866-246-7344

(Photo: walkerspace)

Once the vet joins, their spouse and children are eligible for membership as well.

Here's the official word on who can join now:

Military personnel

* All current members of the U.S. Armed Forces, active duty, Guard and reserve, as well as those who retired or honorably separated in the past, regardless of dates or branch of service (Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard).
* Cadets, midshipmen, and officer or warrant officer candidates in government-sponsored programs leading to a commission.

Family members

* Adult children, widow(er)s, and un-remarried former spouses of USAA members.
* Widow(er)s of officer and enlisted personnel who were killed in action while eligible.

USAA wins rave reviews because of it's awesome customer service and because they don't try to rip people off. Also, they let you deposit checks by taking a picture with your iPhone or scanning and uploading them.

Even if you don't qualify based on the above, you can still take advantage of USAA's basic checking and savings services.

[Press Release] (Photo: hectorir) (Thanks to Chad!)

According to The Boston Globe, Comcast has:

...a corporate philosophy that aims to have even its subscribers love the cable giant as much as workers do. The underlying principle is simple: Happy employees make happy customers. "Everything is delivered through our employees," said Stephen L. Hackley, senior vice president for the Greater Boston region. "If employees are satisfied and happy, it comes through on the phones, it comes through in the field. They are the difference makers."

Some of those cheerful "difference makers" gushed to the Globe about their great jobs — and about how great it is to be serving those happy customers. "I have more freedom and more responsibility, and as long as I don't make any mistakes, no one is on my back," said James Mendes, a field technician. "I'm allowed to fix all the problems and make the customer happy. I've never been happier."

The Globe recently named Comcast, which has 4,000 employees in Massachusetts, the top place to work in the state. The cable giant beat out employers like Harmonix Music, which makes a little game called Rock Band, and Google, which gives all employees FREE FOOD — because of little things like a 401k match, flexible shifts, and policies that encourage them to become "discerning consumer advocates." We assume the free porn and comfy customer couches are just icing on the happy, happy cake.

A cable company that listens [The Boston Globe]

(Photo: Eli Hodapp)

(Thanks, Jimmy!)

Michael Johnson
Senior Director of Customer Service Communications
michael.johnson@directv.com
310-964-8153

Donna Sadlouskos
Senior Manager Customer Satisfaction
dlsadlouskos@directv.com
310-964-4466

You can also try them on Twitter
or emailing some upper-level DirecTV VP's
or emailing or calling the CEO's office.

Amusing sidenote, not just consumers, company employees are also using our contact info database to send their own gripes to the top of the totem pole. I was checking the comments on an old post with the DirecTV CEO's number on it and there was a comment from a DirecTV tech who said he would be using the info to complain about his manager giving too much work to out-of-state techs.

(Photo: DSmous)

TD Bank says Chase has it. Chase says TD has it. Oopsies!

Greg and Dmitry write:

Dear Consumerist,

We've been having a real nightmare with TD Bank in the past week, not to even mention the basic delays we've experienced since late September. We don't know what to do.

We are a small web design company. We don't have thousands and thousands of dollars in the bank. But we work hard and expect our money to be protected.

We wrote a check to one of our employees on October 12th. He deposited it on October 13th. On October 14th he received a letter from his bank (Chase) saying that the money was being held. He can see the money in his account, but cannot access. The $1800 has left our account.

We've called our bank (TD Bank) to see where the money is, they tell us Chase has the money. Our employee calls his bank, they tell him TD Bank has the money. We've spent hours on the phone talking to employees who can't seem to think of anything besides what's displayed on their computer screen.

The banks won't talk to each other because Chase will only talk to the account holder, and they refuse to do a 4 way call to get us all on the line.

Yesterday, my business partner and I went into our branch to find out there was a 2 hour line to speak to someone. We had to leave.

Today we came back and noticed there was no line. Why wasn't there a line? Because the computer system is down.

We then noticed that the LCD screens displaying promos for the bank had an interesting error in the middle of the screen. Their Norton AntiVirus subscription had expired

This is all so frustrating. We don't know what to do. We want to close our account with TD Bank, but feel we can't because then they really won't help us retrieve our lost funds.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Greg & Dmitry

Is this yet more fallout from the TD Bank and Commerce Bank data merger leaving massive amounts of transaction backed up? Or something else? The last reader we posted about a href="http://consumerist.com/5382687/td-bank-mans-100000-misplaced">had $100,000 in limbo, and it took him walking into the bank and mentioning how he was thinking about filing a police report to clear things up.

Though banks are within their rights to place holds on the funds, and can take up to 11 days (this email was sent to us on the 11th day after the check was cashed), simply saying "the other guy has it" is not a valid explanation.

Are there no words in the Canadian language for "customer service?"

RELATED: TD Bank: Man's $100,000 Misplaced

(Photo: Sister72)

From: Kelsey
Date: Mon, Oct 19, 2009 at 3:05 PM
Subject: Two important consumer issues
To: colleen.haggerty@bankofamerica.com, britney.w.sheehan@bankofamerica.com, nicole.nastacie@bankofamerica.com, joe.price@bankofamerica.com, keith.banks@bankofamerica.com, michael.jones@bankofamerica.com, brian.t.moynihan@bankofamerica.com, steele.alphin@bankofamerica.com, maryellen.baker@bankofamerica.com

Good afternoon,

My name is Kelsey. I have been a loyal B of A customer for years. I'm enrolled in Keep the Change, have two credit cards with BofA, and have my first savings account (I've been with BofA since college) and a checking account. I have recommended BofA to my boyfriend and my roommate, both of whom have switched and also enjoy keep the change and the Add it Up program. The online banking setup is superb, and your ATMs are everywhere...hard not to like BofA. However, in the past few weeks, there have been a few instances making me question my relationship with the bank:

/snip/

Recently, I left town for my grandfather's 90th birthday. My rent check cleared a few days before, but apparently the first purchase I made once I was in Connecticut overdrafted my account. Mea culpa. I was out of town and not checking my account balance, but was still, as mentioned before, under the impression that I was covered by overdraft protection. Apparently this was not the case. I got paid in the interim so the paycheck corrected the overdraft. I log in to find that there is a significant amount of money missing. I look at the statement. Eleven overdraft fees; one for each time I used my debit card while I was out of town or once I got back and needed to buy groceries. That's a total of $385. I was told on the phone that I could be refunded $140 as a courtesy, but since I believed I was enrolled in overdraft protection I don't really see how that is a courtesy.

I told the customer service woman I spoke with (who to her credit was very nice despite my tears/frustration) that I thought I was enrolled in overdraft protection. She told me several things: First, that if I were enrolled, it would say that on my statement. How do I look for something on my statement that I have never seen on another one of my statements and don't know to look for? Second, she told me that since I had overdrawn recently, and didn't say anything about overdraft protection at the time, she really couldn't believe my claim that I requested it when I opened the account. I'm sorry, but this seems ridiculous to me. One fee is easy for me to overlook, slap myself on the wrist and move on...11 is off-the-charts and warranted an immediate call to customer service. I have no recourse here: it's my word against your computer system, which "has no notation" that I requested overdraft protection. How am I supposed to prove that, when the person I asked to set me up with it undoubtedly doesn't even work at that branch anymore? Basically, what she is telling me is that because someone messed up on B of A's end four years ago, I am out $245.

I'm a reasonable person, and I can admit a mistake, but 11 fees is something I cannot afford. With the $245 that has still been deducted, I could pay off half of my Komen Visa balance (a card I gladly and PURPOSEFULLY opened with B of A), but these two events have me contemplating moving my money elsewhere. I may not have millions in the bank, but I think that my loyalty, especially during some of these more trying times, should count for something.

Best,

Kelsey

Two hours later, Kelsey got a call from someone who said she would investigate the checking account complaint. Two days later, all the overdrafts fees were refunded.

"Although at the time I believed it was 11 overdraft fees total, it was actually 15, totaling $525 of my hard-earned money...The woman from the executive office thanked me for reaching out, and being polite and proactive, and told me that by looking at my accounts she could tell this was a one-time thing and that I am a responsible banking customer," writes Kelsey.

"I never expected that response, especially from BofA, but plus one to Consumerist for teaching us all that a level head and a fair request can help the consumer come out on top."

Jim Weeder
Corporate Escalations
National Customer Service Deployment Center
720-268-8800 ext. 53233
1-800-718-7419 ext. 53233
M-F 6AM to 2:30PM MTN

(Photo: flaimo)

The big loser — justifying moans from an ocean of iPhone owners — is AT&T. The story says:

AT&T lands last in our tests. Our in-store experience left us with one question out of three unanswered and we were shocked that one representative couldn't help get our email up and running (though another rep at a different store was successful). Our trial of AT&T's web support turned up similar results when one online associate told us they don't support Slacker software, and one of our phone support calls lasted 45 minutes without resolving the last of our issues.

Anyone who wants to bash or praise their cell phone company in the comments can have at it.

Rating the Carriers: Customer Service Showdown [Laptop]
(Thanks, Daniel!)

"I told them my house had burned to the ground and that I wouldn't need DirecTV anymore," he said. "They said, 'OK.' "

But on Oct. 1, Gray saw that DirecTV had withdrawn nearly $280 from his bank account. He immediately called the company to ask what was up.

"They said it was a non-return fee for my two satellite boxes," Gray recalled. "They said it wasn't negotiable."

Luckily Ken Gray got in touch with reporter David Lazarus and the company said that they had neglected to flag Mr. Gray for "special handling." Fair enough. But why couldn't the customer service reps had a soul in the first place?

DirecTV customer service leaves Station fire victim feeling burned [LAT] (Thanks to Angela!)

RELATED:
AT&T Asks CA Wildfire Victims If They Remembered To Pick Up Satellite Receiver As They Fled Their Burning House
Comcast: Fire Destroyed Your Cable Box? Pay Up.

(Photo: mbtrama)

Here's the letter she wrote to Walmart Corporate Headquarters:

To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing to let you know of the worst customer service experience I have ever had at a Wal-Mart store, which happened yesterday October 11, 2009.

I went to the Wal-Mart Supercenter, store #[redacted]to make an exchange. I had purchased two weeks earlier from store #[redacted] a bottle of Spray & Wash "Bright & White" laundry additive. After I got home with it, I realized I had bought the wrong kind; I only wanted the regular Spray & Wash laundry stain remover. I had not used a single drop out of the bottle. I had my receipt with me and I was well within the 90 day period. It should have been a simple exchange, right?

Well, as it turned out, no. I waited patiently for 10 minutes at the Customer Service desk. I explained what happened (as mentioned above). The girl waiting on me poured out some of the liquid into the cap and then poured it back into the bottle and sniffed it. Apparently - they have had people use a bottle of laundry detergent, then refill it with water & then return it. She told me to go get what I needed and come back for an exchange only. I explained that I had several other items to pick up too. She told me then to go through the regular line with my items, just don't let them ring up the new bottle of Spray & Wash and they'll exchange it then. OK...I wasn't happy about the extra trip but fine. So, I did my shopping, checked out (another 10 minutes in line) and went back to customer service. When it was my turn again (after waiting another 7 minutes) - they told me that a manager by the name of "Peter" was refusing the exchange. They told me that the liquid was "watered down" and "missing half of its contents". I was furious, but I kept my cool - they were essentially calling me a liar and a thief – without actually saying it. I explained that it was that consistency when I purchased it, that Spray & Wash Bright and White was thinner than regular laundry detergent, etc. They either didn't care or were too stupid to figure it out. So, I asked to speak to another manager. It wasn't about the money - it was a matter of principal at this point.

Before the other manager could show up to address the matter — a lady named "Gabby" called out from the back, that to "go ahead and just handle it". She reversed the decision the other manager had made. They marked out as defective the bottle I originally bought (even though there was nothing wrong with it!) and then exchanged it for the one I needed.

It was stupid, humiliating and made me just plain angry. I have never had such a misery-inducing, wretched customer service experience before. I was well within the exchange policy they have posted behind the customer service desk. I will never visit Wal-Mart store #[redacted] again. And I'm seriously considering just doing my shopping at local grocery stores and Target from now on, as result of this visit. I'm 9 months pregnant and to make anyone suffer through that indignity is just plain wrong — regardless if they are pregnant or not! If a few bad apples are scamming the store by returning bottles of laundry detergent — that is not the fault of the rest of us honest people who have legitimate returns for products we purchase — and we should not be punished as such.

I wanted to make you aware of this sort of bad service that is being given and how matters are being handled at this Wal-Mart location.

The way the Walmart operated is a good way to get customers to shop somewhere else. Has anyone else had trouble returning detergent to Walmart or other stores?

(Photo: oamg823)

(Photo: Schröder+Schömbs PR)

Consumerist is a very critical site so when I see something extra from a company I feel like should give credit where credit is due.

On the day of my flight, I missed the boarding cutoff at JFK but ticket agent Orniston called down to the gate to see if they would let me in. They wouldn't, and the next available flight was about a ~$500 fare difference. With patience and humor, my man Orniston checked with his supervisor and got me on it for only a $40 fee. Score!

The bathrooms at Terminal 5 seemed a lot cleaner and brighter than the usual. There was free no-BS wifi and a plug-in table - no hunting for spare outlets and crouching like a laptop hermit required.

The Captain gave a good pre-flight announcement that was actually friendly and funny instead of just trying to be. I swear the flight attendant did a sort of sashay dance down the aisle as she checked to make sure everyone's belts were tightened.

Flight was smooth, seats were spacious and I enjoyed 36 channels of real cable, especially the soccer channels. We landed 45 minutes early. On the return flight there was a lot less legroom and my TV kept cutting out. Otherwise, good to go.

A++++, would fly again!

(Photo: Seamus Murray)

Our tipster writes:

For as long as I have worked at TD Bank, I have never seen it even a fraction of how busy it was today. Our external phone lines were busy for most of the day with customers calling us to figure out what was going on. Until about 1:00 or 1:30 we couldn't get balances for customers because the overnight processing wasn't completed yet. When we were back on-line, nothing for the current day was reflecting on our customer's accounts. There was an internal extension to call to get direct deposit amounts and have them made available but we had to keep calling to get through.

