Is it just me,or does it seem that customer service is somehow disappearing? I mean, seriously, whatever happened to the customer is always right, or, You want a refund because this isn't working? No problem!
Okay, here's where I'm coming from: I bought an external hard drive for my computer. Got it through a company (based out of New York City) that I've done business now for several years. They have great customer service, and are sooo not the problem. They have a 30-day warranty on certain products, which is reasonable, especially if it's from a company that has its own customer service department that should technically pick up on any problems after that 30-day period. I plan to continue to use this particular company, since they are incredibly good.
Note: Okay, if you're wondering, it's B And H out of New York City. I highly recommend them. Their website is http://www.bhphotovideo.com/. And in case you're wondering, no, I am not getting paid to say this, nor have I received, nor expect to receive, any compensation for recommending them.
The external hard drive (from an unnamed company) crashed within a month-and-a-half of buying it. Did what was needed to reformat it and gettingit back to where it would theoretically do. It crashed a second time...and a third...
By now, I was a little ticked off about it. So, after calling B And H, and getting the number for the company that made the hard drive, I called the company. They offered to send me a replacement, along witha return label to put on the box so that I could send the old drive back. Of course, it did cost $10 for them to send out the new drive.
So, the new drive gets here, I pack up the old one and send it off, and all's good, right? Ha! The new drive crashed within the week or two. Reformatted. Crashed again. Reformatted...and crashed again! If I'd actually used it as back-up and stuff stored there and no place else, I would have been beyond p.o.ed! This was the second one (and the first sent by the company direct). Then I noticed the sticker on the side of this "new" external drive...the sticker that read "refurbished." Excuse me, but if I paid for a brand new something, I should get a brand new something, not a refurbished one.
This week, I called the company up and told the person I spoke with that I would like a refund. I figure that after two problem external drives from this particular company, I'd really rather have a refund. I'm not exactly confident that the third one will be any better...
It turns out they don't do refunds. They also couldn't explain why the second new external hard drive was really a refurbished one. If I'd paid for a brand new car, I wouldn't expect to find out that the one they sold me really had 50,000 miles on it. Silly me. The first person I spoke to (I ended up talking with several) was borderline rude, and wouldn't put me through to her supervisor, even though I asked several times...
I did manage to get them to email me a return label, this time free of charge. As soon as they receive the second hard drive, they'll send out a third one. Oh, joy.
Anyone want to buy an exernal hard drive? Anyone? No? Darn...
Note: I still plan to do business with B And H. They were not theproblem here. If anything, they did go out of their way to offer help. Every time I've done business wih them over the past four years, they've been nothing but helpful, honest, etc. If I ever get to go on a road trip and end up in NYC, I want to see their store in person. The company that made the hard drive, though, is another story...
Showing posts with label New York City. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New York City. Show all posts
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Ed Koch, New York's "Pugnacious" Former Mayor
Ed Koch, New York's colorful former mayor, died yesterday morning.
Okay, part of that might be obvious; if someone becomes New York's mayor, chances are that person is either somewhat colorful or forgotten. It seems to be that simple. Other cities may have mayors whose names most of us are unfamiliar with. But to be mayor in the city that never sleeps, you'd pretty much have to be a colorful character. Even then, Koch seemed to stand out, with his arms outstreched.
I heard of his death yesterday morning on Today, then read about his death in the Tampa Bay Times. The Times article, originally from the Washington Post, caught Ed Koch's essence beautifully. One paragraph from the article states, "'How'm I doing?' the mayor lilked to bellow as he gallivanted up and down city streets, arms raised above his lanky frame, bald pate bobbing. His signature greeting was delivered in a whiny, nasal voice that was as recognizably New York as the screech of an A train."** If that doesn't paint a picture of Koch and the city he was mayor of for three terms, nothing does.
Every time I think of Ed Koch, I'm reminded of my grandmother, especially shortly before she died. This time was no exception.
My grandmother, Agnes Shwedo, died in the late 1980s. She was a character who tended to speak her mind. She was born to Irish immigrants (her maiden name was Kelly), had numerous brothers and sister (all of whom were outspoken, and tended to live long lives), and married my grandfather, the son of Czech immigrants. Both grandparents' parents were unhappy, since they'd wanted their children to marry people from "the old country;" Agnes's folks wanted her to marry a good Irish Catholic boy, while John, Sr.'s parents wanted a good Czech Catholic daughter-in-law.
