Recently I had the waste pipes under my house redone. In the process the plumber discovered a leak from the tub, either the overflow valve or the drain. Naturally part of the deal was to fix that leak. I was at work in the studio when one of the two men came to me said they were going to lunch and to get parts.
I went into the bathroom to see what had been done so far. They had removed my valve overflow and drain hardware and replaced it with cheap silvery chrome stock parts. I admit I lost it for a minute burning with white hot anger that 1) they would replace my fixtures without telling me, and 2) that they would replace them with their choice of fixtures. Two phone calls and 20 minutes later, both plumbers stood before me holding a cardboard box with my original fixtures in it. There was nothing wrong with the fixtures. They had thought the leak came from faulty fixtures. I insisted they reinstall my fixtures. They were only five years old and worked just fine.
"You want these off-color fixtures?" the one plumber asked. (Probably the more stupid of the pair.)
I'm sure he saw me turning a hot bright red as I said, "I don't care what you call them. I want them back!"
Today I made two phone calls about my domain server and domain registration service transfers. I'm really tempted to tell you who I'm transferring from, as they have been pretty stupid. Anyway, while trying to ascertain when and where and by whom and how the transfers would be accomplished, my current provider tried a lot of snide comments such as, "They're a reseller" (referring to my chosen provider) and "I don't know how long it will take them but the industry standard is 24 hours."
I see it as desperation when a company or service provider can't get you to stay with them, or do what they want you to do (which usually involves spending more money and/or time with them), and starts bad mouthing the competition. Nothing slams the door more on a good Bye! to cancelled service than when they start getting ugly. Let's face it, by the time a customer gets to the point of canceling their decision is already made. You can buy me a trip around the world, send dancing scantily clad men to my home, offer me free service for a year, and I won't care. I've made up my mind. Competition denigration is like locking the barn door after the horses have left. Totally useless. So, stop it.
At least be gracious about it when you lose a customer and realize you lost them a long time ago and just didn't know it. And if you denigrate the competition because everyone else does, you'd better rethink your strategy. You have no chance of getting back a customer you've estranged.
Current Fads
Listening. Genius iMixes and Eagles - Their Greatest Hits; chirping birds
Watching. 9 (2009)
Activity. finding my muse
Gadget. resuscitated Palm Zire 31
News Source. Google News
Reading. Story - Robert McKee; Owls Well That Ends Well - Donna Andrews; Care of the Soul - Thomas Moore; The Four Hour Work Week: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich (expanded and updated) - Timothy Ferriss
Writing. novel #4
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