On top of that, our new fees went into effect. Despite the news last week that our largest competitors were switching to am overdraft policy that is more customer friendly than commerce's, td bank still went through with a policy that lets debit card transactions overdraw their account (with a $35 fee), puts customers in an overdraft protection plan without their consent ( without telling them how much their overdraft protection will cover), and charges customers a fee even if the account is overdrawn $0.01 and a sustained overdraft balance fee. In addition to that, our cash reserves charge a $5 for every overdraft transfer and will only transfer the amount of the overdraft plus the $5 fee. The statements that our customers now will receive do not give a time or date for checkcard transactions, so we can not convincingly show our customers what transactions overdrafted their accounts. The posting order has changed that the largest check is posted first, which your website and almost every consumer advocate organization has rallied against.

Because we were offline today, our main customer service program would not bring up an itemized list of pending transactions, even though the customers could see it on their on-line banking. The program that our back office uses does not have a function that breaks down the credits and debit totals, or have a list of pending checkcard transactions like the one commerce used.

This was how our day was at td bank today.

(Photo: Umeboshi Panda)

Are you a TD Bank customer experiencing problems? Sound off in the comments. (Photo: Morton Fox)

When I pick up, a recorded message tells me to call in to talk to them about my account. I finally did today so they would stop calling me. The CSR asked me how they could help me today. I said, you tell me, you're the ones who keep calling me saying I have to call in. After she checked my account she said the only thing might be that AT&T wanted me to know that I qualified for a free phone upgrade. Thanks anyway, I said, but I'll just stick with my iPhone 3GS. I'm not even sure what they think they can "upgrade" you to from an iPhone 3GS.

Any other AT&T customers get calls like this?

(Photo: revertebrate)

From TIME:

A Delta spokeswoman seemed perplexed by the whole question. First she said simply, "We direct customers to our e-mail." After more checking, she reported that Delta does have a customer-care option on its toll-free number. When I couldn't find it, she checked once more and clarified: the customer-care line is found on Delta's main corporate phone number - but that number is not publicized and "it is not suggested" that customers call it. A representative at that number said they do not take customer complaints and directed me to the website.

We find that Google Finance is an excellent tool for escaping these sorts of circular traps.

The Airlines' Customer-Complaint Lines: No Answer [TIME]
(Photo:Zonaphoto)

I wanted to give you some feedback on my experiences this evening.

I made many calls to inform many banks of my travel plans. I want to convey my thoughts on two of those conversations:

1. 40 minutes on hold with Bank of America. I hung up as I lost all my patience.

2. 40 minutes speaking with Amber Beyer. It was, without question, the best customer service experience I have ever encountered. Not only can I tell that she is a very kind human being but she was so knowledgeable about all your products. To clarify, Amber did not only know about all your products, she knew the smallest details about every process as well, even things that would normally fall out of her territory as a bank rep. Such knowledge is invaluable when needing the correct information. And it is very rare skill. I work in the credit markets and I have dealt with countless reps at various banks spending more time letting them know the incorrect information they were giving out than getting the customer service I deserve.

Amber went above and beyond what I ever experienced with a support representative to ensure that I had all the facts about travel, card usage, bank usage etc. before I went overseas. Not only did she reconfirm my assumptions that Schwab is literally the best bank that exists but she also inspired me to apply for more products that your bank offers.

If that wasn't the best possible customer service possible I don't know what is. Call was answered in less than 4 rings, friendly personable service that disseminated sentence after sentence of kind advice and factual information and inspires the customer to seek out more service from your bank.

Amber should be commended and I am super happy to know that should I need any assistance overseas I have her information.

My only suggestion is that Schwab open up more branches!

The key phrase here is "inspires the customer to seek out more service your bank." Happy customers are repeat customers, and as this email and post shows, become good will ambassadors for the brand.

(Photo: Sara. Nel)

With no other options, he researched the e-mail addresses of the company's executive board and fired off a carefully crafted executive e-mail carpet bomb.

Dear Toys R Us Executive Committee,

My name is Seth M. and I am taking the unusual step of writing
you personally after having exhausting your normal customer service
options.

Back on July 6th I purchased a "Fast Lane Mutator" Radio Controlled
vehicle for my son. I paid $65.98 for it including sales tax. The
day after the purchase the main drive gear in the transmission
stripped out leaving us with an inoperable car. Inside the packaging
was a card telling us that in case of problems, not to return the toy
to the store but to e-mail, service_toysrus@yahoo.com. I did so and
quickly received an automated reply telling me that the address was no
longer good, thereby stripping me of that service option. I went to
the ToysRUs Website and after a little searching came up with a phone
number, 1-800-869-7787.

The guest relations staff at this number were very helpful, taking my
information and telling me that they would forward it onto the proper
people. They also gave me a case number [redacted]. About 15
minutes later, I received a call from another associate who was looking
to check my information and to gather some details that were missed in
my prior call. She told me that my problem would be forwarded to the
"Private Label Team", because the "Fast Lane" line of merchandise was
built as a Toys R Us house brand. She also said I should hear back
within 5 business days.

During the next two weeks I did not get a call.

Then, while my family and I were on vacation, I received a message from
someone, Daphne I believe, in "Corporate Guest Relations" requesting
that I return her call. We returned home August 8th and I was able to
call the number, 1-800-961-5984, on Monday the 10th. The associate
who answered said that they just wanted to let me know that my issue
had been forwarded onto the Private Label Team and that I should hear
back within three days. On Friday the 14th after hearing nothing I
called again to check up on the progress. I was told that they would
re-send it to the Private Label team and to expect to hear something
within 5 days.

It is now August 21st and another call was made. Again I was told
that they would re-send my case to the Private Label team. I asked
the associate if there were any other options for me as the sending of
my case to the Private Label team seems to have no effect. I was
given the name of Mr. Storch and the Corporate mailing address, with
the suggestion that I send him a letter.

This e-mail is the resultant letter.

Before moving on, I would like to tell you that at every step of the
way along your customer service chain, the men and women I spoke to
were polite and very willing to do whatever was in their power to help
me, this is commendable. However it seems that nobody I have spoken
to as of yet has the ability to actually resolve my issue.

My family and I often shop at ToysRUs, and would prefer to continue.
With our children it is definitely easier to have a toy in hand versus
a printout of a delivery confirmation. When I first started contacting
your company I was hoping to either receive a replacement part, or
vehicle. Unfortunately at this point I think that a full refund would
be the best way to resolve my problem.

I understand that it being late on a Friday, an immediate response may
be difficult. I look forward to hearing from you next week.

Thank you for your time,

Seth M.
[Phone number]
[E-mail address]

cc: http://www.consumerist.com

After reading his initial e-mail, we asked Seth how things turned out. The response to his EECB was immediate and quite impressive.

I wrote my initial e-mail on Friday evening. I received my first e-mail
reply from a member of the Toys R Us Executive Committee (the focus of my
e-mail) early Saturday morning. Shortly there after I was called by
Rachelle from Executive Relations who let me know that it being Saturday
there wasn't much that could be done until Monday. She did say that Toys R
Us would do whatever was needed to make things right. She said that a gift
card was the easiest for them but they could also mail me a check. She said
that she would call me on Monday to make all the arrangements. I told her
that a gift card would be fine.

I also received an e-mail from the Vice President of Operations Ms. Claire
Babrowski, letting me know that she would make sure everything was taken
care of.

Later Saturday Ms. Babrowski e-mailed me again after finding out that
Rachelle had already called me to arrange a resolution. Ms. Babrowski
wanted to make sure I was satisfied and asked that I keep her updated on the
status of everything. She also offered to, in addition to the gift card,
send my son a "zero gravity" RC toy to apologize for Toys R Us's failure.

I replied that my son would appreciate the toy and sent my address.

On Monday Rachelle called me to confirm my address for the gift card.

Tuesday morning the "apology" card arrived with a hand written apology from
Ms. Babrowski, much to my son's surprise and joy.

I as of yet have not received the gift card but have every expectation that
it is on its way.

I cannot thank the consumerist enough. It was via the various posts
regarding an EECB that I learned how to search for e-mail address formats
and how to write an appropriate concise letter. I did not expect such a
quick and complete response from Toys R Us.

What a great resolution! We're a bit concerned about the runaround Seth received when trying to replace the toy through regular channels, and hope that Toys R Us has taken this opportunity to fix the problems with their private label product support.

Do you have a customer service problem that can't be solved through the regular channels? Empower yourself with the information available here on Consumerist, starting with the Ultimate Guide To Fighting Back.

UPDATE: Seth just reported that he received a gift card for the total amount he paid for the car, plus $15.

The company wanted to repair their television, but Tavie and Gina wouldn't accept anything other than a refund, considering their experience with this particular television and Funai in general. They are, however, satisfied, and have ended the Boycott Funai campaign on Twitter. Tavie wrote to Consumerist:

The refund check was sent by Fedex and received on Tuesday. Gina has deposited the money. Oddly, Mr Guerrero [Louis Guerrero, Assistant Customer Service Manager at Funai USA -Ed.] still hasn't sent a box for us to return the tv, so we still have its corpse (which will soon be replaced with a Sony.) I've posted one last update on the Twitter page about the satisfactory resolution to our dealings with Funai.

If you have a problem with Funai that regular customer service can't resolve, here's who you can contact:

Level 2 Customer Service Hotline
Level2@funaiservice.com / (888) 290-0871

We're very glad to hear of their success! Thanks to Brandon, who provided the escalated contact information for the person at Funai who was able to help.

Here's what the rest of us can take away from this story. Tavie and Gina always interacted with Funai in a mature and professional manner. They always kept in mind the very reasonable things that they wanted from the company - either a new replacement television, or a refund of the original purchase price - and stood firm. Well done!

PREVIOUSLY:
Funai Knows TV Broke Under Warranty, Hopes You Go Away

Stephen learned this the hard way.

Consumerist,

If you have an AT&T phone, you can contact customer service by dialing
611. When I tried to do this recently, I accidently dialed 411 twice
instead, but I hung up as soon as I realized what I was doing wrong
and without speaking to anyone. When I got my phone bill, I was
charged $3.98 for making the calls.

After contacting AT&T Customer Service, I was very surprised and
dismayed that AT&T claims they cannot give refunds for these calls
UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, users are billed just for placing the call
even if they hang up immediately, and there is no way to block calls
from being made to 411.

Stephen

P.S. After asking to speak with a supervisor and whining enough, I was
given a "courtesy credit", but I am still upset that I couldn't get a
normal credit without having to get my blood pressure up.

It makes sense that AT&T might do this in order to avoid people trying to game the system and get free directory assistance calls by pretending that they made the calls accidentally. It's just not a very nice policy.

But why can't you block directory assistance on a phone when there are so many perfectly good free alternatives?

Dial carefully, kids.

(Photo: Billa)

Here's the letter Joe sent to Generac Power Systems concerning his backup generator's failure to work during a recent outage:

Dear Mr. Jagdfeld,

I am writing this to you to share my recent experience with one of your products.

I am the past owner of one of your standby generators (at a previous residence). While that unit was not trouble free, I recommended your products to family and friends, and installed one for my brother in 1999. When we built our new house in 2006, I decided to purchase your 13kw NG standby generator because of your reputation for quality and customer service. I liked the fact that it was made right here in Wisconsin.

Yesterday, however, when this like-new and meticulously maintained unit was called upon during a power outage, it failed to start. Upon investigation (in the rain) it became apparent that the starter had gone bad. I pulled the starter to examine it, and confirmed that this was in fact the problem. The 'nose' (countershaft support) casting had broken completely off, and the starter bearings were thoroughly worn so as to make even turning by hand difficult. In operation, the starter would chatter and get very warm.

In talking to one of your authorized dealers, I was told that this was a rare case, and that this did not normally happen. When I called your customer service department, both Andy and later Angie admitted that this should not have happened. On a unit that has been run only 10 hours on 2 occasions (besides its weekly exercise time), this was admittedly premature failure.

I have offered, both to Andy and Angie, to send pictures of the casting failure in order to let them judge whether or not this was something that merits their attention. Both declined, and said Generac would not help me in this situation.

So there you have it. The starter failed. Only two conclusions can be reached: either the customer is at fault, or the starter manufacturer is at fault. Since the expected life cycle of the starter is significantly greater than the 150 or so times it has been used (admitted by your two agents and your authorized dealer), that leaves only the manufacturer at fault.

The question, then, is: why won't Generac stand behind their product? I realize that I am beyond the warranty period (by less than a year), and that Generac needs to have a set warranty period in order to limit liability in cases of customer abuse, and even normal wear-and-tear. This, however, is neither of those.

Mr. Jagdfeld, I own older cars, and have a good understanding of mechanical failure. Your own agents and dealer admitted that this was premature, and should not have happened. What I would ask, then, is for Generac to provide me with a new starter (Generac Part # 0E9323) in order to make up for the defective one. I am happy to provide the old one for your examination, if you want to examine it. I will take care of the installation.

Even though we went without power for 10 hours overnight because of the failure of the unit, I would like to look at this as an unusual event, and confirm my faith in Generac products. I am hoping you will do the right thing here, so that I can continue to recommend Generac to friends and family, and rate them highly on the internet sites I visit.

Sincerely,
Joe

This is a great case study of how to write a level-headed, smart EECB that makes a sound argument in favor of the customer:

• He describes his past relationship with the company and illustrates the value he's brought to that relationship, both by being a repeat customer and by bringing in other customers.
• He also clearly explains the problem in a logical way that never resorts to emotional appeals. The unit shouldn't have failed, especially since he was a model owner who did everything by the book.
• He acknowledges that they have a sound business reason to enforce their warranty restrictions—but that this is an exceptional case and therefore an exception should be made.

We're not sure such a reasonable letter will work in every case, since you sort of need a level-headed person on the other end who can recognize your value as a customer, but here's at least one example where it worked.

(Thanks to G.S!)

I run my computers into the ground. They hardly ever sleep, and parts inevitably break after years of constant use. Because of this, I buy AppleCare, which extends Apple's warranty on all parts to three years. It's one of the only extended warranties that's cost effective and easily worth the purchase price. Try repairing a busted Apple at your local computer shop. It won't be cheap.

