and therefore if the book were lost, I'd be totally out the money. For what I paid for the book plus shipping, I expect the order to arrive in perfect condition, or to be replaced promptly. As I said, "What customer service?" Apparently you have none. Customer service? What customer service? Last Saturday I received a book that I had ordered from your company. One corner of the box, as well as one corner of the book it contained, was mashed. I immediately went to your website to report this, and received an automated e-mail asking for a digital photo of the damage, which I promptly sent.

Not having received a reply, I went back to your website last night and sent another e-mail referencing the first ticket number. Imagine my surprise this morning to get the same automated reply again requesting a digital photo!

This is no customer service at all, and frankly, I’m disgusted. I want to communicate with a real person to get this issue resolved.

I paid a ridiculously high price to have this book shipped, because your website said that the lower priced shipping could not be tracked, and therefore if the book were lost, I’d be totally out the money. For what I paid for the book plus shipping, I expect the order to arrive in perfect condition, or to be replaced promptly.

As I said, “What customer service?” Apparently you have none.

]]> By: R. Parsifal Finch http://lulublog.com/2009/07/03/lulu-lens-would-you-use-a-customer-service-portal/comment-page-1/#comment-24642 R. Parsifal Finch Sat, 18 Jul 2009 12:54:04 +0000 http://lulublog.com/?p=1284#comment-24642 Ned Freed I agree completely with Ned Freed. Bring back live help with competent personnel, as it once was. I’ve published on Lulu for some time now but the lack of customer support I think will puch me elsewhere. AN ASIDE: When it comes to publishing Hardback, I cannot see why Lulu cannot make a better job of the spine. Text on spine is miniscule, Yet on dust-jacket it can't be better. There should be some control over the hardcover colour and text. Ned Freed
I agree completely with Ned Freed.
Bring back live help with competent personnel, as it once was. I’ve published on Lulu for some time now but the lack of customer support I think will puch me elsewhere. AN ASIDE: When it comes to publishing Hardback, I cannot see why Lulu cannot make a better job of the spine. Text on spine is miniscule, Yet on dust-jacket it can’t be better. There should be some control over the hardcover colour and text.

]]> By: Nick Popio http://lulublog.com/2009/07/03/lulu-lens-would-you-use-a-customer-service-portal/comment-page-1/#comment-24618 Nick Popio Sat, 18 Jul 2009 04:54:38 +0000 http://lulublog.com/?p=1284#comment-24618 Sab, What are your questions? Feel free to email them to me at npopio@lulu.com. Thanks, Nick Sab,
What are your questions? Feel free to email them to me at npopio@lulu.com.

Thanks,
Nick

]]> By: Sab http://lulublog.com/2009/07/03/lulu-lens-would-you-use-a-customer-service-portal/comment-page-1/#comment-24609 Sab Sat, 18 Jul 2009 02:05:02 +0000 http://lulublog.com/?p=1284#comment-24609 I've known about great services offered to lulu.com since years back. Now when I decided to publish my book, I did research online about lulu.com and I haven't receive any response to my questions through the support team. There's no number to call, so it raises a red flag. I hope you get on with the CSP as soon as possible. With new competitors out there which have an edge in giving out answers like create space from amazon, etc. I am seriously considering doing business with them. It's such a waste, you have a great service, but a terribly slow customer service response time. Hope you resolve this issue quickly. I would love to be your loyal customer if only you answer my questions in prompt! I’ve known about great services offered to lulu.com since years back. Now when I decided to publish my book, I did research online about lulu.com and I haven’t receive any response to my questions through the support team. There’s no number to call, so it raises a red flag.

I hope you get on with the CSP as soon as possible. With new competitors out there which have an edge in giving out answers like create space from amazon, etc. I am seriously considering doing business with them.

It’s such a waste, you have a great service, but a terribly slow customer service response time. Hope you resolve this issue quickly. I would love to be your loyal customer if only you answer my questions in prompt!

]]> By: Avi Sion http://lulublog.com/2009/07/03/lulu-lens-would-you-use-a-customer-service-portal/comment-page-1/#comment-24544 Avi Sion Thu, 16 Jul 2009 18:48:59 +0000 http://lulublog.com/?p=1284#comment-24544 Nick - thanks for following up on my request for help. I hope it works out. Just wanted to add here that I was pleased to read the comments of other customers here, and discover that I was not the only one going through these difficulties. It is clear that lulu.com has to make a major effort to answer questions and complaints. I understand that the live help you had last year was probably too much - too expensive. But a webmail service with prompt 24h replies (max 48h) is needed. I also agree with the comments that shipping charges are prohibitive. You could be more transparent and charge a fixed service charge for shipping work, plus a real price shipping charge. Thus, when one orders several different books at once, one could hope for a better price. Also, when one is not in a hurry, one could ask for postal mailing instead of FedEx. Having received feedback from potential buyers, I can say that high shipping charges are a definite disincentive to purchase. And that is surely bad for lulu.com as well as for the authors. Nick – thanks for following up on my request for help. I hope it works out. Just wanted to add here that I was pleased to read the comments of other customers here, and discover that I was not the only one going through these difficulties. It is clear that lulu.com has to make a major effort to answer questions and complaints. I understand that the live help you had last year was probably too much – too expensive. But a webmail service with prompt 24h replies (max 48h) is needed. I also agree with the comments that shipping charges are prohibitive. You could be more transparent and charge a fixed service charge for shipping work, plus a real price shipping charge. Thus, when one orders several different books at once, one could hope for a better price. Also, when one is not in a hurry, one could ask for postal mailing instead of FedEx. Having received feedback from potential buyers, I can say that high shipping charges are a definite disincentive to purchase. And that is surely bad for lulu.com as well as for the authors.

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