Jeff Ward: Yes! I Know Where My Red Tent Is!

Why is calling customer service such a pain?

Despite my previous prosaic efforts, it’s getting worse. Much worse! In fact, it’s gotten so bad that I’ve come to fear this proposition even more than a Palin-Bachmann presidency. We’ll start with my call to the “What’s in your wallet?” people. Of course, if they really wanted an answer to that question, considering the proximity of my billfold, the response would be, “a real pain in the butt.” This particular problem started in October when Capital One, claiming a third party security breach, cancelled our credit card and sent us a new one. Though I certainly admire their proactive proclivities, having to edit all that online and recurring payment data was a real—well—pain in the butt. But we dutifully did it and thought all was well …

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Jack

10:02 pm on Tuesday, April 24, 2012

That's right, though I wonder why you pretend that Fox News is somehow different? Maybe "trust" isn't really the point. Like I said, at least Patch is up-front about the hand that feeds it. I do prefer that over the alternative. If we are looking for someone to trust, we're asking for trouble if we look much beyond the edges of the mirror.   more ›

About Town

Through Dirty Window Screens; I Can See Clearly Now

After a bad experience with a window washing service, the company tried to salvage me as a customer, did they succeed?

I’m one of those customers that will go out of my way to recommend a company that has done great work for me. On the flip-side; if the service was below average I will not recommend, and most likely inform people of the sub-standard experience I’ve had in the past. I recently had some routine work done around my house that fell into the sub-standard category. My dilemma in this situation is the fact that the prior year this same company did an outstanding job. I will not throw anyone or any company under the bus in this column, but I will include the fact that I had my windows washed. My house has three stories so I leave the window washing to the professionals. This columnist has a fear of heights! Last year a team of five people showed …

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Laurie Kapugi

5:32 pm on Monday, June 13, 2011

Robert, really? I gave this company chance after chance and they never followed through. I have a list of service providers that I use regularly that would disagree with you. My point in this column is to follow through and communicate with the customer, none of which this company did. I find the lack of follow through and communbication even harder to swallow with the economy in such shambles. …   more ›