As with all good stories, this customer service Day has some heroes and some villains. It’s very possible that at some point both are from the same exact organization.

 

Sunday, July 11-

My car battery dies. This is very curious, considering that I had a new battery and alternator installed a year ago. My car had been towed from the Bronx by AAA to a AAA-certified shop. They installed the new battery and alternator to the tune of about $750.

From what I always understood from AAA promotional materials, and their great reputation, parts from their service centers are usually warrantee for about at least a year to three years, and batteries are usually warrantee longer.

The next day, after a few jump starts to get my car going, I confirmed that the battery was dead with my local independent mechanic, who unfortunately isn’t a AAA-certified shop. But, he knows my Volvo inside and out and I trust him greatly.

I called AAA about the situation, and asked if I could go to a local AAA shop to get a warranty replacement of the battery, rather than driving into the Bronx to the original shop that installed it last year. Not that the Bronx shop was extremely far, but was about the equivalent of driving to La Guardia for me. AAA was kind of unclear about what was possible, but said it’s probably worth a shot to go to my local AAA shop and see if they’ll do it. I called the local AAA shop, and they said they would need to test the battery, but yes they would be able to do the warranty replacement.

The next day I called AAA because I needed to jumpstart in order to get it to that local AAA shop. Of course, the tow truck guy came from the shop that I intended to be going to. When I got to that shop, the person behind the desk said that all the mechanics were out to lunch, and then I could wait for them, and then it would be an additional hour while they tested the battery. They also said that they could do the warranty replacement, (they looked at my receipt from last year) as long as I didn’t do anything wrong to the battery.

Rather than wait, I took off to run an errand or two, and then came back to that AAA shop. They were all ready to receive my car, and do a test on the battery.

But then the head mechanic took a look at my receipt from last year.

“I doubt it’s the battery.”

“Well, I had my independent mechanic check it. The alternator is new from last year, the starter motor is good. My mechanic checked the battery with an ammeter.”

“Was the meter small or large?” I could sense it. The bamboozle was coming.

“About a foot long.”

“Yeah, that’s the wrong type of meter. He didn’t do a good test on it. Here, we use a computer and we test it for an hour.”

Then, even though I had asked the woman behind the counter earlier on whether there would be a charge for any of this replacement of my battery, and she said no, “AAA will cover it.” But finally, as expected from the head mechanic, here came the bill:

“Well, we can check the battery. That’s no problem. It’ll cost $48 to check it. Plus, this is an Interstate battery. We don’t carry that brand. Therefore, we can’t do a warranty replacement. But I really don’t think it’s the battery… this is a great brand. They never fail.” Funny, because my independent mechanic told me that he usually has to replace batteries like that one that fail after one or two years.

I balked at moving forward with anything, and decided to go to the original shop in the Bronx. I had called themThee other day and they told me to come on in and they would honor the warranty.

Of course, when I got out to go to my car, there was a torrential downpour of the Noah’s Ark variety. Here began a 45 minute trip into the Bronx, which only should’ve taken 25 minutes, in flooding, traffic, and water up to my bumper at times. A yet, and the direction that I shouldn’t use air conditioning because it would drain the battery. On this day that wasn’t a fun proposition.

I got to the station that originally installed the battery last year and showed them my receipt. (Everyone always laughs at me for always saving tons of receipts. They saved me money and headache more times than not. I’ll be glad to do the same for years to come.)

The gentleman who looked at the receipt said, “Okay, are you sure it’s the battery?”

“Yes. My mechanic at home confirmed it.”

“Okay. We’ll take your word for it. Let me do a little road test of the car. And we’ll put a new battery in.”

He went out and drove the car basically around the gas pumps of the station to the front door of the garage. He then proceeded to tell me that there was going to be a charge for putting in the new battery, because the warrantee was “prorated.” That means for every month over one year, I had to pay a certain fee per month. He assured me outside that would be less than $30. At this point, after all that I’d been throuh, it seemed reasonable.

