Service

SERVICE....or I should say, lack of? Here's my story, sad, but true (Borrowed from an old Dion & the Belmonts song):

The bone-chilling cold weather we experienced the last few days wrecked havoc on my 12 year old car. Twice in the past couple days, my battery died, causing the need for a "jump" to get my car restarted. This, of course, led me to the obvious conclusion I needed to replace my battery. So, yesterday I took my car to good Ol' Wal-Mart to accomplish same.

At just a few minutes after 2:00Pm, I handed the keys over to the woman helping me, and after she explained that they were "backed up" and the installation could take between 2 to 4 hours, I asked her to call me when it was ready. My bride picked me up and we went home.

Not having heard a word from the folks at Wal-Mart, at 5:50, I called them to find out if my car was ready to be picked up. First, there was no separate number for the automotive department, so I had to call the main store switchboard, but it was answered relatively cheerily, and I asked for the automotive department. She switched me over. It rang 28 times. Then disconnected.

I called back and explained my situation to the operater. She replied, "Let me page someone". Gone for about 2 minutes, she came back on the line, and said, "No one is answering, hold on." Finally, a man answered, "Bob, sporting Goods."

I said, "Well, I'm trying to get ahold of someone in automotive to find out if my car is ready. I dropped it off at 2, and it's now 6, and I just needed a battery replaced. "

"Hang On", said Bob, from Sporting goods.

Bob came back about 4 minutes later, "Mike Hughes?"

"Yes".

Bob, "It's been ready since 3.25"

"You mean it's been ready for 2 1/2 hours and no one has called me?"

Bob, "You'll have to take that up with them."

"Tell them I'm coming to get the car"

Click.

So, I rousted my better half, and off we went.

When I arrived at the store, I went in, and found three people standing at the counter. One, a woman, came over to see me - didn't say a word, so I said, "My name is Mike Hughes, and I came to get my car". And I handed her my claim ticket.

As she looked at the paper work, I said, "So, this car has been ready for almost 3 hours now and nobody called me, how come?" She replied, "Well, you must not have told us to, it's not marked on the ticket." Obviously, I set the record straight and told her I DID tell the woman who helped me to call me when it was ready. She didn't say one word - NO APOLOGY, NO NOTHING. Just printed out the ticket with how much I owed.

In my younger years, I would have gotten in her face, and let her have it before demanding to see a manager. Now in my "Golden Years", I don't do that, I just don't go back and give these people my business again. They really don't care - and it is absolutely no good for me to get all crazy about.

Does anybody else see just how bad service is?

Old Fart Mike