More on customer service

One would think in this economy that retailers would bend over backwards to make sales and keep customers happy. Unfortunately, sometimes the customer has to be the one to ask for service.

We purchased a security screen for the front door. It had to be special ordered as the door is extra tall. We were told it would be in two weeks. Plenty of time before Jim left for Vietnam. The week before he left, I called. After checking the paperwork I was told it would be in "in two weeks". Okay, I don't believe they placed the order - but hey, it's just a guess.

We had arranged for the door to be installed but thought it would arrive in time for Jim to pick it up. When it finally came in, I explained I would have to have it delivered. We are talking 3 miles from the store to our house. I was told there would be a $79.00 delivery charge! Shocked, I reminded them it was their installer doing the work. Couldn't he just bring it out with him? I asked. The customer service representative said, well that's different, why didn't I say say so in the first place? In that case, it's only a $50.00 delivery harge. Call me crazy, but I still think that is excessive for a 3 mile delivery.

But wait, there's more. While she is on the phone, she asks me to hold while she 'checks on something". when she returns, she ststes there is a problem in that the person scheduled to install the door does not have a pick-up truck. So we are back up to $79.00 for delivery. I ask if I could I have a different installer? No, Bubba covers our area. But she suggeests I come in and rent their truck for $20.00 per hour and pick it up myself.

After explaining again that I was unable to drive, I finally aked for a supervisor. Guess what? Maybe it was better to have it delivered than lose the sale, because the door was delivered -at no charge.

The contractor was scheduled to come yesterday between 8 and noon to install the door. At 12:30 I call and was told he was 'running behind' and would be out between 2:00-4:00 PM. At 4:30 he calls and said it would be closer to 6:00PM before he will ome out. It's a good thing I am retired and didn't have to juggle work to be home the entire day for this guy.

Babba finally came yesterday close to 6:00 -without a truck- and installed the door.

I love being able to open the front door and smell the rain. I just wish it didn't have to be such a hassle to get a simple job completed.