Poor behavior as well as poor customer service has become the rule instead of the exception. I'm not taking it anymore. I intend to post all positive and negative experiences with companies I do business with. Hopefully, more people will start becoming aware into which category their business dealings fall and demand a better product where they spend their money.
If you have an experience you'd like to share, send me the details, I'll post it here.
Sunday, November 01, 2009
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Larmco Windows
Careful doing business with Larmco windows. I made an appointment and made it clear my husband wouldn't be there. I even joked about giving him no choice. I told her I was just getting my first of several estimates anyway, so no decision would be made that day. Then she told me their 'special' was running out on the day of my appointment. But I could have a few days to make a decision and could ask for a 30 day estimate. Lo & behold, yesterday, I saw the same ad running for 2 more weeks.
A couple days later I got a confirmation call. This person told me they can't give an estimate without my husband there. I said 'then don't come'. Her response: 'sorry we couldn't help you' then she hung up! So, I recapped the 2 calls in an email. This morning I got a message from person #1. She remembered the call; 'There must have been a miss communication, she didn't tell me it would be ok that my husband wouldn't be there, company policy forbids talking to just half of the couple, she would NEVER have said it was ok.' Sounds like a lot of back peddling to me. And a company policy of a hard close on the first visit. Bottom line is they flat out lied to get the appointment, then lied to cover it up.
A couple days later I got a confirmation call. This person told me they can't give an estimate without my husband there. I said 'then don't come'. Her response: 'sorry we couldn't help you' then she hung up! So, I recapped the 2 calls in an email. This morning I got a message from person #1. She remembered the call; 'There must have been a miss communication, she didn't tell me it would be ok that my husband wouldn't be there, company policy forbids talking to just half of the couple, she would NEVER have said it was ok.' Sounds like a lot of back peddling to me. And a company policy of a hard close on the first visit. Bottom line is they flat out lied to get the appointment, then lied to cover it up.
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Sears Roebuck's Definition of Customer Service
A PROFILE OF EXTREMELY BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE
******email this blog to 10 people********
This is an example of the repair service offered to customers by Sears, a well known, well respected American Company.
After this experience I'm left wondering how they've stayed in business.
My refrigerator is 2 years old. I paid $1,100 for it and purchased a 5 year extended "Master Performance" warranty. This is what I've gotten for my money.
The following events take place between 8/5/05 and 8/25/05. 20 days and counting from the first call for service.
Fri 8/5/05 - My refrigerator stops working. It’s the compressor. I can hear it buzzing. A call to the repair center nets a service call appointment for Fri. 8/12 between 8a and 12n. Its the best they can do. "Having no refrigerator is not an emergency".
Sat 8/6 - I call again to complain about having to wait a week for service. They add an "emergency, as soon as possible" note to my repair appointment. I ask if the repairman would have the compressor when he arrives. I'm informed that any parts will have to be ordered - 2-3 business days. When the part comes, I can schedule another appointment for replacement. The entire contents of my refrigerator and freezer are lost. I can claim $250 in food loss in one 12 month period. I email Sears and convey my disgust through the "contact us" on their website. That evening I get a response letting me know they'll have to "investigate" and, if warranted, the district manager may contct me on Monday.
Mon 8/8 - I receive a call to say they can get to my fridge today. I'm encouraged at their efforts to fit me in. The repairman replaces a relay switch (he happened to have one in the van). The fridge is working. I claim $150 in food loss. 3 hours work lost cannot be recovered.
Fri 8/12 - My fridge stops working. A call to the repair center nets me a service call for the following Fri., 8/19 between 8a and 12n and an added "emergency, as soon as possible note". It’s the best they can do. 2nd total food loss. Since the food is already lost, I decide not to make waves & wait my turn like everyone else.
Thurs 8/18 - During the week, my refrigerator starts running for no apparent reason. A day and a half later, it shuts down again. I have not been "fit into the schedule" all week. I receive an evening phone call to tell me "The repairman will be running late tomorrow. He should be there by 1:30". I agree. Later that evening I get an automated call confirming my appointment for 8a-12n.
