Repairman Ruminations

My dryer crapped out this past weekend. I put a load of laundry in it and as I turned the switch it popped....and poof no dryer. I hate calling repair services. Plus repair service is an oxymoron. When do you ever get good and timely service when needing something repaired? I checked the yellow pages and found a company that encourages its customers to schedule appointments online. Yipee. That sounds great. No explaining my problem over and over to a disinterested operator.

I filled out the online service request form which even asks when you would like your appointment scheduled. Hey, this is sounding alright. I receive an e-mail reply to my service request on Monday morning which thanked me for using the online service and then directed me to call the service center to actually schedule my appointment. Doh! I call the service center which has one of those automated answering services which directs you to use their online service to schedule an appointment. What?! Doh again. I did finally speak to a service representative and politely informed them that their service directives are circular and ultimately unhelpful. Then I eventually received a repair appointment for today between the hours of 1 and 5.

Now that's my next gripe. How and why is it that certain industries get away this appointment between something and something else? And it's usually a rather large window, too. Plus I don't think I have ever had a repairman show up at the early end of the appointment window. I guess I should be glad that some progress has been made in the last few years since these companies used to tell you anytime between 8 and 5. Wow, what a sweet set-up that they've got going. They can get to your house whenever the hell they feel like it while making you waste a day in your schedule to wait for them. Then after all the waiting, they show up, spend 15 minutes, charge you $65.00, and still not have the damn appliance fixed. Nice. That's not exactly how I learned that professional services should be rendered.

It's amazing to me how many businesses do business this way, and it seems to be an accepted practice. How did that happen? Sure I can call another repair service, but they all do the same thing almost as if they're all in some sort of anti-service conspiracy. Yeah, I can just imagine if I were to try to run my business this way. Hmm, let's imagine a phone call with a client...."Oh yes Ms. Smith, I'd be happy to come to your office to discuss assisting you with your environmental project. Let's see I have an opening next Thursday. Oh that sounds good? Okay then Ms. Smith, I'll be at your office sometime between the hours of 1 and 5, but I have no idea exactly when. Okay Ms. Smith? No, I'm sorry, but I can't give you an exact appointment or narrow down the time. What's that Ms. Smith? I'm sorry, but I have other appointments that day too and I have no idea how long it will take me at any of them. So I'll just get to your office when I get there. That's the best I can do. What did you say? Did you just tell me to fuck-off, Ms. Smith? click. Helloooo. Hellooo. Ms. Smith are you there? Damn she hung up, I wonder why?!" There's no doubt that I'd be out of business if I conducted my business this way!

So let's review. If you need to call for electric, telephone, cable, or appliance repair service be prepared that your time isn't worth as much as their time and you'll have to pay for the priviledge of waiting. And sometimes after all that hassle, your appliance doesn't get fixed either! But that's another story!