It's not every day that I have a story this positive to share, and I hope you won't mind if I name names.
A month ago, I ordered some CDs from Amazon.ca. I waited for weeks for them to arrive, and every day the disappointment at the mailbox was palpable. Eventually it was clear they were never coming, so I went back to my order to look at the tracking status. "Where's my stuff" indeed. Apparently, shipped, and shipped to my previous address. We recently moved, and even though I changed my address, it turns out I only changed my billing address. To be clear, I made a mistake, Amazon followed my instructions and shipped to the wrong address.
So I figured out my mistake and sent a message to the Amazon Help Desk, asking how I could try and track my package now that it was lost. I can't say I was too hopeful, given that the error was clearly mine. Here's the response I got back:
I am very sorry to hear that this package never arrived. As the shipping address selected for this order was wrong, I can only assume that it was lost during shipping. Therefore, I have requested a refund for the full amount of this shipment, including shipping costs...
Stunned. What an amazing way to treat a customer. What an amazing way to treat an employee, such that she has the power to make a decision and take action. I'm really impressed, and I can tell you where my next online purchase will be done.