I spent the day exploring the world of rapidly shrinking customer service. There was a webinar I'd hope to attend, but the registration link wasn't working. I emailed, but never received a reply. I expect it'd been cancelled, but no one took it off the calendar. I called Nordstrom regarding a return. They sent me a pair of jeans, but failed to include the postpaid return label. The first person I spoke to had an accent I didn't recognize and I simply couldn't understand her. She couldn't understand me, either; she couldn't follow that I needed help to make the return. I hung up and tried their online chat. A slow and cumbersome process, but I eventually received the information I needed. It took 30 minutes to accomplish what could have been done in 5-10 in a decent phone call. I called an online retailer to find out why my order from several days ago hasn't shipped. They are no longer doing customer service phone calls, only emails and online chat. &$((*#$$!!! (My favorite curse words.)
I realize that Covid may have played a part as many people had to leave their jobs to care for their children, but I suspect that deliberately reducing customer service plays a larger role. An unsatisfying few hours.
