Surprised by Real Customer Service

Just before the New Year the carbon dioxide that powers my Genesis SodaStream ran out of gas and I returned the empty canister to Walmart for a refill. At a cost of $14.95, the process was simple and cheap, at least $10 less than the cost at Target, where I used to replace my canisters.

However, my SodaStream machine didn't work when I tried it out with the new CO2. Bob thought that I'd received an empty cylinder, but that seemed so unlikely that I called SodaStream's customer service on New Year's Eve. After spending ten minutes on the phone with me, the customer service rep determined that my machine was defective and would be replaced under the terms of the three-year warranty. She emailed a UPS label and I returned my SodaStream for free.

Today the new machine arrived but it didn't work. Once again, Bob figured the CO2 canister was empty, so I returned it to Walmart for a replacement. Although the customer service people had trouble with the return of their first "defective" cylinder, they were cheerful and stayed with the problem until it was solved ten or fifteen minutes later.

I screwed the canister into the new SodaStream and carbonated two bottles of water with my new appliance. I'm amazed that I dealt with two customer service teams that were determined to please me, the customer.

Well, I'm both happy and surprised with SodaStream and Walmart. Time for a celebratory glass of refreshing carbonated water.