Over the past two and a half years, Apple has replaced two hard drives and an optical drive on my MacBook Pro. When the optical drive failed for a second time, it constituted the fourth major hardware repair and, at least according to Apple's semi-official policy, made me eligible for a replacement machine. I called and asked for a replacement, and that's what I got.

The new machine was wonderful, except for the atrociously reflective mirror-finish glossy screen. I spend all day with my laptop, and I occasionally suffer from ocular migraines that are triggered, in part, by glare. Migraines are nature's version of waterboarding. They are torture, and most sufferers go to comical lengths to avoid their migraine triggers. I had seen the laptops in the store and somehow deluded myself into thinking that the reflections wouldn't be as bad at home where I could control the lighting. For me, Apple's reflective screen was utterly unusable.

I called Apple and explained the problem. Surprisingly, the wonderful customer relations administrator who oversaw the replacement, Anita M. in Austin, offered to overnight me an anti-glare film. Worth a try!

The films are notoriously difficult to apply, so I brought it into an Apple Store. A cheerful manager applied the film in about 20 minutes, avoiding the bubbles and dust specks that can ruin an anti-glare film. Still, the film didn't help and the screen was still blindingly reflective. Unacceptable!

Still, there was one final option. The third-party vendor TechRestore has a $200 service that replaces glossy screens with beloved matte ones. Though TechRestore claims their work doesn't void AppleCare, a monitor replacement is a very visible change, and Apple could have easily denied me any future repairs.

I called Anita and asked if I could return the new unit and hold onto my old MacBook Pro in the hopes that Apple would reintroduce an anti-glare option before my AppleCare expired in November. Anita said that so long as I called within the warranty period, I'd be able to request a replacement. I don't really use my optical drive, so living without one wasn't a big deal. Getting a replacement laptop that can spend the next three years running without sleep is much more important. I figured I'd use my capable machine as long as possible, and then if need be, request a replacement in November and void the warranty with the TechRestore replacement.

Today, Apple reintroduced the anti-glare screens as a $50 option on their 15" MacBook Pros. I called customer service, explained my case history, and again requested a replacement—this time with the newly available anti-glare option. Apple agreed, and upgraded me to the anti-glare screen free of charge. They even tossed in two free mini Display Port connectors so I could connect my external monitors.

Did Apple need to replace my laptop? No.
Did Apple need to send me an anti-glare film? No.
Did Apple need to install the anti-glare film? No.
Did Apple need to take back their replacement laptop? No.
Did Apple need to send me another replacement? No.
Did Apple need to waive the fee for the anti-glare option? No.
Did Apple need to toss in two free Display Port connectors? No.
Did Apple need to worry that I wasn't already a loyal customer? No.

Apple didn't need to do anything but repair my broken optical drive; instead, they repeatedly went above and beyond. This wasn't a fluke experience, either. Every single Apple employee I spoke with was efficient, helpful, and thoroughly professional. This was service worth paying for. Thank you, Apple.

I did almost all of my banking in New Zealand with local banks, but I still needed a card for a handful of internet transactions. Unlike here, the Kiwis don't freely hand out credit cards. Everyone uses debit, and it's almost everywhere.

HSBC knew that I was abroad, and all of my transactions screamed "traveling customer!" Bus tickets, Skype credits, stuff like that. I only used the card about once every month, but HSBC religiously flagged each and every transaction as fraud. Whenever they did, I'd call international collect and verify that the transactions were legitimate. The fraud alerts were annoying but bearable, and even a little amusing. By the third month, I offered to send postcards.

I didn't that notice that they canceled the card until I logged into my account and saw that, surprise!, I had a new credit card number. When I called to ask why, the customer service representative responded with: "Oh, you didn't get our letter?" Sure enough, HSBC canceled the card due to fraudulent activity (there was none,) and sent a new card to my address on file, creating the potential for actual fraud. Whoops!

It took almost an hour to sort out the mess since HSBC's CSR didn't realize that the card she was going to send to New Zealand probably shouldn't have the same number as the one sent to my U.S. address. Afterwards, I spoke with a supervisor and explained that my troubles with The World's Local Bank warranted a courtesy credit. She offered $25, which I accepted. I also asked her to write into my account notes that I would ask for a credit every time HSBC's security department interrupted my trip by flagging clearly legitimate transactions. Problem solved? Not quite.

HSBC's security department called the very next morning to ask: "Was I really in New Zealand?" Sigh! After verifying that I was, in fact, as promised, yes, really in New Zealand, I again asked for a supervisor and got another $25.

All told, HSBC ended up paying me $100 to apologize for their over-eager fraud detection system. I would have preferred to enjoy my trip without the bother, but hey, as long as they paid a reasonable rate, I was willing to chat with them.

If I had been traveling in Russia, and not living in New Zealand, I would have been far less accepting of the bank's failures. This is why a backup card is so vital. If your bank does screw up, don't let them off the hook with a simple apology. Demand the service you deserve, and if you don't get it, make them pay—literally, if need be.

PREVIOUSLY: BoA Strands Customer In Siberia With No Money

Bryan writes:

About 18 months ago I purchased a new HDTV from Best Buy and also purchased the extended service plan (stupid I know, but this was before I started reading Consumerist). I purchased this specific TV because the light source was supposed to last for 5 years and even came with a 5yr warranty. Well, as it turns out the light didn't last nearly 5 years. It conked out after 6 months. I thought maybe it was just a bad part so I spent about a month in the Geek Squad repair cycle and had it replaced. The TV worked great for about another 6 months, when the light source died again. I again went through the Geek Squad repair maze and about a month later the TV was fixed. This time the light source broke within 1 week of the repair. Ok, I was irritated before but now I am getting mad. Luckily this time I was on vacation and the TV was repaired before I got back home. Another 6 months later and the light source broke for the 4th time.

I decided to contact Best Buy and request a replacement under their "no lemon" clause of the extended warranty. After all I have had 4 failures of the TV and that is what it takes under the policy to get replaced. To my dismay, but not unexpected, a Best Buy CSR left a message on my cell phone denying my claim. He said the light source was not a qualified part under the policy. The next day I called Best Buy to investigate the denial. The CSR I spoke to repeated that the light source was not a qualified repair. Knowing I would not get anywhere I immediately asked to speak with a supervisor. I very much thought my call would get disconnected right then but to my surprise a supervisor was on the line in less than a minute. I went back and forth with him for about 10 minutes about the policy and why it should qualify. Needless to say he would not budge from the "not qualified" line so I ended our conversation.

This is when I decided to take The Consumerist's advise and write an EECB to Best Buy. Less than 24 hours later I was contacted by the Executive Relations Specialist. She said that she would be looking into my issue and would contact me soon. To my complete shock and amazement the Executive Relations Specialist contacted me less than a week later and said that my replacement had been approved. She supplied me with an exchange number to take to any Best Buy to get a new TV. I can even use the original purchase price as credit towards a different TV.

Below are the email that I sent to the Best Buy Executives and their responses. Thanks Consumerist!