Fri 8/19 - 4p I call the repair center looking for information on where my repairman is. "He's on call 5 and you're call 6"."Yes ma'am, I assure you he will be there".
Fri 8/19 - 5:10p I call the repair center again looking for information on where my repairman is. "I see a note here that they'd like you to reschedule". After much ranting they send me to customer service. Nothing they can do except reschedule me and put in a request for customer relations to call me. First available rescheduling - Thurs 8/25. Why am I not #1 on Monday because they didn't get to me Fri? That would be too close to ACUTAL customer service I guess. 5 hours work lost.
Fri 8/19 - 5:20p A call to corporate headquarters gets me to Executive Customer Relations. They actually give the illusion of sympathy and pretend to care. They also show that customer service called and left a message that the repairman wasn't coming. This, I explain is a blatant lie. An appointment is made for early as possible after noon Mon 8/22. "Hopefully your refrigerator will not be working when he gets there." There's a policy, you see, that if a part is functioning and no problem is evident, nothing can be done. She makes a promise to follow up with me on Tues., 8/23. I never got a call.
Mon 8/22 - I've gotten an automated message Sun. night confirming my appointment. At 1:50p I call the repair center looking for information on where my repairman is. "He's on call 5 and you're call 7". I make it clear that I will be unbelievably upset if he doesn't show. He shows at 2:30 and tells me his last 2 appointments were switched - I was moved from #7 to #6. He spends 15 minutes diagnosing the repair - I need a new compressor. (No kidding) He will emergency order it and schedule me for 8a Wed., 8/24. Its a 4 hour job. If my part isn't here on Tues., it will be here on Wed. and he'll be out on Thurs. 5 hours work lost.
Tues 8/23 - The part is waiting for me after work. I call to confirm Wed's appointment. "You're scheduled for 12n". "I want 8a I say". They transfer me to the routing office. They're closed. I call back. "You're on the schedule for 12n, the first afternoon appointment. I'll add a note indicating you'd like to make it morning. If they can change it, you'll get a call between 7:30a & 8a Wed morning." I get no additional automated call confirming an appointment.
Wed 8/24 - Having gotten no call this morning, I go to work expecting to leave at 11:30a.
Wed 8/24 - 8:50a I call to confirm my 12n appointment. "I don't show any appointment for you. Would you like to schedule?" "No," I say, "I already have an appointment today". "Would you like to speak with the routing office". "Yes". The routing office has no time today and no evidence that I was ever on today's schedule. She can "force" me in tomorrow between 12n and 5p if I want. I want someone there at 8a. She agrees. So now I'm "forced" into the schedule.
Wed 8/24 - 9:15a Next I call back to Executive Customer Relations. The person I spoke with on Fri isn't in today. They tell me there's no way to verify that I had a confirmed appointment today. There's no evidence of it on last night's call report. They put me on hold and call the routing office to verify tomorrow's appointment and make it a "Must make". It can't be cancelled. "If he doesn't show, my next calls will be to the BBB and every media outlet in this city" I tell her. Had I not called Tues. to confirm, I would have been off work Wed. morning since my last information at that point was the repairman telling me as he left on Mon. that he'd see me Wed. morning.
Had I not called Wed morning, I would have been off work Wed at 11:30a waiting for my 12n repair. All in addition to the time I will miss when the work is finally performed. Updates to follow.
8/24 - 7:15p I got an automated call telling me to expect service between 8a and 10a tomorrow. Confidence is building, hope springs eternal.
So far there is nothing short of an offer to replace every appliance in my home at no charge that would ever coerce me into buying another appliance from Sears. On second thought, I have 2 children in college. If they offered to wipe clean all existing and future college bills, I'd take the chance.
8/25 - 9a Sears Repair Center tells me I'm #2 on the list today. Encouraging but after all this why am I not #1? But at least I'm on the list.
8/25 - 10:30a Another call to the repair center and they tell me the repairman is just finishing up call #1 and he'll be on his way. At 10:50a my repair main calls to tell me he's enroute. Yea!
