Customer "Service"

We bought our house, brand new, 3 years ago. Considering that, and the fact that all of our kitchen appliances are top of the line Kitchen Aid, you would think we wouldn't have any problems with anything for YEARS! Hmmph! In the last several months we have had problems with the dishwasher, microwave and stove. Because the items were under warranty, we had to call Kitchen-Aid directly to get a repair service. What follows in a contrast in customer service.

Two of the gas stove 6 burners would not work because the handles were loose. A man from company #1 came out to fix it one day while my hubby was home. This guy was a chatterbox! Because at the time, I was in my office (next to the kitchen) trying to write a Legal Analysis paper, I really didn't appreciate his non-stop talking (to hubby). But, he was nice enough and fixed it completely.

Then the microwave started randomly beeping (which started my daughter the first time it happened when she was upstairs and knew no one was downstairs, but heard the microwave). So, Kitchen Aid scheduled our repair with company #2. Unfortunately, both companies must come out to first diagnose the problem, and then after they see the part needed, they reschedule a second visit to do the installation. The microwave had a problem with the control panel, so after waiting about 3 weeks for the part to arrive, their "customer service" person called to schedule an appointment with me. When she gave me the next available dates, I told her that I was only available in the mornings, as I attend school in the afternoon. She said that she could not guarantee any particular time for the appointment. I told her that she could schedule it on a Saturday then. Nope, she wouldn't do that either. This became about a 10 minute, increasing more deated discussion as she refused to give me an appointment time and I refused to miss school to meet their repairman. I had told her she could give me an appointment weeks out, if she needed to. (I have a second microwave, so it wasn't urgent that it be fixed.) Nope, she wouldn't do that either. I can't even remember how that call ended, except that I did not have an appointment scheduled. About an hour later, I get a call from this person's manager, who explained that she heard my situation and kindly gave me a guaranteed morning appointment the next week. (Subsquently, the repairman came and fixed the microwave with no problems.)

Then, our dishwasher stopped working. Another call to Kitchen Aid brought out the repairman from company #1 (who never made any issue with us about being here particular days or times). The same chatty guy came out. This time, since hubby wasn't home, I stayed with him in the kitchen while he worked. (Maybe it's just us but we feel weird leaving a repairperson alone in our home.) Again, he talked non-stop. But, he was so friendly, and I had nothing better to do, so I didn't mind. Of course, I kept thinking....I'm probably running up my own bill by talking with him so much! He commented on how hubby and I were both such nice, friendly people, and that often in our neighborhood the people are more snobbish. I told him that I grew up poor, wearing clothes from garage sales, so that living in a nice area was not in my blood. Blah, blah, blah....kept talking, and when he finally finished, he said he wasn't going to charge me for the repair, and he marked it down in his book as "showed customer how to work appliance", which qualifies as a free call. (In fairness, this product failure was not Kitchen Aid's fault. Hubby had accidentally broken a glass in the dishwasher before it stopped working, and apparently missed a piece or 2 of it. This is what jammed things and what the repair guy had to get out.)

So, right when I'm thinking everything is finally working, the microwave starts its random beeps again. UGH! Kitchen Aid sends out the guy from company #2 again, and hubby is here when he diagnoses a second part (not the same control panel) that is now bad. Yesterday, their wonderfully bitchy customer service lady calls me to schedule the installation. She said she had Wed. and Thursday of next week available. I told her I could do it Thursday morning. She said that (repeating her earlier performance) she couldn't guarantee me any particular time. I told her that she could look further out in the schedule if she had to, or look on a Saturday. No, she couldn't do that. "Look," I told her, "we did this last time. I go to school in the afternoons and can only be home in the morning. I'm not going to get into this with you again. Why don't you have your manager call me because last time she was able to accommodate me just fine?" And I hung up on her! It felt so good to not just sit there and be abused by someone who was supposed to be helping me, and who I was going to be paying money to!

My phone rang less than 2 minutes later. It was her manager, asking if Friday morning would be ok. Yes. There, I had my morning appointment. Was that so hard? You KNOW what I think of that customer service rep. I just don't get it though. WHY are people like this? Are their lives so pathetic that they have to abuse the "power" they have at work just to make themselves feel like they matter? All I know is if she were my employee, she'd be LONG GONE!