Bryan sent one of the better EECBs we've ever read. It's clear, direct, and earns the reader's sympathy. He wrote:

I would like to begin by thanking you for taking the time to read my letter and for taking the necessary steps necessary to resolve my situation. Please know that I am not taking writing to you directly lightly. I have tried to resolve my issue through both Geek Squad and Best Buy customer service on many occasions. Being unable to resolve my issue through normal channels I feel that I have no other option but appeal to you directly.

I have been a loyal Best Buy customer for many years and am a Preferred Silver member of your Reward Zone program. I have been very pleased with the level of customer service that I have received from your stores, until now. My story begins when I bought a 56" Panasonic LiFi LCD Projection TV on January 3, 2008 along with the Performance Service Plan #XXXXXXXXX (a copy of the receipt is attached). I selected this specific television because both Best Buy and Panasonic claimed that the LiFi light source in the television had an expected life of 20,000 hours and "lasts so long you may never need to change it."

Sadly, over the year and a half that I have owned the TV is has fallen vastly short of living up to its claims. Only six months after purchasing the TV the LiFi light source on went out and needed to be replaced. Approximately six months after that the LiFi light source failed again requiring another replacement. This time the LiFi light source only lasted a single week before it went out again and needed another replacement. Just recently, the LiFi blight source failed again and requires another replacement. This is the fourth time in a year and a half that the LiFi light source has failed and needed replacement (receipts for all repairs are attached). During the last service call the Geek Squad technician conducted a performance test on the TV to verify that no other components were causing the problems. He established, and verified with Panasonic, that there were no other problems with the TV causing the LiFi light source to fail.

At this point I contacted Best Buy customer service to fail a claim under the "No Lemon" policy of the PSP for a replacement TV. The representative who took my claim was very helpful and told me a confirmation number would be sent in 3-5 business days that can be used to obtain a replacement. However, instead of a confirmation number a representative named "Brian" called me on 7/3/09 to inform me that my claim had been denied.

On 7/7/09 I contacted Best Buy customer service again to inquire as to why my claim had been denied. I first spoke with "Chava" who informed me that a technician had determined that the TV was repairable and therefore not eligible for replacement. Upon hearing this I asked to be transferred to a manager for further clarification. I then spoke with "Matt" who I spoke with for 20 minutes regarding my situation. During our conversation Matt gave several contradictory excuses for why my TV was not eligible for a "No Lemon" replacement. Below I will discuss each of Matt's arguments separately.

1) Matt: If the technician determines the TV to be repairable then it does not have to be replaced.

a. Under the PSP is specifically states "After three qualified (3) service repairs have been completed on an individual product and that individual product requires a fourth qualified (4th) repair, as determined by us, we will replace it with a product of comparable performance of like kind and quality not to exceed the original purchase amount." The PSP does not give the option to continue repairing the TV after the 4th repair. It only gives the option for replacement.

2) Matt in response to above: The LiFi light source is not a qualified repair as it is a "consumable part" because it is a "bulb."

a. The LiFi light source is not a consumable part as defined by the PSP. It does not have electrodes that deteriorate with time like a traditional projection bulb. It is designed to not be consumable and last the life of the TV.

b. The LiFi light source is not considered a "bulb" in other parts of the PSP, and therefore should not qualify as such under the "No Lemon" policy.

i. The PSP states that it will only "One (1) bulb replacement for DLP, Projection LCD TVs and Home Theater Projectors of your original bulb during the term of this plan" will be approved."

ii. However, the LiFi light source has already been approved for replacement under the PSP three times. This shows that the LiFi light source is not considered a "bulb" under the PSP.

Needless to say, Matt was not able to resolve my issue with the perpetually broken TV which is why I am writing to you. Over the past year and a half that I have owned the TV it has been broken and inoperable approximately 20% of the time. In order to get the TV repaired I have taken 4 full days off of work to be available for the Geek Squad service technician. These constant repairs have cost me a great deal of lost income and entertainment time; time and money that should never have been lost if the TV was not a "Lemon."

The bottom line is that the TV is not living up to the claims made by Best Buy and Panasonic when I purchased it. The LiFi light source in the TV has failed four times in the past year and each time needed to be replaced. I purchased the additional Performance Service Plan to protect me from this exact situation but am now being denied my rights under the agreement.

I ask that you please look into my situation and rectify the egregious error. I am not asking for anything more then what is rightfully owed to me under the PSP; a replacement of the faulty TV through the "No Lemon" policy of the PSP. I would even be willing to accept a refund of the original purchase price of the TV in the form of a Best Buy gift card so I can purchase a replacement myself.

Again, I thank you for taking the time to read my letter and address the issues that are raised within it. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me at xxx-xxx-xxxx or email address.

An executive resolution specialist responded with a promise to look into his case:

Good morning Bryan,

I wanted to reach out to you surrounding the email you had sent to a few of our executives and leadership yesterday afternoon. Please allow me to address your concerns on their behalf.

I am truly sorry to hear about the number of times the LiFi light has had to be replaced within your Panasonic LiFi Projection TV in the last

18 months or so. I can understand your disappointment and I regret the inconvenience these issues must have caused. Normally, projection lights are considered bulbs/lamps which although may be covered under your Plan, does not count toward No Lemon.

However I would like to take the opportunity to partner with the local leadership to see what resolution we may be able to offer. I will reach back in touch with you again soon.

Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns in the mean time.

Respectfully,

Nichol Mathis
Executive Resolution Specialist

She quickly followed up with an offer to replace the defective television:

Hello Bryan,

I wanted to reach back out to you. I received an email late yesterday advising me that we were able to approve your TV for exchange. Your confirmation number is xxxxxxx.

You may go to the store immediately to have the exchange performed.

Please be sure to bring your confirmation number and receipt if possible. If you no longer have a copy of the receipt then you can refer to your Customer Service Pin which will allow the store to locate the transaction. The pin is xxxxxxxxxx.

Please let me know if you have any further questions or concerns.

Kind regards,

Nichol Mathis
Executive Resolution Specialist

Learn how to launch your own EECB by reading this post.

(Photo: The Joy Of The Mundane)

Since we've always said that our customers are t3h awesome and we love you all so much, we let a bunch of the free orders go through. Heck, you deserve it, you had a rough day too, right? So enjoy your free—nay, priceless—goodies if you were lucky enough to get here in time. Since we plan on not letting that happen again, we hope you enjoyed our one-time only Swine Flu sale.

Though this happened back in May, the delay doesn't make it any less wonderful. Give yourselves a hug, ThinkGeek, you deserve it!

Swine flu jumps to ThinkGeek server; gives away free stuff! [ThinkGeek] (Thanks to Chris!)

Jeff writes:

For nearly four months, I've been having an ongoing struggle to get a $200 dollar refund for an overcharge from Adobe. A quick search online reveals that I'm not alone.

I have a small video production company, and I purchased a CS4 Production Studio upgrade on the last day of a sale. It was after Support hours but well before midnight. The Website didn't reflect the sale price (a $200 difference), but I purchased it figuring I could get a refund with no problem. That proved to be a big mistake.

After 2 or 3 calls of generally clueless reps with unbelievably poor English language skills, they recognized the over-charge and approved to the refund. That was at the beginning of May! By mid July, after many more phone calls in which the refund was promised within the next business cycle, I finally got fed up and asked for a full refund. I faxed the Letter of Destruction as requested, and as of now, that refund hasn't even been processed yet.