Of course, when I got inside, if he was closer to $35 rather than 30. He and his sidekick were doing calculations on a paper tape calculator at the counter. I can only imagine what kind of numbers they were punching in to get what kind of solution.

I asked him repeatedly why it wasn’t completely for free, since AAA guarantees all their parts. And batteries usually have a warrantee that last longer than one year. He just points to my receipt from last year and said that it is free within one year, but after one year, it gets prorated. My BS detector was already going off at half tilt. But I gave them the benefit of the doubt and let them proceed with the work.

While they were working on the battery, I called AAA. I spoke or representatives and she was kind of bewildered at the warranty issue. She connected me to a manager or from their New York branch. By this time, the car was finished, I had paid my $35, and I was on the road home.

Props to AAA on this one just for playing customer service at a time of stress. The manager was kinder than ever, and went above and beyond to try to get a solution and answer for my problem. She told me with high confidence that AAA batteries did have a minimum three-year warranty. That meant that if they broke down within that time, it would be replaced free of charge. She gave me the phone number for AAA’s national battery division (didn’t know they had one), and also the member relations Department. She didn’t say definitively, but she insinuated that I would get reimbursed if this was an expense I did not have to make. All evidence pointed to such so far.

The next morning, I called the battery division number. Again, the person helping me, was as kind as could be. She verified that the battery should have been under a three-year warranty and that I should have paid nothing. So, she gave me the address of where to send my receipt and I would probably get reimbursed by AAA directly. I wrote a letter explaining the situation, and sent it off.

Big props to AAA for some great customer service. Everyone I’ve ever spoken to on the phone with AAA knows what they’re doing, make sure you’re taken care of, and gets any situation resolved for you. They’re a model for what US customer service should be. I’ve never heard a representative from AAA get heated, smart, or rude. And the fact that they picked up the slack for one of their shops, even when a financial outlay of $35 is at stake, says something about how they look at their members.

I highly recommend membership in this organization. Even though you may not need it immediately, someday you will. And when you do, you won’t be sorry.

Even if I didn’t have a car, I probably would become a member just so I could call up and talk to someone who knew how to treat the people paying their salary.

 

Wednesday, July 14-

Today there are a few calls to make. One to Chase Bank for some fees they are charging me on my business account – which was supposed to be free. Another, to Aetna, who, after paying $1500 per month for a very nice and comprehensive policy, rejected several of my wife’s visits to her chiropractor – even though chiropractic treatment is covered under the plan. Rather than pay $200 to my chiropractor for visits Aetna denied, I think a phone call is in order.

First I called Chase. I explained that I had a business account with them to the CSR. I also asked why I have fees such as $16 per month that have happened since the beginning of the year. See, I never wanted a business checking account for my business. I was just fine doing everything from my personal account, and separating the expenses when I use Quicken.

But then someone at Chase got wind that I might need a business account.

It started with a simple conversation in passing with a greeter at a branch one day. Then he gave me his business card. I said I would think about it.

Then the phone calls came. About one every month, from someone at the branch, telling me how they could set up a business checking account for me, and it would be free since I had about five other accounts with Chase.

Then the day came that I was in a branch. I was doing some other business, and someone asked me about a business checking account. My first words were, “the reason I don’t want a business checking account is because I don’t want to have to pay fees. I hate fees. I don’t want to have to make money in my business, and then have it taken away $10 at a time.”

The woman assured me that since I had several accounts with sizable balances at Chase, a business checking account would be absolutely free. No fees. “Cease to download my Quicken transactions?” I had been getting that for free for years. And now Chase charges for it.

“No.”

I decided to do it. I got all the necessary information. Returned to the woman’s desk, and opened a business checking account. Finally, my business finances would be separate from my personal account., and it would all be free.

The first thing to go, to my dismay, was my account login that I had used for probably a decade. Since there was a new account, I had a new portion of the Chase website to login to, even to get to my personal account. That needed a new login and password.

