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Nov. 11th, 2005
Nov. 11th, 2005 10:07 am
Getting served
Last month, I renewed my condo insurance for the upcoming year. The previous time I did this, it took several phone calls and e-mails to get my agent to send me a copy of my revised policy. In the end, they had to fax a copy to the business office as well so that the board of directors had proof of insurance. I wrote a very strongly-worded e-mail to my agent decrying the whole rigamarole. She wrote me back apologising and promising that it wouldn't happen again.
Of course, it all happened again this year. If anything, it was worse. Last week, I was told me to e-mail the fax number of the condo office and they'd send a copy right away. By Wednesday, the condo business manager she hadn't received anything. I tried phoning my agent a couple of times: No response. Yesterday, I talked to her co-worker and found that she'd forwarded the e-mail to her only the day before. This other woman said she'd fax the form "right away" and that I might "want to call in about an hour and check if they got it". Oh, you betcha.
Today, I had a meeting first thing so I lured myself out of bed early with the promise of a lox bagel from Einstein's. It came without lox. So I brought it back to the manager and he asked me, "Tomatoes, onions, capers?" "Just onions." Next thing I know, the server is layering tomato slices on it. "NO TOMATOES!" I yell to him. The manager turns to him and says softly, "Just start over." so the guy pitches the bagel in the trash. "Do you want it toasted?" he asks. "No," I say and then, turning toward the manager, "cancel the order." "It'll only take a minute," he insists. Sorry, but at $6 for a damn bagel, you only get at most two chances to fuck up my order.
So between this and the mess with![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
monshu's cable (Don't ask--you don't need to; by now, everyone's had the experience of being stood up by a cable guy. Some of them probably even lied about going to the building and fixing the problem, just like this one did.), I'm very down on the standards of service in this country. Part of me wants to say they're going down, but another part of me knows this is just bad luck. So what I need is tales of good service to balance the picture. Who wants to tell me about a recent experience where a service provider actually discharged their duties competently and efficiently--or even went beyond the call of duty to do them a favour?
Of course, it all happened again this year. If anything, it was worse. Last week, I was told me to e-mail the fax number of the condo office and they'd send a copy right away. By Wednesday, the condo business manager she hadn't received anything. I tried phoning my agent a couple of times: No response. Yesterday, I talked to her co-worker and found that she'd forwarded the e-mail to her only the day before. This other woman said she'd fax the form "right away" and that I might "want to call in about an hour and check if they got it". Oh, you betcha.
Today, I had a meeting first thing so I lured myself out of bed early with the promise of a lox bagel from Einstein's. It came without lox. So I brought it back to the manager and he asked me, "Tomatoes, onions, capers?" "Just onions." Next thing I know, the server is layering tomato slices on it. "NO TOMATOES!" I yell to him. The manager turns to him and says softly, "Just start over." so the guy pitches the bagel in the trash. "Do you want it toasted?" he asks. "No," I say and then, turning toward the manager, "cancel the order." "It'll only take a minute," he insists. Sorry, but at $6 for a damn bagel, you only get at most two chances to fuck up my order.
So between this and the mess with
monshu's cable (Don't ask--you don't need to; by now, everyone's had the experience of being stood up by a cable guy. Some of them probably even lied about going to the building and fixing the problem, just like this one did.), I'm very down on the standards of service in this country. Part of me wants to say they're going down, but another part of me knows this is just bad luck. So what I need is tales of good service to balance the picture. Who wants to tell me about a recent experience where a service provider actually discharged their duties competently and efficiently--or even went beyond the call of duty to do them a favour?Tags:
Nov. 11th, 2005 03:01 pm
The burden of enforced fabulosity
I'm dreading that year-end review before the Queer Card Committee. (I don't know what my status is right now, but it's never been very secure.) Fortunately, I just made plans to go shoe shopping with a female friend. If that doesn't put me in good standing, then I seriously don't know what more I can do.