Cancer Treatment Centers of America/To hope or not to hope…

 There is a commercial from the Cancer Treatment Centers of America that opens with a woman who was diagnosed with incurable cancer and given a very short time to get her affairs together. She heard of the Treatment center, went there for a second opinion and is now in remission…cut to the announcer offering to send you, at no cost, the “A new hope” DVD video. At the same time a very small disclaimer appears at the top of the screen that says ” Do not expect these results”

  Doesn’t that negate the “hope” part? Sometimes I just don’t get it.

Timberlands insincere footwear recall

  I purchased a pair of steel toed work boots about a year ago.  Sturdy, seemingly well made and surprisingly comfortable.  Fast forward to last month where I was picking up an item from the loading dock of the retailer (this time not relevant) I purchased the boots from and while waiting for the item to be brought out I passed the time perusing the notices on the bulletin board. Tacked to an obscure corner of said board, halfway covered by other notices was a recall notice for boots that seemed to be similar to the ones I purchased. Upon further examination, it turned out that indeed they were one and the same. The notice provided a toll free number and after calling it was determined that the footwear in question were being recalled because of a flaw in the steel reinforcing safety toe that caused them to crush when undue pressure was applied. I was informed that Timberland “couldn’t have me walking around in unsafe footwear” and that a prompt and courteous replacement would be forthcoming……as soon as I sent the old ones back. Well there’s the rub, I informed the service rep. I work six days a week and that due to my vocational requirements I would not be able to first return the boots and would they not be persueded to effect the posting of a replacement pair to me wherein I would promptly return the old unsafe pair as soon as I received the new ones. After all, they were “unsafe”, old and pretty beaten up (I’m a welder), and FEDEX or UPS, whoever, were to pick up the old and deliver the new at no cost to me, the potential amputee anyway. Their answer was for me to purchase a new pair for the interim. Oh c’mon man!  The situation deteriorated quickly after that and we swiftly reached an impasse. I, as well as seven other employees of the same shop, are still tempting fate and have been unable to convince Timberland that we are willing to cooperate if they are. So much for really caring about the safety of their customer. I know I’ll never buy another Timberland product.

Does anyone still want my money?

We purchased a new home in January. The home was not finished and the weather definitely not conducive to lawn installation. I agreed at signing to accept the contractors check for $1,000.000 and arrange to do the lawn myself. I procrastinated for awhile and finally got around to actively pursuing someone to do the work. I called 23 different landscape contractors and was only able to get one to come out and give me an estimate. Frank Burris. Damn good job. Not only did he come out immediately after calling, he advised me to wait until the fall (five months away), he gave me a very good price and called me on his own in Oct to let me know he was inbound if I still wanted the work done. Apparently our paltry 1 acre was not too small. So if you’re in the Elizabethtown, KY area and need lawn work done, call Frank.

Office Depot sux part II

After we jumped through hoops purchasing a room full of home office furniture we decided a year later to complete the ensembe with a final piece we opted to not purchase the first time. Once bitten, twice shy? You would think so but seein as how they were the only retailer who sold matching pieces and in particular the final piece we needed I figure “What are the odds……..?

   We went to the store, identified the item (of course it wasn’t in stock (should have ran away screaming at this point and used a milk crate) and paid up front. This time we were given a hard copy confirmed delivery date along with all the usual assurances and disingenuous thanks that accompany. Of course, on the said date, my wife took a day off from work to be there between 0800 and 1600 (again) to no avail.

  At 1700 we called the store and were told that they had no way of knowing why it wasn’t there and to look on our confirmation receipt for a 1-800 # to call (always a bad omen) We did and we were told to call again the next day due to the late hour.

  Next day we called and were informed that ouor piece was in Bollweevil Arizona or somewhere as remote in a warehouse and were again assured that it would be overnighted and would arrive again between 0800 & 1600.

  You guessed it, not even an apologetic phone call to assuage our angst. Next day again we called the local retailer, relayed our concerns and were told that the piece we ordered was now in stock and had been for some time. Of course i suggested we drive right over, pick up one of the in stock items and they could keep the inbound item in it’s stead. We were told that it was not a possibility because the piece that had seemingly entered the twilight zone was paid for and the only way we could receive a matching piece from the in store stock was to pay for it there and than and request a refund from the delivering party, whoever that was. So after a long heated, primarily one sided conversation with their on duty manager (Doogie something or other) we were able to drive there, pick up our furniture with the promise to bring the errant piece to the store when it arrived at our home. So we did, at our expense.