Sometime later, about 2-3 weeks, I found out that yes indeed, if I wanted downloads for Quicken software, I would have to pay about $10 a month for the service. There was a free option, but it was not the same convenient download. It was something where you had to do some extra legwork and spend an extra minute or two to get the information you needed. This was the “free” data download portion the woman at the branch was referring to. Or so she said when I called her, very irate.

Fast forward to this month. I’m doing my finances in order to send numbers to my tax attorney. And here, on my statements, for my business account, our fees in the neighborhood of about $16 per month.

Fast-forward to today. The CSR from Chase is telling me that there is no way my business checking account is free. I told him the story, and how we have a huge problem if I don’t have a free business checking account because the managers at the branch hounded me so I opened one. I had several guarantees from different people that I would not have to pay any fees. When he balked at this account, I started talking to him about the concept of closing my business account because I was bamboozled. Along with that, as I usually end up reminding Chase employees, I have several accounts with Chase. Including a Home-Equity Line of Credit with a decent balance.

Once the CSR heard this, he had a Eureka moment. Or maybe it was just an out. He looked further into my records, inquiring about my line of credit. When he founded, he explained that that would satisfy my having the balance to qualify for a free business checking account. This was always the case, but for some reason, he explained, Chase had not linked my business account to that HELOC and therefore I was getting charged fees starting this year.

He promised to credit me for the fees within one day, and make sure that I’m not charged fees again.

One phone call. About 15 minutes. Saved about $70.

 

The next order of the day was to Aetna. After going through one or two menus on the phone, I got represented a fairly quickly. She was very nice, and searched thoroughly through my situation. She put me on hold once or twice to research the information she had on her screen. My wife’s chiropractor’s office had said they appeal to a Aetna three times over, and were rejected each time because her treatment was not medically necessary. However, I know my wife was suffering from severe back pain, and these treatments were helping her. She was also experiencing numbness of the hands, tingling of the legs, and other signs that required some type of chiropractic treatment. So, these were medically necessary.

The woman did a few “oh’s” and then came to a conclusion: They needed more information from my wife’s chiropractor’s office in order to process the claim. I asked them what that information specifically might be. She replied “medical records.”

Now, considering that the chiropractor’s office appealed to this situation three times, isn’t it proper to think that A) Aetna would’ve asked for this information before? And B.) there would have been some exchange of medical records during the appeals process?

(Sigh.)

 

The next order of the day was to call Ray-Ban. Have a great pair of Ray bans that everyone compliments. I’ve had them for about two years. I spent a long time looking for the cheap-looking, vinyl case, which I always seem to misplace around the house. This time, about the same day my car wouldn’t start, I seem to have lost the case for ever. I called the lost and found that the beach, and will ever wear around my car and my house. Several times.

The Ray-Ban website gives the customer contact number. I called that, and the representative said that I would have to call Luxottica, which is their parent company. I went to the Luxottica website, which is meant for business only, and pretty much a mess to navigate through. When I finally got a customer contact number, I called them. The recording said that they had unusually long wait times. In fact, they also said it would be better to call back later or on another day. I got the same message at all hours of the day for about five hours.

I finally tried them and got a message that they were out to lunch. Maybe next time.

I tried them again and finally got representative on the phone. I told her about my case, and she told me I could order a new one for only $12. I did. End of story. Thanks, Luxottica!

 

July 15, 2010 –

 

AT&T. I was just looking over my bill for the past month, and was wondering why was extraordinarily high considering my wife and I have pretty much all inclusive plan for our iPhone’s.\period

Turns out, for some reason, my wife’s plan is more expensive than mine. This is the base rate for the plan, and not any add-ons. My base rate and my wife’s should be the same, considering this is a corporate discount account she should be awarded the same discount.

Time to give them a buzz. I could be saving about $20 less per month.

