Kindness, like air, is free. But who cares about free things when business is on the rise?
A wheelchair transport service said it is receiving more business despite the backlash for snarkily telling off a customer recently.
Vimo Services told Coconuts today that they were shocked that they were getting more sales after being called out online yesterday for replying sarcastically to a customer.
“To our surprise, we are experiencing an increase of new member registrations and bookings despite the “backlashes”,” the service said.
“Not all negative publicity are bad, we are glad that we are able to reach out to more people in need,” they added.
In screenshots of the viral Whatsapp text conversation, the customer, only known as David, asked the service if their wheelchair transport includes oxygen supplementation to which Vimo replied with: “It’s free. From the air”.
The conversation was then followed by a back-and-forth pissing party with David telling the service to not “joke” about it. To which Vimo replied, “you started it”.
Vimo today continued to defend its service by saying that they found it “amusing” how customers like David were focused on getting the most bang for buck.
“We found that it was amusing that the topic starter was trying to find the cheapest solution, instead of the most appropriate transport for someone who required medical attention,” they wrote, adding that “no one should ever consider anything less than a medical transport” which would cost S$150 with oxygen supplementation.
The service said it “always put wheelchair users’ well-being before” themselves. They also called David a “keyboard warrior” who gets away with asking “unwarranted questions”.
Since the incident, the business has been flooded with 1-star Google reviews from users mocking the service for its “air” comment and “rude” responses.
They also have a history of clapping back at customers who were not satisfied with their service.
One bad review from last year alleged the service changed its mind on providing its service and did not provide a refund after the customer booked the wrong vehicle. Vimo then responded by calling the customer immature and asked if he would “stop using your loved ones as [an] excuse”.
The service also tried to defend itself in March by detailing 11 scenarios in which customers accused the business of “rudeness”.
Still, despite the haters, the service said it will do “nothing” and let time do the healing.
“Right now the public is absorbing the information selectively in anger, we shall do nothing and allow the time to prove our social goals and well-intended will,” they wrote.
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