Monday, March 3, 2008

A Few Words and a Story

There are certain words that I just find funny. I try to say them and I find myself smirking or stumbling over the word. I can't say them with a straight face...or even a crooked face. These words would include:

  • Cockapoo
  • Shitzu
  • Cockpit
  • Penal system
  • Uranus
  • Winnie-the-Pooh

*WARNING! WARNING! RANT ALERT! RANT ALERT!*

I'm still fuming from a wonderful incident earlier today. Last night, after I parked my car in the garage, I noticed my tire was almost flat. That would be the third time in about a year! You'd think I'm deliberately driving over glass and nails. But I digress.

There's a nearby store that can change tires quickly. I won't name the store directly, but the first word in the store's name is Canadian and the second word is Tire. I didn't have much time, so when I arrived, I asked the gentleman behind the counter how long it would take. He told me about 30 minutes, which was perfect. He told me to go wait in the waiting room -- there's a glass-walled waiting room as a part of the automotive department where you can wait while they work on your car.

I noticed literally 5 minutes after sitting down that my car was already on the lift with the tire off. I was impressed! I figured they'd patch the tire and I'd be out of there in 20 minutes. I went back to reading my newspaper.

30 minutes goes by.

45 minutes.

90 minutes.

The whole time the car was sitting on the rack with the tire off. I finally left the waiting area and headed over to the counter where a second gentleman was now standing. I asked him for an update on my car. After asking around in the back, he comes out to tell me I've already been told the tire cannot be repaired. I stared at him blankly and told him no I hadn't. He insisted I had because someone in the back said so.

So I said to him: "Well lets assume for a moment that's true. Then why hasn't the tire been replaced yet?"

He replies with: "We're waiting for your authorization."

So I said to him: "If I've already been spoken to, don't you think I would have then either authorized it or not right there on the spot? Bring the guy to the front please. I want him to say this to my face that he spoke to me."

So the person who walked out is the first gentleman who initially told me it would be 30 minutes. He then explained how the tire can't be repaired. I told him I've just been told that and howcome I've been sitting waiting for 90 minutes without anyone bothering to tell me.

He then explains he "tried to get a hold of me," by paging the store twice (which can't be heard in the waiting room). I'm stunned.

"Why didn't you just check the waiting room? You know, the automotive department department waiting room where all the customers go while waiting for their car to get fixed?"

"Well I tried to page you."

"Ok, you actually TOLD me to go and wait in the waiting room. In fact, two other customers in there had the mechanics come in and update them on their car and to get authorizations. Those customers you may notice are now gone. It also happens to be a glass-walled room. All you had to do is turn your head to see if I was there. You didn't even need to come in!"

He begins to apologize repeatedly. I told him I appreciated the apology, but rather than apologizing, could I get my car back with a new tire on it, please.

Ten minutes later, the car is done and I'm out the door. As I was paying, the guy behind the counter kept apologizing profusely. I didn't know whether to feel badly or to slap him so he'd stop sounding like a broken record.

You know, in a few years, no one will understand that phrase "broken record" anymore. Kids won't know what records are. We'll have to start saying "...repeated himself like a scratched CD." -- Doesn't sound the same, does it?

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Arg. I would've yelled at that jerk. People have no sense of customer service or common sense. The word DUH comes to mind. I probably would've said to him why the hell did you just lie to the guy and tell him you spoke to me. Are you dilberately trying to decieve your customers? What an idiot. I hate stores like that.

PET PEEVE BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE.