So several of my posts are about extraordinarily poor customer service, out of the ordinary events, politics or just plain 'ol stupid people. Yesterday I had an experience that was a good one and although I wouldn't normally write about something like this, I felt compelled to share my experience in the interest of being fair since I think business owners deserve word of mouth for when they exceed their customers expectations as well as when they fail them.
My eight year old son, baseball player who absolutely hates playing catcher because he gets nailed with the ball in the pads, where there's gaps between the pads and occasionally in the head. Not to mention the sand getting kicked into his face on every ball he doesn't catch. I've played catcher during practices and I can assure you, the sand in your eyes on every pitch is quite unpleasant.
Anyway, he wants to be Joe Mauer for Halloween this year. And I'm very happy that he's moving past the Star Wars phase but he wants to don the full catchers gear. So I went online and the total cost for all the gear is slightly above $200. So I check Craigslist and the pickins' is slim. I don't and won't spend that much on a Halloween costume that gets worn once a year (unless it's the Naughty Nurse Costume from 3Wishes but even that is only $42.99).
So I convince my son that he should be Joe Mauer at bat. He already has the Twins/Mauer jersey, a bat, batting gloves, pants, etc. but needs new eye black, the Joe Mauer sideburns and a batting helmet. I agree to buy him a batting helmet since many of the kids now already have their own and he has a younger brother so we'll get some mileage out of it beyond just Halooween.
We go to Sports Authority and pick up the necessary equipment. $19.99 for the helmet, $5.49 for the eye black, $3.99 for a strap to keep the helmet on (don't really know why we need this but we buy it anyway because he wanted it).
My boy is happy and we're pretty well set for Halloween. Next stop, Target. To find a gift for his little brother to give him after his first Scouts meeting next week. Since we're so close to the baseball section at Target, I decide I want to see what equipment they have. Sure enough, there's the very same batting helmet we just paid $19.99 for listed at $9.99. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not going to go cheap on a key protective piece of equipment but they are they exact same helmet. Nearby is eye black for $3.99. We grab both and decide we'll be returning those items to Sports Authority to get our "margin" back.
To the counter we go and when she rings the helmet, it comes up listed at $19.99. I inform her the tag on the display indicated it was $9.99 and that I'm only buying it because I'm going to return the one I just paid double that for at Sports Authority. She calls someone on her walkie-talkie to check the price and after a minute, the voice comes back and says it's listed at $19.99. BEFORE I could say anything, she says, "I'm going to give it to you for $9.99 since I think there's a chance the pricing might have been confusing."
"Thank you, I really appreciate that," I say.
"Oh, you're welcome," she replies.
'Nough said (although there was more).
MORALE of the story: Target is onto something. A retailer has finally realized that just about everyone from Minnesota spends probably $1,000 or more in their stores each year and it is wise to leave a customer pleased with their experience rather than disappointed.
So to Target I say: Thank you. You did the right thing and as a customer who spends a lot more than $1,000 annually with you, I very much appreciate that you have recognized and acted in a way that treats your customers well. Perhaps the smartest thing any business can do is give competent employees the authority to make a customer happy or sole a problem. Home run on this one.
I only wish I would have paid attention to the womans name to give her praise also.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Audi: A nice ride with a hefty price tag
I own a 2004 Audi A6 Quattro with a 3.0 liter engine. I've had it for about 2.5 years. I like the car, it looks nice, drives well and is comfortable. But it is also expensive. It now has 72,000 miles on it and when I purchased it, the mileage was around 40,000. It has been into the dealership numerous times since then with expensive repairs. The most recent was last January when I blew a valve cover gasket. I had it towed to the dealership and for around $2,000, they replaced the valve covers. I felt as though I dodged a bullet since I thought I was lucky to have not completely seized the motor.
A few months later, I'm at the dealer getting recall work performed. The sales guy comes out and tells me that my valve covers are leaking. After informing him that I recently spent $2,000 having them repaired, he agreed to do the job over, correctly this time.
Since that time, I've had intermittent problems. The engine light comes on and stays on for sometimes days or weeks at a time, then mysteriously goes out like everything is normal. But more recently, it has been misfiring when cold. The misfire goes away after 10-15 seconds and everything seems fine again. Well, a few months ago I had to add anti-freeze to its 'sealed' cooling system. That's not supposed to happen. Ive added coolant three times since then and even had to add a half quart of oil although it was 9,000 miles since my last oil change. I've never had to add oil either.
So I finally broke down and brought it back to Carousel Audi in Minneapolis. The sales guy cals me and tells me that either my head gasket is leaking or the engine block is cracked and anti-freeze can be seen dripping into a cylinder when they inserted a camera. Head gasket estimate is just a hair under $2,000. The engine block estimate is $10,300! The car is probably only worth about $14,000! The sales guy doesn't want to make a recommendation because if I do the less expensive head gasket repair, it might not solve the problem and then I'm still on the hook for another $10,300 to replace the block.
I pick the car up in disgust and don't know what I'm going to do yet. Then I call an independent repair shop that I had been referred to months earlier. We talk and after explaining the diagnosis, he tells me that particular motor is terrible and not designed to last more than 100,000 miles. There is a design flaw where Audi inserted screws into the heads and they will eventually give out. Audi only used that motor for 18 months before scrapping it but he can do a permanent fix for about $1,500. If the problem is not the head gaskets, he can weld the block crack if it exists.
I'm talking with my brother the next day telling him about it and he says that his mechanic told him the exact same thing about the motor. He has a similar car with the same engine and is currently in the process of dumping it.
I bring my car to the mechanic to have the motor fixed and decided to ask, "Would simply adding radiator sealant ruin anything?"
"No, and it might stop the leak and solve your leaking problem but you still have a motor that is going to break in about 20,000 miles."
I told him to add the sealant, tighten the screws on the heads and change the oil. $240 later it appears that the leak has been stopped and the car is operating as designed.
Time to put it up for sale.
A few months later, I'm at the dealer getting recall work performed. The sales guy comes out and tells me that my valve covers are leaking. After informing him that I recently spent $2,000 having them repaired, he agreed to do the job over, correctly this time.
Since that time, I've had intermittent problems. The engine light comes on and stays on for sometimes days or weeks at a time, then mysteriously goes out like everything is normal. But more recently, it has been misfiring when cold. The misfire goes away after 10-15 seconds and everything seems fine again. Well, a few months ago I had to add anti-freeze to its 'sealed' cooling system. That's not supposed to happen. Ive added coolant three times since then and even had to add a half quart of oil although it was 9,000 miles since my last oil change. I've never had to add oil either.
So I finally broke down and brought it back to Carousel Audi in Minneapolis. The sales guy cals me and tells me that either my head gasket is leaking or the engine block is cracked and anti-freeze can be seen dripping into a cylinder when they inserted a camera. Head gasket estimate is just a hair under $2,000. The engine block estimate is $10,300! The car is probably only worth about $14,000! The sales guy doesn't want to make a recommendation because if I do the less expensive head gasket repair, it might not solve the problem and then I'm still on the hook for another $10,300 to replace the block.
I pick the car up in disgust and don't know what I'm going to do yet. Then I call an independent repair shop that I had been referred to months earlier. We talk and after explaining the diagnosis, he tells me that particular motor is terrible and not designed to last more than 100,000 miles. There is a design flaw where Audi inserted screws into the heads and they will eventually give out. Audi only used that motor for 18 months before scrapping it but he can do a permanent fix for about $1,500. If the problem is not the head gaskets, he can weld the block crack if it exists.
I'm talking with my brother the next day telling him about it and he says that his mechanic told him the exact same thing about the motor. He has a similar car with the same engine and is currently in the process of dumping it.
I bring my car to the mechanic to have the motor fixed and decided to ask, "Would simply adding radiator sealant ruin anything?"
"No, and it might stop the leak and solve your leaking problem but you still have a motor that is going to break in about 20,000 miles."
I told him to add the sealant, tighten the screws on the heads and change the oil. $240 later it appears that the leak has been stopped and the car is operating as designed.
Time to put it up for sale.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Yahoo Mail failure
My Yahoo Mail inbox suddenly became empty a couple of weeks ago. I lost between one and two hundred unfiled emails in my inbox. I had read everything (I think) but had appointments with people I hadn't met that I didn't have contact info for other than in the email exchanges.
