Thursday, September 6, 2012

This is real life.

Just a few conversations I've had with customer service representatives over issues that still haven't been resolved in the past months. These are paraphrases, but pretty accurate summations.

Me: "I'd like to make an appointment for the first service provider we had come out to look at the machine. The second provider we asked out for a second opinion, but it was the same as the first, and that company already had the part ordered."
Rep: "We can only have the person who came out most recently perform any service on the machine."
Me: "What? Then how did I get a second provider to come out in the first place?"
Rep: "Um, I don't know why they did that..."
Me: "So as soon as you pick a service rep I have to use them for the life of the product? What if I told you I was unsatisfied with the service of the most recent provider?"
Rep: "Well, no, of course not...but, I mean, there's a certain amount of time...let me put you on hold."
...
Rep: "Ok, I'm just going to give you the appointment with the first provider..."
Me: "Thanks."

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Me: "I called 3 weeks ago because we realized that we were only given right arms in our patio furniture set, rather than half right, half left. You said it would take 5-10 business days for the arms to get here. 10 business days was 10 business days ago. So I called last week to check, and was told it would be here by Friday at the latest, because it wasn't ordered when you said it was. That was 5 business days ago."
Rep: "Oh, well sometimes we don't actually know what we have in inventory. I would guess those pieces would get to you within 2 to 3 weeks from now."
Me: "Ok. I have to say, I've been very unsatisfied, I've had this furniture set since June. At first we couldn't assemble it because it took a month for you to send out the assembly pieces it should have come with. Now this. Is there anything you can do to help me out?"
Rep: "Well, I can talk to my manager, but probably not."

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Me: "The issue is, that if I let you replace the piece that's broken off of the washing machine, it will probably do more harm than good. Because the barrel rubs against it, it was destroying our clothes."
Rep: "Well, the only thing we can do is replace it, and we have to do that 3 times before they'll replace the machine."
Me: "But you understand my concern? We don't have the money or desire to replace every item we put in the washing machine. And we are in a position where we're in need of a washing machine. That's why we purchased a new one-so we wouldn't have issues like this."
Rep: "Well if you have old towels or something I would just wash those."
Me: "But we don't know when the issue might start-we could wash old towels a few times, have it be fine like it was last time, then have our first load of real laundry be destroyed. Will your company reimburse us for destroyed items, given that you have this information?"
Rep: "No."

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If I were charging money for my services as a housewife, I think $100 an hour would be a very reasonable price.

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