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Those of you not in the midwest may not know that we've recently had a rather chilly snap, with temps getting down to freezing levels. This is only supposed to last the week, next week it is supposed to warm back up into the 70s, but I was very much enjoying the brisk air until... we found out our heater does not appear to be working. I think the ingniter has gone out, it won't light the gas. Hopefully that is all that it is and we don't need a whole new heater. But that isn't the point of the story. It is the set-up for the story, because if he heater had been working I would never have called the company that installed it, whose name is on the sticker stuck to the side of it.
And that is where the baffling 'customer service' began. Although anyone who knows me and remembers such fun times as the gas line incident or the recent (not yet resolved) electricity issues is probably not surprised that things are not going swimmingly thus far.
It was yesterday afternoon that we turned on the heater, only it really didn't. By the time we realized this, it was after 5 and we figured we could tough out a night, even with the overnight low getting close to 30, the house would stay fairly warm. So we piled an extra blanket on the bed, turned on all the lights, used the oven, etc, and when I went to bed the thermostat said it was 70 in the house. Impressive, since I don't think it got much over 60 yesterday.
Wake up this morning to a chilly, but bearable 65. Wouldn't have been bad at all if I hadn't had to crawl out from under the covers. But kudos to the house for holding its temp so well.
Get to work and call the service company formerly know as Neil Harris and now is Service Experts, and after a brief hold (during which I was told repeatedly that customer service was important to them) I got ahold of someone and told them my tale of woe (woe).
It was then my... not really unease, or annoyance... more a feeling of 'I really don't want to have to deal with this company' started. Everything I said was repeated back to me three or four times. Okay, I understand wanting to get things right. But once I've confrmed what you read back was correct, stop asking me.
They don't have any set appointments today, but they can put me on a list, and if they have a slot, they can call and let me know they are on their way. Um, okay.
Five minutes later, when I step away from my desk, they call. And leave a different number for me to call back. Cool beans, right?
So I call... the same call center back. Speak with another customer service rep who goes through the same questions and verifies them the same number of times. (Side note to people who run call centers - please provide a pronunciation guide for city names, please! Sometimes they mangle it so badly I honestly do not realize what they are saying) With CSR#2 I confirm that he's telling me they will call and let me know within two hours if they will be able to be out this afternoon.
Five minutes later the phone rings from the same number and all the girl has to tell me is that yes, they have me down as wanting an appointment this afternoon and that the tech will call me when they're on their way.
So are they sure they can fit me in? Do I actually have a time slot, pencilled in though it may be? Or will I be fruitlessly waiting all day for a call that never comes? Only time will tell... in the meantime, I think I'll make plans to bring my office space heater home...
And that is where the baffling 'customer service' began. Although anyone who knows me and remembers such fun times as the gas line incident or the recent (not yet resolved) electricity issues is probably not surprised that things are not going swimmingly thus far.
It was yesterday afternoon that we turned on the heater, only it really didn't. By the time we realized this, it was after 5 and we figured we could tough out a night, even with the overnight low getting close to 30, the house would stay fairly warm. So we piled an extra blanket on the bed, turned on all the lights, used the oven, etc, and when I went to bed the thermostat said it was 70 in the house. Impressive, since I don't think it got much over 60 yesterday.
Wake up this morning to a chilly, but bearable 65. Wouldn't have been bad at all if I hadn't had to crawl out from under the covers. But kudos to the house for holding its temp so well.
Get to work and call the service company formerly know as Neil Harris and now is Service Experts, and after a brief hold (during which I was told repeatedly that customer service was important to them) I got ahold of someone and told them my tale of woe (woe).
It was then my... not really unease, or annoyance... more a feeling of 'I really don't want to have to deal with this company' started. Everything I said was repeated back to me three or four times. Okay, I understand wanting to get things right. But once I've confrmed what you read back was correct, stop asking me.
They don't have any set appointments today, but they can put me on a list, and if they have a slot, they can call and let me know they are on their way. Um, okay.
Five minutes later, when I step away from my desk, they call. And leave a different number for me to call back. Cool beans, right?
So I call... the same call center back. Speak with another customer service rep who goes through the same questions and verifies them the same number of times. (Side note to people who run call centers - please provide a pronunciation guide for city names, please! Sometimes they mangle it so badly I honestly do not realize what they are saying) With CSR#2 I confirm that he's telling me they will call and let me know within two hours if they will be able to be out this afternoon.
Five minutes later the phone rings from the same number and all the girl has to tell me is that yes, they have me down as wanting an appointment this afternoon and that the tech will call me when they're on their way.
So are they sure they can fit me in? Do I actually have a time slot, pencilled in though it may be? Or will I be fruitlessly waiting all day for a call that never comes? Only time will tell... in the meantime, I think I'll make plans to bring my office space heater home...