I am so incredibly frustrated, all I wanted was to pay the sale price as advertised. The Adobe software itself is great, and I really didn't want to relinquish my nice legal copies, but this has been among the worst customer service I've ever experienced. From what I've read elsewhere, this seems to be a systemic problem with Adobe. I am normally a firm believer in paying for the hard work that goes into quality software development, but as it stands right now I will never BUY another Adobe product again.

Another customer has a similar complaint:

We're currently involved in an ongoing 8 month hassle with Adobe over a simple refund. We have been promised a check three different times, all of which required us to wait about 2 months for our check to appear. This says nothing of the literal hours we have spent on hold waiting to get a person to "resolve" this.

Each time we have been asked for a different bit of info, and we have complied with each request sending it email, fax, and postal service. They will not contact you if something is missing — they just wait for you to call them after another 2 months has gone past adding another two mos. of interest charges to pay your credit card folks. Now they want a piece of paper we were never sent as a requirement to give us our money back.

Ideally Adobe would pony up the promised refund. Depending on your credit card company, you may still be able to file a chargeback. If you can't, skip past Adobe's outsourced customer service and deal directly with their corporate office. Load up an Executive Email Carpet Bomb using the contact information from this post.

Adobe [Customer Service Scoreboard]

The magazine called with two questions: how could they change their laptop's power settings; and, how could they switch their laptop's display to an external monitor?

Acer explained that the one-year warranty on their test laptop had expired in November 2008, even though the unit was manufactured in July 2008. Without answering the question, the representative said "we would have to provide the paperwork to prove it, and disconnected the call."

HP's representative "mistakenly told us that our notebook was 17 days out of warranty, and that we would have to pay for service."

Dell was the worst. Their representative "did not understand the meaning of a "power scheme." A second call to Asia was "full of static and hissing." The representative's "hard-to-understand accent made communication even more difficult."

By contrast, a call to Apple was promptly answered by a helpful unicorn, who, after quickly answering their questions, sent them a free chocolate cake for their troubles. Or something like that.

The full survey is chock full of the gory details of their encounters with every major manufacturer.

Tech Support Showdown 2009 [Laptop magazine via Lifehacker and Gizmodo]
(Photo: ardenswayoflife)

1. Health insurance. It's too high, so to cut costs companies hire part timers. "It is difficult enough to train full-time people. Having them there part-time and having a huge turnover makes it all the more difficult."

2. Crazy pricing. Now that retailers engage in overhyped sales year-round, it's much more difficult to keep the right ratio of employees to customers. "When you have manic pricing, up one day, down the next, it wreaks havoc on customer service. When the sale is on, you don't have enough staff. When the sale is off, the staff stands around and complains about the slow business."

3. The lack of a merchant class. (We think that's what he's saying.) Most modern businesses don't pass down a tradition of how to value the customer relationship. Instead, impersonal corporate employees swoop in and make decisions that look good on paper, but ruin the ineffable sense of being appreciated that most customers long for:

When you walk into a store, and there is virtually no help, it's because someone figured out that the company could save X dollars if it cut back the labor budget by 7 percent. When you walk out disgusted and sales go down, the store blames it on the economy or brutal competition. Then the company reacts by having another sale which further erodes profit margins. This cycle eventually results in another failed store.

"Why Customer Service Is So Bad" [New York Times]
(Photo: mrmanc)

I have been a card member with American Express for many years. I always paid my bill on time, I had never been late and never even came close to my available credit limit. On August 04, 2009 my loyal dog of 11 years needed to see a specialist because she had been sick and her regular vet could not pinpoint what was wrong with her. I placed a call to American Express to see how much credit was available on my card. They said I had $7,000 available for credit.

My dog was taken to the specialist and had to have immediate tests done. When my dog was out of surgery and was ready to be released to me, I had to pay the bill. I gave them my American Express card and it was denied on the first swipe. I knew that it had to be a mistake because I had called earlier that day. I called American Express from the vet's office and was put on hold for 30 minutes, only to be told that my account was frozen and up for a review decrease.

I had told the rep that I had not received a notice that my account was frozen and under review for a decrease. The representative, Watson, out of the Greensboro, North Carolina call center, was so very cold and callous and did not care at all about my situation. She refused to approve the charge in the amount of $1,100. I explained to her that I only had my American Express Card with me and that I had no other form of payment.

I asked to speak to a Team Leader only to be pushed off to a floor supervisor who would not budge on the approval. I was left stranded and abandoned by American Express. My dog was diagnosed with cancer that day. Trying to deal with American Express on one of the darkest days of my life was a total nightmare. American Express is not there for you when you need them, they turn their backs on you when you need them.

Elizabeth didn't say how she managed to pay the bill, but our best wishes to her and her doggie.

Sudden limit decreases with no notice make carrying a credit card for emergencies a pointless proposition. The real question here is: what triggered the account review? Was it her call to check the balance, or was that just a coincidence?

RELATED:
How Credit Cards Are Getting Meaner
Amex Hikes Rate, Drops Balance, Then Tries To Bribe Customer To Pay Off Debt Early

(Photo: Eddie~S)

Headsethotties.com [Official Site]

I wanted an RC Helicopter for no reason other than not having been allowed to have one as a kid. I went to WalMart and ended up choosing the $59.95 Air Hogs model. When it came time to check out, the cashier scanned it and it rang up $59.95 AND $5.88 1-year protection plan. I told her I didn't want the protection plan, just the helicopter. She tries to void the $5.88 charge but the system will only let her void the $59.95. She canceled out the entire transaction and tried again. It still rang up both items and would only allow her to void one.

She called the Customer Service Manager over. The manager tried it as well and it kept forcing the protection plan when the helicopter was rung up and absolutely would not allow the $5.88 charge to be removed - even with a manager's override. They also tried ringing up a second Air Hogs that was priced the same and it also rang up with the protection plan. I told them not to worry about it as there was a Radio Shack across the street that had the same model at (amazingly) the same price.

The customer service manager told me to wait, rang up the helicopter (which rang up with the protection plan of course) then voided it (the system would ONLY allow the helicopter to be voided and not the protection plan) and asked how I was paying. I looked at the total.... She charged me only the $5.88 protection plan and voided off the $59.95 for the helicopter. I told her she didn't have to but she said it was fine. This is perhaps the best $5.88 I've spent in a long time. Thanks, WalMart!

Most excellent. Now, make sure that you have a lot of fun with that helicopter!

(Photo: Locutis)

• ING Direct
• TomTom
• Canon
• Southwest Airlines
• Comcast

And what about the bottom five?

• Skype
• Facebook
• Gateway Computers
• Craigslist
• D-Link

"Customer Service Scorecard"

We've covered executive email carpet bombs (EECBs) plenty of times before, and we try to publish unlisted numbers to helpful offices when we get them. We've also talked a lot about how the chargeback is your friend. But EECBs and chargebacks are both pretty severe actions, and we figured there had to be some middle-ground you could try first, so we asked an AT&T representative what you should try if the CSR keeps refusing to help you.

We'll admit, this isn't some silver bullet that will solve your problems. However, it does provide you with a couple of "official" routes to try when the front line of customer service fails.