 

Office Depot sux

We purchased $1000,00 worth of home office furniture from Office Depot. None of the items were readily available. Weeks went by and the delivery date promised came and went. After numerous inquiries as to our order status we were promised that it “would be there in two days” and “the driver will contact you”. Ok, were on a roll.

  Two days later the driver called and said he would be there between 0800 and 1600. The o’l between this and that hour trick. He called late in the afternoon saying his truck would’nt fit in our subdivision and would we meet him at the McDonalds parking lot to get the items. Well hell no i’m not going to meet you at McD’s you idiot! Especially after paying a delivery charge. Two more hours went by and after many more phone calls to managers and their supervisors they delivered, to our front door, from a full size tractor trailer, our furniture.

In all fairness…

 Yesterday I was bashing on USAA (my ins company) for a conversation I had with one of the customer service reps. In all fairness they’ve been a surprisingly responsive and helpful company. I was hit by another driver last year, totalling the car, leaving me temporarily stranded. Within one hour they had my car towed to the repair shop, me picked up and a rental delivered. All without asking.

Sears, remind me again why I have the “extended warranty”

   Just jumped feet first into the IT age and went broadband, new computer, webcam….etc..and decided to purchase an MP3 player. I just happened to be at Sears when this idea struck me and bought it there with the extended warranty plan for a seemingly nominal fee of four dollars which entitled me, so I was told at the time, to a complete, unquestioned replacement of the device should absolutely anything at all happen to it. I even asked the sales representative would she replace it if I had dropped it in a toilet and it were covered in feces. To which she replied in the affirmative, only after I removed the feces.

 One of the speaker headphones blew and I took it in for a replacement. Simple enough right? After all I am the proud possessor of the ultimate warranty from hell, or at least from poop. I was told that I could not, in fact return just the headphones, but had to return the entire device. I’ve spent a lot of time and money downloading music for this thing, haven’t got it backed up anywhere and they had no way to transfer the music to the new device or to provide me a way to back it up unless I were to purchase some cables and widgets. When I suggested she return the new MP3 player with the old headphones and we could call it a wrap she looked at me like the kid in the Micky D’s drive thru when you give him $10.07 for an order costing $8.07.

  All said and done, I ended up purchasing a set of headphiones that cost more tghan the MP3 player itself (Sears does not sell cheap headphones). Admittedly I should have gone to a retailer that specializes in these type devices but I wonder if I would have fared better.

My insurance company reads off of a 3X5 card.

   We recently had a fairly severe snowstorm and due to a staunch work ethic decided to go in anyway. I made it just about 200 meters before sliding off the road and ending up with the vehicle on it’s side. I called my insurance company to arrange for a wrecker to recover my car and after thirty three minutes (I timed them) of ” press one for english’, “if your not sure of your extension” and “sorry, our automated response system was unable to recognize the option you requested….” I finally connected with an actual human, who’s very first response to my request was.”are you safe?”

  Am I safe? as in “not in danger”!? Had I been so inclined to stay on the line for a half an hour wading through a seemingly endless menu of automated options while still in danger of bodily harm, which is how I interpreted her question (maybe it’s my uncanny grasp of the obvious), I can think of at least 100 other organizations/people I would notify prior to her. Even Bobo, the assclown would have been a better choice if he were in the vicinity and readily available. They were in VA and I in KY.

  Maybe they’re hip to some ultra secret 911 number that would have scrambled the National Guard. Giving Darla (sorry dear) the benefit of the doubt, I asked her exactly what it was she was prepared to do for me had I actually been “in danger”. She had no answer. Maybe they should put it on her 3×5 card.

Prelude

Why, are we as a country (myself included), content to continually roll over for every nickel and dimingdumb trucker who offers us a service? Aren’t we the consumer? Shouldn’t individuals and the companies we solicit pander to our wants and needs? Corporate buyouts and mergers have, for years, slowly eroded the basic premise that made our country great and have forced individual retailers into a retreat leaving you and me, the consumer at the mercy of whatever substandard scrap of trade were allowed in order to keep big business in the black.

    Amazingly enough, most people I know are completely satisfied trudging through their existence either not paying attention to the blatant disregard for customer service/satisfaction, accepting increasingly poor standards of service or have just become so dejected, disenfranchised and apathetic they’re willing to accept whatever “deal” they’re offered without question. As a result, my personal opinions have become  “too cynical and negative” for most of my friends. I refuse to believe I’m alone in this and have decided to broaden my potential audience, bring to light the services who fall short as well as the ones who deliver as advertised.