When I realized my inbox was gone, I went into Yahoo help. There was a message re-assuring me their engineers were working on the problem. Whew! But I dug deeper and found an email restore option to go back up to 24 hours. I did this. Then waited. Either my restore request would come through or their engineers would make the world normal again.
Anyway, after numerous Live Chats and emails with their CSR's, Techs and engineers, I'm out an Inbox with no chance of ever getting it back. Once I accept this horrible reality, I start to ask questions to determine if I need to move to gmail to be assured of this problem never negatively affecting me again.
I ask: "Was this widespread? What caused it? What are you doing to ensure it doesn't happen again?"
The only partial answer was, "No, it was not widespread."
I then followed up with, "What do you consider 'widespread'? Only me? A few hundred? Thousands or more?"
No answer.
Then the Live Chat stops. I keep my window open and still nothing. After a few minutes I type, "Are you still there?"
No response.
Several more minutes pass and I type, "Hello?"
Still nothing.
The I get a follow up email. We go through the situation from the beginning and fairly quickly determine there is no hope of me getting my messages back so I start asking questions again. I re-iterated my three questions and received a diversionary question in response. I answer and ask the three questions again with a note indicating that I would tell everyone I know if they are unwilling or unable to address my questions.
I never received a response.
Since that time, I subsequently lost all of my Yahoo email contacts BUT was able to retrieve some. Not sure how that happened either.
My advice: If you want reliable email, DO NOT USE YAHOO! MAIL.
When I realized my inbox was gone, I went into Yahoo help. There was a message re-assuring me their engineers were working on the problem. Whew! But I dug deeper and found an email restore option to go back up to 24 hours. I did this. Then waited. Either my restore request would come through or their engineers would make the world normal again.
Anyway, after numerous Live Chats and emails with their CSR's, Techs and engineers, I'm out an Inbox with no chance of ever getting it back. Once I accept this horrible reality, I start to ask questions to determine if I need to move to gmail to be assured of this problem never negatively affecting me again.
I ask: "Was this widespread? What caused it? What are you doing to ensure it doesn't happen again?"
The only partial answer was, "No, it was not widespread."
I then followed up with, "What do you consider 'widespread'? Only me? A few hundred? Thousands or more?"
No answer.
Then the Live Chat stops. I keep my window open and still nothing. After a few minutes I type, "Are you still there?"
No response.
Several more minutes pass and I type, "Hello?"
Still nothing.
The I get a follow up email. We go through the situation from the beginning and fairly quickly determine there is no hope of me getting my messages back so I start asking questions again. I re-iterated my three questions and received a diversionary question in response. I answer and ask the three questions again with a note indicating that I would tell everyone I know if they are unwilling or unable to address my questions.
I never received a response.
Since that time, I subsequently lost all of my Yahoo email contacts BUT was able to retrieve some. Not sure how that happened either.
My advice: If you want reliable email, DO NOT USE YAHOO! MAIL.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Thought of the day
Did we get a gift receipt with the stimulus? I'd like to return it for a full refund.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Unemployment
Unemployment is high, very high. As someone who's been affected personally by the poor economy, I can tell you that almost everyone I meet is either unemployed, their spouse is unemployed, their sibling or neighbor or good friend is unemployed. Those who aren't are seemingly unhappy because they've been forced to do 1.5 peoples jobs in order to keep theirs. And no, they're not getting paid more for it.
I don't feel sorry for these people, I am one of them. What I've learned is that I'm going to be done being unemployed after I once again become employed. What I mean is that I have taken a long hard look at my career and how I need to position myself so that I'm not dependent upon other people, the economy and/or client and business issues to keep my job. Of course its unrealistic to think that you can completely insulate yourself from those things but here's how I plan to protect myself as best I can.
Start or purchase a business. Then I control who if anyone gets laid off and rest assured, I'd be the last one to go and I like this option a lot for many reasons. Although it is much easier said than done, poor job markets and economies typically produce more new businesses. Taking risk is much easier when you're not walking away from a good job already.
Make a career adjustment into something that positions me as the person with the client relationships. That translates to an asset that I can bring to my next employer. Forget about non-compete's, they're hard to enforce.
Build a business that pays residuals and have people selling something that you can earn an override on. I like this idea a lot also. Eventually you're earning money for the work of others and you suddenly control much more of your schedule. Additionally, you can make a later career change while maintaining key accounts or clients.
So what are you doing to secure your future?
I don't feel sorry for these people, I am one of them. What I've learned is that I'm going to be done being unemployed after I once again become employed. What I mean is that I have taken a long hard look at my career and how I need to position myself so that I'm not dependent upon other people, the economy and/or client and business issues to keep my job. Of course its unrealistic to think that you can completely insulate yourself from those things but here's how I plan to protect myself as best I can.
Start or purchase a business. Then I control who if anyone gets laid off and rest assured, I'd be the last one to go and I like this option a lot for many reasons. Although it is much easier said than done, poor job markets and economies typically produce more new businesses. Taking risk is much easier when you're not walking away from a good job already.
Make a career adjustment into something that positions me as the person with the client relationships. That translates to an asset that I can bring to my next employer. Forget about non-compete's, they're hard to enforce.
Build a business that pays residuals and have people selling something that you can earn an override on. I like this idea a lot also. Eventually you're earning money for the work of others and you suddenly control much more of your schedule. Additionally, you can make a later career change while maintaining key accounts or clients.
So what are you doing to secure your future?
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Friday, July 9, 2010
Democrats quotations
Great Orators of the Democrat Party
"One man with courage makes a majority." - Andrew Jackson
"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." - Franklin D. Roosevelt
"The buck stops here." - Harry S. Truman
"Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." - John F. Kennedy
And, from today's genius Democrats...
"It depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is. If the--if he--if 'is' means is and never has been, that is not--that is one thing. If it means there is none, that was a completely true statement....Now, if someone had asked me on that day, are you having any kind of sexual relations with Ms. Lewinsky, that is, asked me a question in the present tense, I would have said no. And it would have been completely true." Bill Clinton
"That Obama ... I would like to cut his nuts off." - Jesse Jackson
"Those rumors are false ... I believe in the sanctity of marriage." - John Edwards
"I invented the Internet." - Al Gore
"The next Person that tells me I'm not religious, I'm going to shove my rosary beads up their ass." - Joe Biden
"America is - is no longer, uh, what it - it, uh, could be, uh, what it was once was - uh, and I say to myself, uh, I don't want that future, uh, for my children." - Barack Obama
"I have campaigned in all 57 states." - Barack Obama (Quoted 2008)
"You don't need God anymore, you have us Democrats." - Nancy Pelosi (Quoted 2006)
"Paying taxes is voluntary." - Sen. Harry Reid
"Bill is the greatest husband and father I know. No one is more faithful, true, and honest than he." - Hillary Clinton (Quoted 1998)
And the most recent gem of wisdom from the "Mother Moron":
"We just have to pass the Healthcare Bill to see what's in it." - Nancy Pelosi (Quoted March, 2010)
"One man with courage makes a majority." - Andrew Jackson
"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." - Franklin D. Roosevelt
"The buck stops here." - Harry S. Truman
"Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." - John F. Kennedy
And, from today's genius Democrats...
"It depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is. If the--if he--if 'is' means is and never has been, that is not--that is one thing. If it means there is none, that was a completely true statement....Now, if someone had asked me on that day, are you having any kind of sexual relations with Ms. Lewinsky, that is, asked me a question in the present tense, I would have said no. And it would have been completely true." Bill Clinton
"That Obama ... I would like to cut his nuts off." - Jesse Jackson
"Those rumors are false ... I believe in the sanctity of marriage." - John Edwards
"I invented the Internet." - Al Gore
"The next Person that tells me I'm not religious, I'm going to shove my rosary beads up their ass." - Joe Biden
"America is - is no longer, uh, what it - it, uh, could be, uh, what it was once was - uh, and I say to myself, uh, I don't want that future, uh, for my children." - Barack Obama
"I have campaigned in all 57 states." - Barack Obama (Quoted 2008)
"You don't need God anymore, you have us Democrats." - Nancy Pelosi (Quoted 2006)
"Paying taxes is voluntary." - Sen. Harry Reid
"Bill is the greatest husband and father I know. No one is more faithful, true, and honest than he." - Hillary Clinton (Quoted 1998)
And the most recent gem of wisdom from the "Mother Moron":
"We just have to pass the Healthcare Bill to see what's in it." - Nancy Pelosi (Quoted March, 2010)
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