8/25 - 12n I call my repair man to see where he is. No answer. He shows up at 12:15p. But, he stays and replaces my compressor. However, because of the lateness of his arrival, its pointless to try & go in to work. 8 hours lost wages today.
8/25 - 2:30p I have a cold refrigerator, a freezer that freezes, ice cubes... all the luxuries of a real working refrigerator. And the blissful knowledge that I don't have to deal with "Sears' definition of customer service" anymore.......... Until the next time.
Buyers beware.
******email this blog to 10 people********
This is an example of the repair service offered to customers by Sears, a well known, well respected American Company.
After this experience I'm left wondering how they've stayed in business.
My refrigerator is 2 years old. I paid $1,100 for it and purchased a 5 year extended "Master Performance" warranty. This is what I've gotten for my money.
The following events take place between 8/5/05 and 8/25/05. 20 days and counting from the first call for service.
Fri 8/5/05 - My refrigerator stops working. It’s the compressor. I can hear it buzzing. A call to the repair center nets a service call appointment for Fri. 8/12 between 8a and 12n. Its the best they can do. "Having no refrigerator is not an emergency".
Sat 8/6 - I call again to complain about having to wait a week for service. They add an "emergency, as soon as possible" note to my repair appointment. I ask if the repairman would have the compressor when he arrives. I'm informed that any parts will have to be ordered - 2-3 business days. When the part comes, I can schedule another appointment for replacement. The entire contents of my refrigerator and freezer are lost. I can claim $250 in food loss in one 12 month period. I email Sears and convey my disgust through the "contact us" on their website. That evening I get a response letting me know they'll have to "investigate" and, if warranted, the district manager may contct me on Monday.
Mon 8/8 - I receive a call to say they can get to my fridge today. I'm encouraged at their efforts to fit me in. The repairman replaces a relay switch (he happened to have one in the van). The fridge is working. I claim $150 in food loss. 3 hours work lost cannot be recovered.
Fri 8/12 - My fridge stops working. A call to the repair center nets me a service call for the following Fri., 8/19 between 8a and 12n and an added "emergency, as soon as possible note". It’s the best they can do. 2nd total food loss. Since the food is already lost, I decide not to make waves & wait my turn like everyone else.
Thurs 8/18 - During the week, my refrigerator starts running for no apparent reason. A day and a half later, it shuts down again. I have not been "fit into the schedule" all week. I receive an evening phone call to tell me "The repairman will be running late tomorrow. He should be there by 1:30". I agree. Later that evening I get an automated call confirming my appointment for 8a-12n.
Fri 8/19 - 4p I call the repair center looking for information on where my repairman is. "He's on call 5 and you're call 6"."Yes ma'am, I assure you he will be there".
Fri 8/19 - 5:10p I call the repair center again looking for information on where my repairman is. "I see a note here that they'd like you to reschedule". After much ranting they send me to customer service. Nothing they can do except reschedule me and put in a request for customer relations to call me. First available rescheduling - Thurs 8/25. Why am I not #1 on Monday because they didn't get to me Fri? That would be too close to ACUTAL customer service I guess. 5 hours work lost.
Fri 8/19 - 5:20p A call to corporate headquarters gets me to Executive Customer Relations. They actually give the illusion of sympathy and pretend to care. They also show that customer service called and left a message that the repairman wasn't coming. This, I explain is a blatant lie. An appointment is made for early as possible after noon Mon 8/22. "Hopefully your refrigerator will not be working when he gets there." There's a policy, you see, that if a part is functioning and no problem is evident, nothing can be done. She makes a promise to follow up with me on Tues., 8/23. I never got a call.
Mon 8/22 - I've gotten an automated message Sun. night confirming my appointment. At 1:50p I call the repair center looking for information on where my repairman is. "He's on call 5 and you're call 7". I make it clear that I will be unbelievably upset if he doesn't show. He shows at 2:30 and tells me his last 2 appointments were switched - I was moved from #7 to #6. He spends 15 minutes diagnosing the repair - I need a new compressor. (No kidding) He will emergency order it and schedule me for 8a Wed., 8/24. Its a 4 hour job. If my part isn't here on Tues., it will be here on Wed. and he'll be out on Thurs. 5 hours work lost.
