Sunday, December 30, 2012

The Modern, Efficient, Automated Approach to Customer Service.


The icemaker has stopped working on our two-year-old refrigerator-freezer. (We had to replace our old fridge because it repeatedly broke down.) From past experience, I can tell you exactly what happens next.   

*  I will call Sears Appliance Repair.

* I will be put on hold and listen to Sears commercials for several minutes.

* A woman will come on the line -- she is in South Carolina -- and will schedule an appointment for a repair man to come to the house. 

* The appointment will be in 10 days.

* The repairman will determine that (a) the icemaker has stopped working on our refrigerator-freezer, and (b) a new part will have to be ordered.

* The new part will arrive in 10 days.

* I will call Sears Repair, speak to another lady in South Carolina, who will schedule another appointment with another repairman.

* The appointment will be in 10 days.

* On the appointed day, the repairman will arrive at 3:40, install the new part, and depart at 3:55.

* The charges will be $250 for the new part and $197 for labor. Plus tax.

* Five weeks later, a puddle will appear on the kitchen floor. The gasket on the freezer door has come off.   Again.





2 comments:

Andrew Cooper said...

True.

Which is why I generally do my own repairs, particularly for the simple stuff.

Susan Och said...

I've learned to Google the model number and symptoms and find out how other people fixed similar problems. Even if you still call the repairman, you can describe the symptoms in repairman parlance and perhaps give them a heads up on which part to bring.