Whatever Happened To Decent Customer Service

You know what I don't understand?  I don't understand what happened to decent customer service.  Let me relate a recent experience with you, dear readers.  Please share your thoughts and opinions with me.

A few weeks ago, I was watching a Major League Baseball game on my HD TV when there was a popping sound, followed by sound but no picture.  The set was over five years old, and this was the first trouble I had with it.  Hey, nothing lasts forever, and it was still under an extended service plan that was purchased along with the set at a local Best Buy store.

Problem One:  When Best Buy was contacted, I was informed that it would take two weeks, TWO WEEKS, for a member of their Geek Squad to come by my home to repair the set.  There had been numerous thunderstorms in my part of the US during this time, and everyone is short staffed in this day and age, so I figured it wasn't that big of a deal.  And it would not have been, but............................

Problem Two:  When the Geek Squad "technician" showed up two weeks later, he practically took the set completely apart right there in my living room, only to announce that he didn't have the correct part to repair the set.  He would be back next week with the proper part.  Really?  It took you two weeks to get someone to my place to look at the set, and he doesn't bring parts to cover every possible root cause of the original issue?

Problem Three:  After the Geek Squad tech had already told me when he would return, I start getting phone calls from the Geek Squad to "schedule my part installation".  So....................they want me to schedule something that was already scheduled.  And you wonder why it takes them two weeks to respond to a problem, but I digress.  After fighting my way through the damn computer system for fifteen minutes and then being directed to three different actual humans, I was assured that the gentleman in question would return on the date and time that he and I agreed on.  Wonderful!!!!  Or maybe not.............

Problem Four:  The day and time of the return visit came and went with no Geek Squad person at my door.  Another fifteen minutes of automated system navigation, another four transfers until I get to someone who has a clue what they are doing.  After a ten minute, very heated conversation, I was informed that they didn't have the part in stock, so they never processed the work order.  This is why no one showed up.  Excuse me?????  And no one had the common courtesy to call and tell me this.  After a minor meltdown on my part, they miraculously find a part, and , lo and behold, the guy can stop by the next day.  Fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Or maybe not so fantastic....................

Problem Five:  Sure enough, the old boy arrives as scheduled with the part in hand.  But.......  Guess what................  You guessed it.  That part doesn't solve the problem either.  Seriously??  I can take my car to a certified mechanic, he or she can plug it into a diagnostic computer, and we will know the problem within minutes, yet we can't do the same for electronic appliances????  Sodding ridiculous!!!!  So............he'll be back in yet another week.  Are y'all keeping track of this?  We are well over a month trying to resolve this problem at this point.

Problem Six:  The day before the guy is supposed to bring the miracle part that will finally repair the bloody set, Best Buy calls................  They no longer make the replacement part in question, so they are going to just replace the set!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Good Lord!!!!!!!!!  Okay, I don't want to sound like a crybaby here, but we've been jacking with this for over a month, and now you're just going to replace the set.  Wouldn't it have made more sense to figure out the root cause during the first visit and then make the determination to replace the set versus fooling around for a month prior to the fact????? 

So off the Best Buy with the paperwork.  They will deliver the new set and haul off the carcass of the old one two days later.  Outstanding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Or not.................

Problem Seven:  Okay this one is minor, but still!!!!!!!!!!!!!  The damn fools bringing the new set show up a half hour early, and then act like they are annoyed because I wasn't prepared for them when they arrived. 

At least the new set works well.................................so far.

Now, I realize I am griping about a television set here when there are so many huge problems facing our country and mankind in general.  I realize that, looking at the big picture, this annoyance means NOTHING.  However, I long for the days when I was made to feel appreciated as a paying customer of retail and other establishments. 

That being said, my advice, my friends, is to avoid Best Buy and the Geek Squad all together.  Has anyone else had any experiences with them, either positive or negative?  Feel free to share.

Peace and love, my brothers and sisters.