Tues 8/23 - The part is waiting for me after work. I call to confirm Wed's appointment. "You're scheduled for 12n". "I want 8a I say". They transfer me to the routing office. They're closed. I call back. "You're on the schedule for 12n, the first afternoon appointment. I'll add a note indicating you'd like to make it morning. If they can change it, you'll get a call between 7:30a & 8a Wed morning." I get no additional automated call confirming an appointment.
Wed 8/24 - Having gotten no call this morning, I go to work expecting to leave at 11:30a.
Wed 8/24 - 8:50a I call to confirm my 12n appointment. "I don't show any appointment for you. Would you like to schedule?" "No," I say, "I already have an appointment today". "Would you like to speak with the routing office". "Yes". The routing office has no time today and no evidence that I was ever on today's schedule. She can "force" me in tomorrow between 12n and 5p if I want. I want someone there at 8a. She agrees. So now I'm "forced" into the schedule.
Wed 8/24 - 9:15a Next I call back to Executive Customer Relations. The person I spoke with on Fri isn't in today. They tell me there's no way to verify that I had a confirmed appointment today. There's no evidence of it on last night's call report. They put me on hold and call the routing office to verify tomorrow's appointment and make it a "Must make". It can't be cancelled. "If he doesn't show, my next calls will be to the BBB and every media outlet in this city" I tell her. Had I not called Tues. to confirm, I would have been off work Wed. morning since my last information at that point was the repairman telling me as he left on Mon. that he'd see me Wed. morning.
Had I not called Wed morning, I would have been off work Wed at 11:30a waiting for my 12n repair. All in addition to the time I will miss when the work is finally performed. Updates to follow.
8/24 - 7:15p I got an automated call telling me to expect service between 8a and 10a tomorrow. Confidence is building, hope springs eternal.
So far there is nothing short of an offer to replace every appliance in my home at no charge that would ever coerce me into buying another appliance from Sears. On second thought, I have 2 children in college. If they offered to wipe clean all existing and future college bills, I'd take the chance.
8/25 - 9a Sears Repair Center tells me I'm #2 on the list today. Encouraging but after all this why am I not #1? But at least I'm on the list.
8/25 - 10:30a Another call to the repair center and they tell me the repairman is just finishing up call #1 and he'll be on his way. At 10:50a my repair main calls to tell me he's enroute. Yea!
8/25 - 12n I call my repair man to see where he is. No answer. He shows up at 12:15p. But, he stays and replaces my compressor. However, because of the lateness of his arrival, its pointless to try & go in to work. 8 hours lost wages today.
8/25 - 2:30p I have a cold refrigerator, a freezer that freezes, ice cubes... all the luxuries of a real working refrigerator. And the blissful knowledge that I don't have to deal with "Sears' definition of customer service" anymore.......... Until the next time.
Buyers beware.
Tuesday, November 09, 2004
formatting in the data grid property builder
My date displayed right in the Access query results but the data grid displayed a default date/time format. So, here's a page that lists the formatting syntax for all kinds of things; price, 2 decimals, 2 decimal percentage, dates etc. All in a list easy to follow.
http://www.dotnetspider.com/Technology/KBPages/384.aspx
http://www.dotnetspider.com/Technology/KBPages/384.aspx
Monday, November 08, 2004
Passing parameters (or the latest nightmare)
So, last class we discussed passing parameters using the datagrid and property builder in asp.net. I can't say I get it really. But, I can follow my notes. And, confidence is defcon 3 that I can learn the "do the work for you" portion of the software. (defcon 1 being my brain simply vaporizing with no hope of ever reversing the adverse affects of trying unsuccessfully to get this stuff).
I'm still a little fuzzy on the why's, what for's and what this accomplishes pieces but what goes right over my head is coding. So far over my head that I had one of those disconnected dream sequenses that you only see in the movies over the weekend. You know, jumping from scene to scene with no connection from one to the next. I was seeing the code from class being written in the air, reading it as it distorted on paper, heard bits and pieces of the lecture, lol even saw my instructor out biking as I was being dizzied with incomprehensible babbles of explanation. It was bizzare. So, I did nothing the next day, no reading, no internet, no homework. I spent the evening watching the Browns be the disappointment we've come to expect them to be.
