Consumer challenges
Posted by Eileen Roddy-Phillips on May 19th, 2007
Have you noticed how frustrating things happen at the most inconvenient times? When I have no appointments, deadlines, or a light schedule, things go pretty well. A packed day seems to invite troubles that pounce when least expected. Just when I need be somewhere in five minutes, a giant truck will attempt an impossible turn on the narrowest part of the road and create havoc. I make a quick stop at the store to pick up three items, and a line of people with counting challenges are at the “no more than 12” register with enough items to feed a regiment.
I visited the downtown post office, 25 minutes before another appointment. The line was 16 deep with two clerks on duty. After 10 minutes with no movement, except for an extended line, I requested more staff. Eventually a third clerk emerged. The line cheered.
“Happens all the time,” the young man beside me said. “Great pity the post office has a monopoly.”
“Stamps go up and service goes down,” quipped the woman behind me.
I arrived five minutes late for my appointment.
Another classic happened two weeks after our car purchase. We arrived to park before catching a flight to Pittsburgh. Unknown to us, our second key was for valet parking. When turned anti-clockwise it jammed the trunk mechanism. Thrifty staff tried unsuccessfully to release it.
Panic. Our luggage and tickets were safely locked in the trunk.
“Don’t worry,” the manager said. “There’s a dealer up the road. I’ll tell them you’re coming; they’ll cut a key.”
“This is going to cost us an arm and a leg,” I barked at my husband.
“Eileen, there’s nothing else we can. We need to make that flight.”
Wolfe Toyota staff greeted us immediately. They took details, offered us drinks and cut a new key all within five minutes.
“How much is that?”
I handed over my credit card, and held my breath.
“Nothing. We are happy to help. Have a safe trip.”
Another inconvenient car episode didn’t go quite so well. En route to a meeting the car engine light screamed at me.
“Oh no!” I shouted at the dashboard. “I don’t need this right now.”
I’d ignored such a warning in England and destroyed an engine; I knew I needed prompt action. I reached for my phone and, of course, it wasn’t there.
When I bought the car, I’d succumbed to a crooning salesman and purchased a too-expensive extended warranty. Now I could test its value.
I drove straight to the dealer.
“Won’t take long to find the problem,” I was assured.
I’d finished a short mooch around the showroom when the results arrived.
“Good news,” the mechanic said. “It’s only the gas cap.”
Relief. No long repair and I’d make the meeting.
“You need to tighten the cap after fill-up.”
He said something about pressure or lack of it. I chided myself for being so stupid.
Then my pressure was challenged.
“That’ll be $68.”
“$68? $68! Sixty-eight-dollars?”
I sounded like a neutered parrot but kept squawking.
“Well, ma’m, we had to use diagnostic tools and that’s expensive.”
I was dumbfounded, and that was before they added tax.
Next day I called three local garages and asked what they’d charge in a similar situation.
“$30 at most, if we charged at all,” said one.
“Nothing,” said the other two. “Not for something like that.”
I won’t forget to tighten the gas cap again. I learnt an expensive lesson, and the dealer lost a customer.
Has anything like this ever happened to you? How did you handle it?
Do you think the dealer would have charged a man so much?
Do you think general service is improving with rising costs?
at 7:07 a.m.
I have seen an erosion of customer service, and an attitude that the only important customer is a new customer--i.e. once you have bought something from them, they're not interested in keeping you happy to insure return business--they're on to wooing the next new customer. I can't count the number of times I've purchased something--good, services, or products, and had to go back and try to get something made right. It's to the point that when something goes well, I'm shocked. I think it has to do with corporatization. Less of a personal relationship with the merchant. That is why I try to do business locally, though I have had my problems there as well, though fewer....I always go out of my way to compliment good service. It's becoming a rarity in our world. And I do think women still get treated differently by many businesses. Your frustrations are shared by many, Eileen!
at 8:54 a.m.
How often do you see people dump their penny change in a bowl at the register? Many don't bother to bend over and pick up a penny off the sidewalk.
Two cents is all the post office has raised the cost of mailing a letter. A letter that may travel hundreds, even thousands of miles at a current minimum price of $3 gallon gasoline.
Trying to keep costs down is a challenge for every company, not to mention one that assures every person in the entire United States personal delivery at their home. Even with automation, moving the mail is a labor intensive operation. Clerks have multiple duties. It was good that you spoke up and additional help was provided. You might check the USPS web site. Nearly all transactions can be done from your home.
It is a Federal crime for anyone other than you and your USPS carrier to open your mailbox. Competition would mean anyone could open, handle and view the contents of your box. This is a scary thought to me.
Many would say with electronics, hard copy mail is a thing of the past. The demise of the personal letter delivered in the mailbox is a sad thought. So much of our history is based on the handwritten letter.
eroddy
at 4:50 p.m.
I still pick up pennies, and I am very grateful for those people who place ones in register bowls. The Post Office staff I meet are pleasant, polite and offer excellent service - once I am able to reach the counter. Having over thirty people in line with only two people serving is NOT, in my view, the best customer service. This is something for management to change.
Some places in Lawrence offer first-class customer service, as well as good value for money. Like, Amazonratz, I comment on good service whenever I receive it. However, there are still too many places who are happy with mediocre or very poor service.
When I am unhappy with something, I generally speak up and try to have it corrected. I am willing to give places a second chance, but if I feel my business or comments are not valued, I will simply go elsewhere.
What do others think?
at 4:19 p.m.
Why, oh why, do these cars have those "do-all" warning lights? So--what exactly DID you get for that extended warranty?
I lucked out when my light first went on. Instead of going to the mechanic, I stopped by my salesperson, whose first question was, "Did you fill up the tank recently?" Of course, I had. She suggested that I fill it up again, tighten the cap, and give the little light time to cycle through. It's a bit of an art, though: too little time and you get a bill for a loose gas cap; too much time and you lose, in my Jetta's case, a compressor. With all the electronics, you'd think they could give us a code.
eroddy
at 10:43 a.m.
Good for you for thinking of going to your salesperson first; I wish I had followed that path. I hope the lesson of the gas caps saves someone else from unnecesarry hassle and expense.
So far, we have not received any benefits from our expensive warranties. The good side of this is that we have reliable cars.