Our reps are trained that escalation is part of the process, and they are explicitly instructed to escalate every time it's requested.

Each time you call, make note of the rep's name and the time and date you call. If you ask to be connected to a supervisor and you are not connected, hang up and call back in, THEN IMMEDIATELY ask to speak to a supervisor. We want to know when our protocol isn't followed, and we want to resolve your issue.

Alternately, customers can log into their AT&T On-line Wireless Account and click on "Contact Us." Then there is a box titled "Customer Service" where you can select "Click Here to Email Us." After answering some questions via the drop-down box, you can then describe the issue and request contact from a manager. [emphasis ours]

(Photo: ッ Zach Hoeken ッ)

The biggest problem — and this is a telephone company, remember — was that it was almost impossible to reach someone at AT&T who they could hear clearly, and who could actually help them. Were they dialing old phone numbers from out of date phone directories? Nope. They were dialing the number AT&T gives out in the television spot.

The first thing we did was to call the number that is advertised on the AT&T commercials for $19.95 DSL. That, apparently, is your ticket into the seven circles of telephone hell. If I'd been playing a drinking game, taking a drink every time we heard the phrase "your call is important to us", I would not be drunk – I'd likely be quite dead. We heard it from female voices, male voices, and disembodied voices that sounded like they were continents away. I'd guess we were transferred at least half a dozen times, sometimes by voice response systems that didn't even wait for a response and just seemed to randomly transfer the call. The last time we were transferred, it was by some guy with a distinct accent - it sort of sounded Indian, but by that time the quality of the connection was so poor it was hard to tell - who told us that if we got cut off, we could call the AT&T DSL department directly on 877-722-9337 (my friend repeated the number back TWICE to make sure he'd heard it right, and I copied it down also. That number may have belonged to AT&T at one time, but now it apparently belongs to an "enhanced" directory service (that has a web site at http://www.callingten.com/). When their recording first answers, it almost sounds like you are being charged $4.95 (or some amount, it was hard to hear) for the call (I think you actually have to call a different number for that to happen, but it wasn't really all that clear).

As we noted yesterday, Verizon is currently offering naked DSL for $20 a month with a free router and a one-year commitment. If you have the choice and you're in the market for DSL, you might be able to save yourself a lot of headaches by avoiding AT&T entirely.

"It's no wonder some people hate AT&T" [MichiganTelephone]
(Photo: rèi)

"They sent me notices telling me if I did not take it out I would have a ten day period to get out of my apartment," Frettim said.

"As a matter of fact, on these notices it says ‘for the benefits of the residences,'" Frettim added. "I am wondering how that ‘benefits the residents' when they can't have air conditioners. How does that benefit us? Our kids end up in the hospitals or they end up sick."

A check of the rental agreements and property rules supplied by tenants by contained no mention of a ban on A/C window units.

Cruel!

Tenants say A/C banned by landlord despite record heat wave [KATU]
(Photo: Infrogmation)

Reader Adam was given this number after calling the CEO.

(Photo: meghannmarco)

No, it was not.

We contacted GoDaddy last week to ask for a clarification, and over the weekend they responded with the following explanation:

We appreciate you bringing this matter and the customer's concerns to our attention. Go Daddy does provide customer support for not only its own customer base but for Go Daddy's many sister companies as well. One sister company for which Go Daddy does provide customer support for is Wild West Domains, which has many resellers and reseller customers. In order to prevent confusion or frustration, we do keep the answers vauge to not induce conflict with our resellers and their customers.

Please know, Go Daddy does not outsource its Office of the President staff or any other position. This topic has even been addressed by Go Daddy's CEO, Mr. Bob Parsons, at BobParsons.me stating that we do not outsource a single job (article found at link below).

It's true, Parsons states explicitly on one of his blog posts that he's not a fan of outsourcing and doesn't practice it:

GoDaddy.com doesn't outsource a single job.
Wayne liked the fact that GoDaddy.com is first and foremost an American company. With one minor exception, GoDaddy develops all of the technology it provides its customers right here in America by Americans. We don't out-source a single job overseas, and all of our over one thousand customer service representatives are located right here in the USA – all in Arizona, in fact.

So there you have it—GoDaddy doesn't oursource overseas, and their "Office of the President" is a rather nebulous catch-all group that supports GoDaddy and its other companies and resellers. That explains why Cyberguy couldn't get the CSR to give him a straight answer.

It doesn't explain why the CSR wasn't empowered to provide more help to Cyberguy, but that's a separate—and sadly, not unique—problem.

RELATED
"Web Host Outsources Their 'Office Of The President'?"

My mother is moving to a new home on the lot next to ours. She's getting older and I'm much more up-to-date on the terminology I'm sure the cable agents would be throwing at her.

I was browsing the Time Warner Cable site looking at the packages available, decided on a package with phone service that would suit her, and attempted to sign up on-line. Unfortunately, when you do this Time Warner must consult a database and not finding the newly built house/address in the database claimed that they didn't service my area. Since our home is literally 500ft away and have their service just fine, I figured I'd call and someone would help me out.

When I called customer service the agent was happy to take the order for new service - at a higher price than the "web only specials" that I'm unable to sign up for. When I noted this, she said I would have to sign up via the web and she was not authorized to give me that pricing as those are "from a different contractor." I was annoyed. Knowing I wasn't going to get anywhere, I said to the agent (and the recording that I dearly hope was happening for someone to review), "I'm simply trying to get service started and it should not be this difficult. It is not my problem that Time Warner is using a different contractor for the web specials. I go to your web page, I see 'Time Warner'. I call your number and it answers 'Time Warner'. To me, you're all the same and you should be able to help."

Trying a different tact, I figured if I chatting with a live agent via the same website, I might have better luck. I started up the session, chatted with the agent noting the above. I get what amounts to links to the same web page for the specials that I can't sign up for in the first place and a "is there anything else I can help you with?"

At this point I'm ready to call Dish Network. DirectTV. Have my kids do finger-puppet shows for grandma. Anything.

I cooled down and decided to try one last time. I called the general customer service number and got what turned out to be a very nice rep. When she answered the first thing I said was, "Hello, I've been trying for about a hour to give Time Warner money and no one seems interested in taking it. Can you help me?"

I went through all of the drama I experienced above, told her what I wanted, and we got the install scheduled. By then, mom had canceled her existing service by using their phone tree and getting it done easily. Stop for a moment and giggle to yourself that it's easier to get service terminated with them than it is to start it in this case.

The problem I have with all of this is that I needed to find the right person to speak with. At no time in my call or web conversation was I directed to a phone number where someone could take my service request and "make it happen." Maybe I was even lucky to find a great person that was willing to help. I could have just as easily have taken my business elsewhere, but given my options I was going with a company that we already have service with and am generally happy with - past Consumerist posts aside.

I hope someone at Time Warner Cable reads this and empowers their reps to do a little more for a customer that is saying, "here is my money! Take it! Please!"

Customer service reps with no power are the reason for so many of the complaints here at Consumerist. At the same time, I wonder whether this is a common problem for newly constructed houses. Do all new homes miss out on the best Web deals? Or is it just Steve's mother?