 

July 13, 2010 –

Calphalon. Here’s another company that’s a model for customer service. They make a line of sticky and nonstick pans both in stainless steel, etc.

I have some Calphalon pans in my cabinets from years ago. Most of them are great and have served me well. I did have an omelette pan from years ago that lost its nonstick ability. After about 10 years with it, I was tired of having it and not using it just because the nonstick finish was gone. Rather than throw it away, I decided to make use of Calphalon’s lifetime warranty, (?), write a note, stick it in a box, and send it back to Calphalon and hopes they would send me a new one. While I was at it, I decided to toss in another sauce pan I had which wasn’t in the best condition either.

Three weeks later, I got two new pans. Brand spanking new. In the box. I love you, Calphalon.

The omelette pan was great. However, for some reason, even though I babied it while washing it or using utensils on it (never used metal – or even acrylic on it!), it lost its nonstick ability. Eggs and such were sticking to the pan like nothing you’ve ever seen, unless I used butter — which defeats the purpose of a nonstick pan, of course.

I sent an e-mail to Calphalon customer service asking if there was a way to restore the nonstick ability to such a young pan. They suggested using Soft Scrub at a soft bristle brush. Even though the pan was spotlessly clean, and the finish did not look marred at all, I did what they said. It still didn’t work.

I sent an e-mail again telling them it didn’t work. They wrote back to me with the warrantee address to which I could send back the pan. I did.

Will let you know when a new one arrives. Omelettes are on me!

 

Rowenta.

I would put them is the opposite of AAA and Calphalon. This story pretty much tires me to tell, so I’ll give the nutshell version:

I had a pretty expensive Rowenta iron from about six years ago. After about a year and ½-2 years, the iron exploded. Flames shot out from under the handle, it popped, and smoke was coming out. It practically burned my wife’s wrist that she was ironing. We called Rowenta and they were pretty nice about replacing it. They sent us a shipping label, and in a short time we had a brand-new iron of the same quality.

Fast forward about two years. We made sure to use the replacement iron in accordance with instructions, and babying it whenever we used it. Once again, one day, the iron popped, sparked, and smoked. Something went wrong. And it was shot.

I called Rowenta Customer Service and told them of the situation. I made it clear to tell them that we were using the iron in accordance with instructions, and that this is the second Rowenta iron that did that to us. The CSR was kind of short with me, saying immediately that they weren’t going to guarantee a replacement iron. I had to send it in to get it tested and they would take it from there.

After shipping it in, I got a call from the same CSR, who claimed to be a manager, that the iron broke because of misuse by knee, and that there was something wrong with the cord in the way I was winding up for storing it. I denied any misuse, and demanded I get a new iron as a replacement. The CSR, from the get-go, was pretty much a dick. He immediately cut off my inquiry by saying, “I’m not going to this.” He then refused to get me to a supervisor, claiming he was the highest person who could handle my situation. He was very short, arrogant,\comma and vicious. I asked for his supervisors name and got it.

I immediately drafted a letter. Then I called his supervisor, of whom I had to play phone tag with for a few days. When I finally got her on the line, she stood by her rude CSR’s position of not giving me a new iron. I made a point of telling her about my cousin, who works for Consumer Reports magazine. And how I could easily send the defective iron to their lab to see if they are manufacturing irons with faulty cords. I also explained to her that sending me a new iron is much cheaper than seeing bad reviews of their products all over the Internet. Evil, it sounds, I know, but such is doing battle in Consumer versus Corporation.

I got nowhere with that call. So off went the letter. Not just any one, though. I sent the letter to the CEO of their holding company. In France. Yes, I had some air mail stamps to spare. I also made sure the copy was sent to the North American President of Rowenta in New Jersey, as well as a copy that I try to fax to the customer service supervisor that had stood by her arrogant minion.

Two weeks later I got a new Rowenta iron in the mail, with a letter of apology from their North American marketing director.

Cost: About $2 in stamps, and four hours of writing and calling and faxing.