When I returned to my home after a few months out of state, I moved everything back in from storage. Unfortunately, the company that moved me back in did not install my refrigerator correctly. The doors don’t close properly, the door’s water dispenser drips, not flows, and a drawer cover won’t go on. These issues seemed like easy fixes, but ones which experienced service people could handle.
I am now in the second day of a battle to get everything fixed, for free. After multiple calls, the appliance dealer gave me the number for a firm to handle the “repair,” but the company didn’t handle repairs for my refrigerator’s manufacturer. My dealer finally gave me the direct number for the manufacturer.
When the recording started at the manufacturer’s number, it offered me the choice: use an AI Assistant or a Customer Service Rep, a human. I chose the human. The person-the real person!- I spoke with moved through the essentials like the model and serial number. He was slightly impatient/rude at one point, so I backtracked, trying to make sure he understood the situation. The moving company provided the installation. He understood the situation, documented it, gave me a case number, and told me that the vendor needed to provide the repair for FREE.
The thorough customer service rep told me to speak directly with the manager at the dealership. When I called back, the sales rep told me his manager was out until the next morning and insisted he could help me. So, I went through the entire story with him. He finally admitted that it was “above his pay grade.” I needed to call back in the morning.
You may notice a pattern. They wasted my time.
When I called the next morning, the manager insisted they weren’t liable for the repair and, if we wanted the refrigerator to work properly, there would be a $100 charge for his dealership’s repair service. He said the mover who improperly installed the fridge needed to take responsibility.
I countered, “Why would I want to go back to the people who did it wrong? The manufacturer insisted that the repair should be free, and I needed to have your dealership do the work.” I told him he needed to call the manufacturer and use the case number I was about to provide.
He kept sidestepping and finally said, “I’ll APPEASE you and call the manufacturer.”
The word “appease” infuriated me. Since I needed to be out at an appointment, I gave the manager my husband’s number and asked him to follow up with my husband after he spoke with the manufacturer.
The manager called my husband and insisted that the manufacturer was not told a moving company did the installation. Blame me, right! (I knew I told the customer service rep several times that the moving company did the improper installation!)
The dealership manager insisted we’d need to pay them $100 to fix the minor issues – which were supposed to be a free service!
I’ll be calling the manufacturer on the next business day to find out if the manager really called them. Meanwhile, the fridge door still doesn’t want to stay closed and the water dispenser is still drip, drip, dripping.
Would things have gone better if I’d spoken with an AI Assistant? I doubt it. Wasting more time, I’ll be following up. They probably don’t realize that I’ve been a journalist and, on occasion, I served as a consumer advocate. Watch out!
PS I’ll name names. I didn’t want to cloud the story with the names. LG is the manufacturer. Spencer’s TV & Appliance is the dealership.
Have you had experiences like these you’d like to share?
PS I’m getting closer to finishing Love at First Sight. Can’t wait to share it! The rough manuscript will be off to my formatting expert next. Stay cool!
Best regards,
Shelley
(I’m using that sign off instead of my usual “Warmest” regards. In this intense heat, we don’t need anything “Warmest!”)
Shelley Sommers
Romance Author
Shelley@ShelleySommers.com
www.ShelleySommers.com