What Customer Service? (Part 2)

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Some of you may have read my post back at the end of August about my run in with “customer service” at its finest. If you didn’t catch the story, take a little look here: What Customer Service?

After four long and nerve-wrecking months, my account has been cleared! No longer do they insist that I owe them almost $95 for products I never received or ordered. My account balance is a big fat ZERO! Excuse me while I do a little happy dance over here.

It feels wonderful to have such a pricey dispute finally laid to rest in my favor. I don’t know about you, but I don’t have that kind of cash just laying around, ready for me to throw away at any moment. So, it’s a big weight off my chest, and I’m relieved beyond words.

However, I am also a little disgusted, as well. I spent a lot of my precious time and energy communicating back and forth with this company to resolve the issue. One of the company’s representatives even got very rude with me. To make matters worse, how did I find out the dispute was finally worked out? Did they call me to tell me they had resolved the problem with my account? No. Did they send me a letter apologizing for the mixup on their end? No. Did they even reply back to my last email to explain they had figured out the issue? No. Instead, I found out because I–yes, I–decided to check back into my account to see if anything had changed–for the zillionth time.

Ultimately, I am overjoyed that the problem was corrected, and I no longer owe the company nearly $95 of my hard-earned money for absolutely nothing. I have had glitches and issues in the past with accounts and none of them ever ended favorably for me. Still, I have to wonder what is customer service coming to? If it is this bad already, where are we going to be in 10 years, 50 years, or even longer? If companies do absolutely nothing to improve and the quality of help continues to decline, I have a feeling customers will be in for quite a handful someday!

 

© 2014 Amanda R. Dollak

In Memory of My Friend Jimmie

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I’m feeling quite sad and emotional today. I found out last night that an old friend lost his battle to cancer recently. He had fought almost continuously for two years, but he had been doing a lot better the last time I had checked in with him. However, the chemo and radiation therapy had decimated his immune system, so he couldn’t fight off a minor illness.

Since I heard the news, I have been flip-flopping through a variety of emotions. I’m in shock that he passed away so suddenly — without warning. Grief is bombarding me because the world lost an amazing individual. I get angry at times, too, because Jimmie was the sweetest, kindest person and didn’t deserve any of this. I’ve been filled with sadness for his family . . . for his friends . . . for Jimmie’s unfinished life. Nothing about cancer is fair or natural, and he has joined the growing ranks of my friends and family who have battled and lost against this horrible disease.

My only consolation right now is that Jimmie is a man of God. His faith was strong. He never wavered in his love for the Lord even in his darkest hours. Someday I know I will see him again.

I just hope that when that day comes I will be able to truthfully say that I honored his memory by striving to be more like him. More generous and kind. More full of faith. More brazen and bold in the face of adversity. More brimming with happiness and joy. More focused on what is truly important in life. And more determined to live each day to the fullest, no matter what may be lying around the corner.

Jimmie, you may not know it, but you changed the lives of so many people — including me — with how you faced your terrifying battle. You showed us strength, courage, hope, and determination like we had never known before. Even though you can no longer be with us, THIS will remain with us the rest of our lives. Our world is a better place simply because you never lost your faith in God until the very end. We will carry a piece of you — your heart and your faith — with us always.

 

© 2014 Amanda R. Dollak