Tonight, I opened my mail and found my reminder to look for information on passing more than one parameter in ASP.net. I found this article and, I'm sure if I concentrate it will be helpful. It seemd short and to the point and actually not as complex as my memory wants to convince me it is.
http://datawebcontrols.com/faqs/Hyperlinks/HyperlinkWithMultipleQuerystringValues.shtml
I'm still a little fuzzy on the why's, what for's and what this accomplishes pieces but what goes right over my head is coding. So far over my head that I had one of those disconnected dream sequenses that you only see in the movies over the weekend. You know, jumping from scene to scene with no connection from one to the next. I was seeing the code from class being written in the air, reading it as it distorted on paper, heard bits and pieces of the lecture, lol even saw my instructor out biking as I was being dizzied with incomprehensible babbles of explanation. It was bizzare. So, I did nothing the next day, no reading, no internet, no homework. I spent the evening watching the Browns be the disappointment we've come to expect them to be.
Tonight, I opened my mail and found my reminder to look for information on passing more than one parameter in ASP.net. I found this article and, I'm sure if I concentrate it will be helpful. It seemd short and to the point and actually not as complex as my memory wants to convince me it is.
http://datawebcontrols.com/faqs/Hyperlinks/HyperlinkWithMultipleQuerystringValues.shtml
Monday, November 01, 2004
online store site
I was searching for rules on using credit card logos and the logos to put on a website. I'm still searching for the useage rules but I cam accross what looks like a great site. Its call Miva and its a site that hosts merchant accounts. But, it seems to have all kinds of useful/helpful information. Tutorials, step by steps, graphics for every level from I don't know anything to very sofisticated. The logos I was looking for are all located on one page. That page even includes dummy credit card numbers for testing as you develop your merchant site. The company sells various merchant modules for adding features like coupon redemption, wish lists, paypal etc to your site. It looks to be a one stop for everthing you need to create an online store from scratch.
http://mivahelp.com/index.html
here's a link to a list of modules they provide and the pricing
http://www.mvcentral.com/api/mivahelpsearch.mvc?call
http://mivahelp.com/index.html
here's a link to a list of modules they provide and the pricing
http://www.mvcentral.com/api/mivahelpsearch.mvc?call
Saturday, October 30, 2004
hooking a database
I feel hopeful that I'm going to get this process. But, I struggle with the database/SQL piece. Everything takes so long because I seem to have to look up how to do everything. Still I guess that just means I haven't done it enough times to remember. It seems difficult to create a decent view with the webform. And I'm unclear how a whole project comes together with static html and dynamic html. I wonder if its easier to creat the visual presentation in html, add it as an existing item and convert the necessary pices to rich server controls or whatever they need to be.
local host over secure
Homework this week invoved attaching a database to a VS project. Whenever I tried to run it I got this error:
The Microsoft Jet database engine cannot open the file 'C:\Inetpub\wwwroot\AllTheFlicks.mdb'. It is already opened exclusively by another user, or you need permission to view its data.
Seems this is a known security glitch that denies your own computer the permission to run your own work on local host. But, Microsoft doesn't see the ned to correct the problem. There are a few steps that are needed to be able to run localhost with a databse. They have to do with changing permissions, sharing, and turning off the option to let IIS control a password. Here are are couple links to describe them.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/189408
http://www.wown.com/j_helmig/wxpsimsh.htm
The Microsoft Jet database engine cannot open the file 'C:\Inetpub\wwwroot\AllTheFlicks.mdb'. It is already opened exclusively by another user, or you need permission to view its data.
Seems this is a known security glitch that denies your own computer the permission to run your own work on local host. But, Microsoft doesn't see the ned to correct the problem. There are a few steps that are needed to be able to run localhost with a databse. They have to do with changing permissions, sharing, and turning off the option to let IIS control a password. Here are are couple links to describe them.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/189408
http://www.wown.com/j_helmig/wxpsimsh.htm
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