(Posted 5-7-99) For most people who live in the United States, Canada and England, I'm sure you've heard of a company by the name of Lever Brothers. Unilever is the mother company if I can word it that way. If you're not, they produce a range of washing powders, toilet soaps, toothpaste, shampoos, hair conditioner, talcum powders, deodorant, cosmetics and skin lotion. Once in a while companies such as the one mentioned have promotions going on. In this case it was a free 5-minute phone card. All one had to do was purchase a packet of "Snuggles," fabric softener. Inside the box was a number to call and a four-digit pin to punch in when asked. And to receive your free 5-minute phone card you just had to leave your name and address on the recording. Supposedly within '4 to 6 weeks' you'd be receiving your free phone card. Oh doesn't that sound so simple? Well for Lever this is far, far, far from that!
Within the first two weeks of February 1999, eight people including myself had called and left the required information.
I didn't really think too much about the card until Wednesday April 7th, when six weeks had passed and not one of us had received a phone card. After calling a toll free number for Lever I'm told that someone would get back in touch with me. A Lillian Perez returned my call saying that the cards should be on their way soon.
As I type this story to you it is Friday May 7th, 1999. I've been in touch with Lever a few times since the call on April 7th. 'Supposedly' on Friday April 23rd, our cards left the East Coast. What pisses me off about Lever is this. It has now been 86 days since the LAST call had been made into that voice mail for a free card. Quick math should tell you that 12 weeks have now passed. How can a company say that they will get something to you in 4 to 6 weeks when here we are double and even triple that time period and not one single card has arrived at any of the eight destinations in the United States. If that service isn't bad enough, hears the most pathetic part. Because Lever says that they have no record of three of the 8 calls that were made, they sent out a letter to each of those people in question. Instead of simply sending out a phone card to each of them and ending this whole fucking nightmare, they send out a notification stating that a card will reach them in FOUR TO SIX (MORE) WEEKS.
Does that kind of logic make any sense to you whatsoever. Not only is waiting twelve weeks way, way over the stated time period for their free card to reach us, now they have the audacity to send out a letter (without the well overdue phone card enclosed) stating that they'd be another 28 to 42 day wait.
Yes, it's only a simple phone card that's in question here. The point of my story isn't the value of the card it's my disgust toward these big corporations today that just DON'T stand up to their word anymore. There's no loyalty and commitment to the customer. It's simply gone out the window.
Ironically enough, after I had put this story up on my site I got a call later the same day from a "Kathleen Cameron." She was head of Lillian Perez's department. A very abrupt woman who I didn't like at all from the moment we first spoke. With an unemotional tone to her voice she told me that it would be another four to six weeks for some people to get their cards (totaling some 117 days overall). When I explained my disgust on their lack of morals, she continued her emotionless statement by saying..."Sometimes things happen that are out of our control." And when I asked her, 'is that all you've got to say?' Heartlessly, she replied, "Yes."
I just wanted to put in my two cents worth here on yet another unreliable company that doesn't seem to understand what loyalty is all about anymore!
Thanks for your reading, Johnny Anderson.