I wrote about this recently You can read “Is calling people and telling them they have won a prize a scam?” to see what I had to say about the QVC scam. Today I don’t want to talk about the facts or even the insinuations I want to talk about customer service. You can read about the dangers of the silent customer here.

Donn Edwards is not a silent customer. He complained loudly about the waste of his time, when he found out that the so called prize he had definitely won was not to be, He asked to be removed from the call lists and was ignored. Donn took it a step further and complained on his blog about his impressions of QVC (Quality Vacation Club).

QVC chose to ignore Donn until they decided to sue for R 461 500. Donn wrote about it on his Blog. At this point I I were the MD of QVC, I would have gone out and bought Donn a car. I would have apologised publically and I would have ensured that the telesales team were instructed never to lie to a potential customer again.

I would further have legitimised my prize draws and told people you need to attend a sales presentation to qualify for the car draw. Not you have won. I would have set up a set of rules and guidelines that said that every 3 months we will be giving someone a car and made sure that the system was transparent.

QVC chose to sue Donn Edwards and got the blogging community up in arms. QVC have not just had an article that a few 100 people might have read and said so what. We all know it’s a scam and we ignore the calls and tell the telesales demons to go away, some less politely than others. We know there is no free lunch unless you are seriously gullible.

We know that Timeshare sales people are about as ethical as used car sales people. Yes I know I am generalising and that there are two or three very ethical used car salesmen out there. We know these things and most of the bloggers read Donns blog and said so what.

Here is the thing most bloggers are reasonably erudite and can tell their arse from their elbow. QVC’s attack on Donn was interpreted as an attack on Blogging. Now most bloggers have at least 4 readers, some have more. But facts are that blogs are a powerful medium and if you want negative publicity, attack the blogging world and I know that Bloggers know people in radio, on TV, in fact some bloggers are from the press.

So what happens in blogland does not stay in blog land. QVC have had a huge amount of unwelcome publicity because they were to arrogant to apologise. QVC have now had millions hear about Donn’s pretty sad experience of customer service.

QVC now have the general public aware of their dismal service record as seen on Hello Peter. Their negative publicity will cost them far more than fixing the problem would have.

Check out the facebook page an support Donn’s cause.