Rhapsody Blues...

Many of you know about the music streaming site known as Rhapsody. 

For around $10 a month listening to unlimited music sounds like a sweet deal!  They used to claim that customers could listen to music on their IPods…even now they make that claim, which is why I signed up about a year and a half ago.  Unfortunately the company denies making any such claim in their advertisements and refuse to follow up on such claims.

With that said I give Rhapsody a grade of an “F.”

I contacted Rhapsody customer service a little over a week ago first via their online chat support.  It didn’t take too long to get in touch with the chat support representative, which at first made me happy.  Let’s face it no one likes being on hold for too long, whether it’s over the phone or not.  So, the chat support rep. asked me what I was trying to do and told me that I could get the app. In the app store, which I had already done.  I explained to the representative that the app. Just wasn’t working and he told me that I could use Rhapsody on my computer.  I already knew that and that’s not what I was asking about and that’s not what I wanted to do…I wanted to take the music I have on Rhapsody with me while I sat outside.  The representative then asked me for system information and I asked him to clarify what he meant; the generation of IPod Touch I was trying to use.  I have the first generation, which to me is an MP3 player and which on their commercials is said to be compatible…they use just the term IPod, which could be viewed as any IPod (Nano, Shuffle…etc.)  The representative replied, telling me that my IPod is not compatible and stated that I could use another MP3 player that was compatible. 

1.)  I was asking not about another device or my computer.

2.)  No apology what so ever.

3.)  Kept trying to explain compatibility.

I tried to tell the representative that I understood compatibility.  I then asked the representative why I had been paying for a service I cannot use and why their company had led me to believe that I could use my current device. 

Being that the chat representative was of no help, I contacted the company via E-Mail.  I asked them why I had been led to believe that I could use my current device when in actuality I cannot.  They sent me back an E-Mail explaining compatibility…not what I asked, so I sent another E-Mail back trying to clarify what I was asking and again received an E-Mail explaining compatibility.  After sending out a third E-Mail asking the same thing, clarifying that I was not asking about compatibility and that I was asking why I had been led to believe by their commercials and other ads. that I would be able to use my current device.  They responded that my device was not compatible and that they were moving me a “tier 2 representative.” 

Okay, fine just as long as I get an answer to my question.  “Why did your advertisements and the fact that I can access the app. lead me to believe that my device was compatible?  Why am I paying for something I now find out I cannot use?”  Again they responded by explaining compatibility.  I tried to clarify and simplify what I was asking one last time and over the weekend tried calling their customer support line to speak with a supervisor.  I was on hold for about 10 min. before getting a supervisor.  I kept trying to lodge a formal complaint about the customer service and what I was led to believe and again asked my question while he kept trying to explain compatibility. 

Here we have either a comprehension problem and/or a lack of product knowledge problem.  I kept having to tell the “supervisor” that compatibility wasn’t the issue.  Obviously their company is too busy to bother with listening and have difficulty in reading comprehension.  In all this I only received an apology from the chat rep. The E-Mail reps. didn’t apologize, nor did the supervisor.  The supervisor did however try to lay the blame on me.

“If you look carefully at the commercial…”

“The commercial says IPod and even shows an IPod Touch.”

“Use another device…”

“I don’t have another device.”

“You need to look more carefully at the commercial.  It states in fine print…”

Here I had to control myself and not say “Really, so I’m supposed to pause the commercial sans DVR and buy a magnifying glass to sit and read the fine print on your commercial?”

You NEVER try and place the blame on a customer.  After the “supervisor” typed on his computer for about 10 mins. he took down my number and told me that his supervisor would call me Sunday (yesterday), which did happen…I didn’t recognize the number and let it go to voicemail.  All the guy said was this is so and so from Rhapsody and hung up.  No call back number or anything.

So, the reason I am giving Rhapsody an “F” are:

1.)  No actual apology.

2.)  Placing blame with customer.

3.)  No comprehension of actual issue.

4.)  No listening skills.

5.)  Taking too long to resolve the issue.

6.)  Unwilling to/refusal to assist the customer.  i.e. answer question/issue at hand.

I have contacted the Better Business Bureau about their poor quality of customer service and have been looking into other, similar sites to Rhapsody.  But I do not recommend Rhapsody to anyone who wants even average customer service.