...............my mother to blame.
I watched my mom dealing with companies in all kinds of venues when I was a little boy, growing up and standing in awe the way people treated her after she decided she wasn't being treated right. She taught me how to shop, cook, do laundry - most of the things that kids are, mostly, not being taught today.
I didn't really start dealing with companies the way that I do now until the level of service went from industry-wide exemplary to industry-wide - shi***. When America started out-sourcing, that's when my issue with it began. At the time, I didn't care about who had what job where, I had an issue with dealing with people in foreign nations that don't speak fluent or clear English and don't understand or care about the way we think in the U.S. versus the way they think about customer service in places like India, the Philippines, Mexico, etc.
They don't see things the way we do. When you call a customer service number and get a different country, you eventually - very quickly - get an attitude and a voice that over time? You don't even want to hear anymore. You have dealt with them for years, you get to a point where the first sound of their voice is enough to convince you to immediately ask to be connected back to a U.S. incoming call center.
And they mostly do NOT want to do that. The ramifications are obvious and need I really go into it? It would take a book to write out my interactions with these people.
So, I started dealing with a "new" company last week in attempting to get my new laptop computer fixed. Hewlett Packard is hardly new, but I have never had to deal with them before in this manner. Whenever I bought a cheap printer manufactured from their company, well, when it quits working I throw it away and buy another one. At $20 - my latest one was $19.99, bought on Black Friday of 2011, I am not going to bother wasting my time calling them.
My laptop was also bought on Black Friday - I wonder if THAT is even true anymore, probably not (asking the question as to whether the day after Thanksgiving is break-free day for companies) - but it was a FAR greater price-tag than twenty bucks. Today, a repairman was supposed to show up between the hours of 1 and 5 pm. It never occurred and I did not receive a phone call informing me why it didn't happen.
To skip a lot of stuff that I could go into but really don't feel like writing that much information - but it was dealing with people in both India and the Philippines - I finally ended up with a case manager, somewhere right here in the good ole' U S of A. By this point I am miffed and not accepting BS answers or endless transfers. I especially hate the attitude - which at first was exemplified by this individual - that they have all the answers and whatever you have to say means nothing and please shut up and listen - or so it is imputed.
Tim - that's his name - went into his spew. I listened, yes. I did not cut him off, no. I then started to reply to him when - he started to talk over the top of me. Interrupted me, in other words. That is when I lose respect for that person and that is when their problem starts.
It doesn't really matter at this point what Tim offered. His offer was moot. I was supposed to receive a part in the mail by now and then a tech was supposed to come out - today between the hours of 1 and 5 pm - neither of which happened. That didn't happen and now? HP is going to pay. This story isn't over, Tim's answer was nothing more than what should have happened in the first place, not an answer plus compensation.
I will get my computer fixed and I will get compensation. That's the end of it. I haven't actually ARRIVED at that end, yet, but I have ample experience dealing with these kinds of corporations. I will get to the right person, eventually. The amount I paid for my warranty will be given back to me and yes, my computer will be fixed and I won't have to pay any shipping charges, plus it will happen as fast as possible.
I cannot, of course, guarantee that that will happen, but that's what I am after and tomorrow? I will be on the phone as long as it takes. I didn't spend $50 on this computer is what I am saying and it's all of 2 MONTHS old, not 2 years or something old.
Whatever. I did get somewhere with the guy - but it wasn't enough. I am going to search the internet for the phone number I really need to get to and then? That's when I will finally get somewhere with this.
Okay, I left it having a box being sent to me for pre-paid shipping - on their part and having it sent back to them to have it repaired and my warranty money being given back to me. What I am after is all of that plus 2 free years of unlimited warranty service. In the case of a laptop that you are carrying around all over the place? That's worth something to me. I might ask for a discount on some other product as well from their store, who knows. I'm not there yet because........tomorrow isn't here yet.
Goodnight.
ben
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