Grandma outlived Grandpa by twenty years or so. The last few weeks or months that she was alive, Grandma started to go downhill, as so many people do. Dad ended up staying with her for a few nights to keep an eye on her. One night, probably one of the last nights Grandma spent at home, Dad was awakened after midnight by a heavy pounding on the front door. He went to the door, looked through the peep-hole, and saw several uniformed police officers. "What is it?" he asked, opening the door part-way.
"We need to check on the lady here," one officer stated. "She said she's been kidnapped and is being held hostage."
Once the officers were inside, Grandma came out of her room. Turned out, she'd wanted a glass of water, was convinced she'd been kidnapped and was being held hostage, and that she was the Mayor of New York City!
Of course, Ed Koch was mayor at the time, not an elderly Irish Catholic woman. Once the officers realized what was going on ("Yes, of course I know this nice man. He's my son, and he rescued me before you got here!"), they suggested that Dad get her to the hospital in the morning. He did, and within a week or two, Grandma was gone.
Back to Ed Koch's death: I remember hearing all sorts of stories about him while he was mayor, both from news reports and from family back in New York. The Times' headline ("Pugnacious former New York mayor dies") and the accompanying article and photo capture him perfectly, at least as perfectly as a short obit can.
But whether he knew it or not, I'll never forget when Grandma "helped" him run New York, even if it was for only one night.
**Taken from the Tampa Bay Times; the full article ran on page 3A, Saturday, February 2, 2013.
Okay, part of that might be obvious; if someone becomes New York's mayor, chances are that person is either somewhat colorful or forgotten. It seems to be that simple. Other cities may have mayors whose names most of us are unfamiliar with. But to be mayor in the city that never sleeps, you'd pretty much have to be a colorful character. Even then, Koch seemed to stand out, with his arms outstreched.
I heard of his death yesterday morning on Today, then read about his death in the Tampa Bay Times. The Times article, originally from the Washington Post, caught Ed Koch's essence beautifully. One paragraph from the article states, "'How'm I doing?' the mayor lilked to bellow as he gallivanted up and down city streets, arms raised above his lanky frame, bald pate bobbing. His signature greeting was delivered in a whiny, nasal voice that was as recognizably New York as the screech of an A train."** If that doesn't paint a picture of Koch and the city he was mayor of for three terms, nothing does.
Every time I think of Ed Koch, I'm reminded of my grandmother, especially shortly before she died. This time was no exception.
My grandmother, Agnes Shwedo, died in the late 1980s. She was a character who tended to speak her mind. She was born to Irish immigrants (her maiden name was Kelly), had numerous brothers and sister (all of whom were outspoken, and tended to live long lives), and married my grandfather, the son of Czech immigrants. Both grandparents' parents were unhappy, since they'd wanted their children to marry people from "the old country;" Agnes's folks wanted her to marry a good Irish Catholic boy, while John, Sr.'s parents wanted a good Czech Catholic daughter-in-law.
Grandma outlived Grandpa by twenty years or so. The last few weeks or months that she was alive, Grandma started to go downhill, as so many people do. Dad ended up staying with her for a few nights to keep an eye on her. One night, probably one of the last nights Grandma spent at home, Dad was awakened after midnight by a heavy pounding on the front door. He went to the door, looked through the peep-hole, and saw several uniformed police officers. "What is it?" he asked, opening the door part-way.
"We need to check on the lady here," one officer stated. "She said she's been kidnapped and is being held hostage."
Once the officers were inside, Grandma came out of her room. Turned out, she'd wanted a glass of water, was convinced she'd been kidnapped and was being held hostage, and that she was the Mayor of New York City!
Of course, Ed Koch was mayor at the time, not an elderly Irish Catholic woman. Once the officers realized what was going on ("Yes, of course I know this nice man. He's my son, and he rescued me before you got here!"), they suggested that Dad get her to the hospital in the morning. He did, and within a week or two, Grandma was gone.
Back to Ed Koch's death: I remember hearing all sorts of stories about him while he was mayor, both from news reports and from family back in New York. The Times' headline ("Pugnacious former New York mayor dies") and the accompanying article and photo capture him perfectly, at least as perfectly as a short obit can.
But whether he knew it or not, I'll never forget when Grandma "helped" him run New York, even if it was for only one night.
**Taken from the Tampa Bay Times; the full article ran on page 3A, Saturday, February 2, 2013.
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