Consumer disappointment

As a consumer, I was disappointed twice today — but the two different ways in which my disappointment was handled made all the difference in the world.

I took my car this morning to the repair shop to have the exhaust system fixed. (Last week, I was dragging an exhaust pipe on the pavement.) When I called back later to check, I discovered that the parts house had sent the mechanic the wrong part. The mechanic was extremely courteous and professional about this; he went back and checked the ticket to see if it had been his mistake, but it wasn’t. So I won’t get my car fixed until Friday.

Meanwhile, I’ve been waiting for an $111 overpayment refund check from my oral surgeon. I was told two weeks ago that the check would be mailed last Thursday from Murfreesboro. I called today to check on it, and the woman in the business office was curt, dismissive and came very close to calling me a liar. They couldn’t possibly have promised to send the check last week, because the woman who writes checks was out all last week! She had all kinds of excuses and barely let me get a word in edgewise. The end result is that they’re supposed to be sending out the check tomorrow.

I have written a letter to my oral surgeon complaining about this; I will look at it again tomorrow and see if I still want to send it.

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About John

John Carney is a journalist, a certified United Methodist lay speaker, a veteran of foreign and domestic short-term mission trips, and author of a self-published novel, Soapstone.
  • Wayne

    John,
    My advice woould be to send the letter. Hopefully your oral surgeon is a decent sort of person and would think that your treatment by his employee was uncalled for.

  • “Uncle Ben” Neal

    John, Send the letter. In most cases the doctor is far removed from the billing/accounting department and is unaware of the way some people treat his clients. You’ll be doing him a favor by letting him know.

  • http://www.mentalemetic.com Michael

    My vote is for sending the letter as well.

  • “Uncle Ben” Neal

    John, Send the letter. In most cases the doctor is far removed from the billing/accounting department and is unaware of the way some people treat his clients. You'll be doing him a favor by letting him know.

  • Wayne

    John,
    My advice woould be to send the letter. Hopefully your oral surgeon is a decent sort of person and would think that your treatment by his employee was uncalled for.

  • http://www.mentalemetic.com Michael

    My vote is for sending the letter as well.

  • http://www.gryfalia.com Kristi

    triple ditto. :lol:

  • http://www.gryfalia.com Kristi

    triple ditto. :lol: