It's been way too long since I've done a post on the absurdities of everyday life. Here are some I've been suffering the past few weeks:
 |
This year, I've been changing my son's bedroom into a guest room, now that he's married and gone. Luckily, I had new carpet installed and a mattress delivered in February before lockdown. Since then, I've been slowly ordering items online, like a headboard and comforter set. The only thing left was a nightstand. I found one that matched the new headboard on Home Depot's website. It promised a 3 day delivery. I ordered it and the next day, I received an email that my credit card had been charged and the item shipped via UPS. I was even given a tracking number. However, every time I tried to track it, UPS showed that they hadn't received the item.
I patiently waited about 3 weeks, thinking that everything was backed up due to Covid-19. When my patience had expired, I tried to find a way to contact Home Depot, but their chat and email system was not working. My only option was a phone call with their customer service starting at 6 am. I waited exactly an hour the first time I called, only to be disconnected. I immediately tried again and waited another hour, listening to their incessant commercials. How can the queue be that long at 7 am EST?? When I finally got through to a human, he looked up my order and told me that the nightstand was 'out of stock.' Well, why in the world didn't their website say so and WHY was my credit card charged and a tracking ticket issued? He had no idea if they'd ever get more in, so I received a credit. Fun fact: In the mid-1980's, I designed a computer inventory program for the small retailer I was working for as my senior college project. It's not rocket science.
 I
In late March, I had to cancel a doctor's appointment due to quarantine. When I received an email two weeks ago, informing me that the doctor was once again seeing patients, I called to reschedule. There was a list of questions I was asked before they would schedule: Do I have a fever or cough? Have I traveled outside of the US or to NY in the past 14 days? Have I had any contact with a person diagnosed with Covid-19? After answering 'no' to all of the questions, the scheduler then told me that the next available appointment was September 1st. ????? Talk about not going off script. Maybe stop wasting your time and mine if I can't be seen for months. My answers might change between now and then.
How have computers improved your life?
|
HD -Incompetence. Doctors questions - probably should have first asked if it was an emergency, or...what you said. Newspaper - combination of incompetence and crooked.
ReplyDeleteIt's shocking how much of that seems to be going around.
DeleteOy, Bijoux, what a series of revolting developments! September 1st for a doctor's appointment? I'm assuming they meant Sept. 1, 2020, but you'd better check.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised Home Depot can't keep track of its own items and the Plain Dealer just sounds plain stupid. Here's hoping things get better!
Considering the concert we had tickets for in April was rescheduled for 2021, I guess it's a possibility.
DeleteWe just had an, um, episode with GrubHub. Ordered dinner from our favorite Mexican place, they said it'd be delivered in a half-hour. Two hours later, still no dinner, so we called them. "Oh, their website said they were closed, so we cancelled the order." Did they actually call them, to see if they were closed? "No; their website said they were closed." But, you know, they took the money from the bank account. So we called the restaurant, and they took our order (they weren't closed after all; hmmmmm. . .) But, you know, we had to go and pick it up. And pay for it, even though GrubHub had our money. Took a week (and five phone calls) to finally get the refund. Meanwhile, our cash flow is all messed up, because GrubHub had a pile of our money for services they didn't deliver.
ReplyDeleteI guess it's a thing now, to cancel orders and not tell the customer. . .
I would be livid! I've never used a debit card because of stories like this. At least with a credit card, you can dispute the charge. I think the ridiculous part of the scenario starts with them not bothering to inform you that they canceled the order. It's just lazy and the worst form of customer service. But keeping your money is fraudulent and deserves further complaints up the chain of command.
DeleteWow, I'm frustrated for you after reading those absurdities! If they made an error with their inventory, fine. But is there no one monitoring aged orders to issue credits?? I wouldn't order from Home Depot ever again after that! Is your husband able to read an electronic version of the newspaper? $62 is a pretty big increase especially when you did the online pay to accommodate them! Is it me, or is COVID19 making the world go mad?
ReplyDeleteI checked out the reviews afterwards and while no one had my story of out of stock merchandise, people were very unhappy with the length of time their orders were taking. And the ridiculous wait to get through to someone by phone. We do get the electronic version of the newspaper, plus the print version on the weekends.
DeleteIt can be so frustrating to deal with customer service, especially on the phone. I have two of those dreaded calls to make today, or sometime soon. I tend to put off calling. How ridiculous you had to answer those Covid questions for a doctor appt. in September! Duh.
ReplyDeleteNice to hear from you! I so dread making phone calls like that. And I laughed out loud after she said first available was in September. So dumb!
DeleteOMG...it took you THREE weeks?!? My patience would have expired as well! And don't you love how you wait on hold for 3 hours, only to be either disconnected or transferred to the WRONG department and have to call back again? Glad you got a credit. After all that, they should have given you at least a 30% discount card for your next purchase.
ReplyDelete".... the scheduler then told me that the next available appointment was September 1st. "
WHHHHHAT?!?! Not until SEPTEMBER!?!?
"Maybe stop wasting your time and mine if I can't be seen for months."
Yes....EXACTLY!
"and I'm expected to pay $62 more because I'm paying online instead of a paper bill?"
Do you know what's funny? My apartment management offered the tenants the ability to pay their rent by automatic withdraw instead of mailing them a check each month so that's it's more convenient for us. But do you know what? If we do that, they charge us an extra $40.00 each month for processes the withdraw. Can you believe that??? Needless to say, I never did it. However, I don't have any of my bill automatically withdraw because I don't trust that process. I either pay online or mail in my checks.
Seems like you and I always have the shittiest customer service experiences, don't we? HA!
Have a great week, my friend. Enjoyed this post! X
I can't tell you how many times I've been disconnected after being on hold forever. Highly suspicious, I must say! These businesses do not care if you ever come back as a customer. That's the real problem.
DeleteFor being in a health care Mecca, it is difficult to get a dr appointment these days. And now we have the Covid back log of people who had to cancel trying to reschedule. When I canceled, they said I'd have top priority, so I guess September is considered ahead of others? 🤔🙄
Yes, I don't like auto withdrawal either, but I do have it for utilities. That is absolutely insane to charge you $40 for them to do nothing extra! I mean, how easy is it for them to automatically get your rent money? Nuts! Who would do that?
People who worked in retail notice this crap because we were taught that the customer is always right. Now, the customer has no rights. Sad!
Good gawd, these are absolute nightmares! You are being polite in calling them absurdities. Life was much less complicated before this "wonderful" age of technology.
ReplyDeleteA few months ago I started paying all my bills electronically, hoping that it would makes things easier - but I've already started incurring some problems and "glitches".
I meant to say "make", not "makes"
DeleteAnd 'glitches' is also a polite way of saying the companies have their heads up their asses! It's maddening.
DeleteYou and I are sisters on these things. I can't tell you how many times I have called - held - then cut off. I ordered stamps from the US Post Office - they took a month to get to me and charged me in advance. They are not supposed to do that.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about the doctor too - you might not be in the same health in September - that is almost funny - if it weren't so sad every thing is so mixed up over Covid.
The really frustrating part is - I don't see how to make these places smarter! lol
I have noticed more and more that we are being charged before items we buy online are shipped. It didn't use to be that way. It drives me nuts when I'm on the phone or an online chat and the person won't go off script. You can tell, because like the health questions, it starts to make no sense!
DeleteThose are all valid sufferings! We want to be patient and understanding knowing Covid-19 has shaken up a bunch of stuff... but those things were avoidable.
ReplyDeleteA doc appt. my son had around the shut-down, which he waited months for, was cancelled and rescheduled for months later... but no silly questions.
One of our bills comes in with a due date only a few days later. So sometimes we're charged a late fee. Drives Ron bananas. They are trying to get customers to set up auto-pay which comes with a fee too. He prefers to pay by check but would have to write it out the day it arrives, rush to the post office, and still it might not make it. lol Then while trying to cancel a service at his parents residence, since they'd moved to assisted living, it took a few phone calls and a supervisor, and I think he had to pretend to be his father at one point just to get it moving along. It's important for there to be some protection in place with regard to people's accounts, of course, but he had all their information and has been handling their bills for years.
Long before the Internet, we had a credit card company that tried to pull that where the due date was less than a week after you got the bill. We ended up just canceling the card, after refusing to pay their bs late fees. Oh, I know all about having to fake who I am on phone calls when dealing with my daughter with autism's medical bills. My husband has also had all sorts of issues trying to pay his 98 YO aunt's bills. One time, they wouldn't accept his signature on a check (even though he had POA) so he took a check to have her sign it in the hospital and then the bank rejected it because it didn't look like her signature! So dumb.
DeleteAnd they say technology is supposed to simplify our lives. Ha!
ReplyDeleteI too subscribe to the local paper.
I wonder if the doctor's office asks those questions routinely as part of an effort to try to identify possible Covid-19 infections regardless of the appointment scheduling.
It's definitely more complicated. I had another appt last week and went through the round of questions at least 4 times. They have to cover their asses I think.
DeleteI've had issues with ordered online from Home Depot for. They're great for ordering plants online, but seem pretty terrible with everything else. And that's insane about the newspaper. Lately, I feel the same way about the post office. I've had two things I mailed to my senior buddy (like Chemo Angels) returned marked "undeliverable, unable to forward". They've been properly addressed and contained adequate postage. I even took pictures and sent them to someone from the program who forwarded them to the intended recipient, who confirmed that the address was, indeed, correct. It's annoying! And then they wonder why they're going under.
ReplyDeleteLol on the post office. Never ever attempt to stop mail if you are going to be on a trip. Also, don't expect mail to be forwarded when you move because they are completely incompetent. So irritating when you are trying to do something nice, like Senior Buddy.
DeleteDarn, you sure went through the ringer. I wonder how many people they screwed over by charging for things that aren't in stock. Not everyone remembers about such charges. Free money for them. Stupid that they would give a tracking number for something that never even shipped.
ReplyDeletelol well 4 months ago you were fine you could say when you walk into the drs. office and fake cough all over them.
Yeah, that newspaper needs to take a hike after that crap.
You're right, it does seem fraudulent that they could be keeping our money purposefully. Lol, yes on telling them I felt fine in May!
DeleteI've had similar things with items not arriving. I order them, they say they are despatched and then a few days later say they are out of stock. Well how can they be despatched then? Drives me nuts.
ReplyDeleteWe are all avoiding doctors appointments and trips to the hospital as long as we can as this seems to be one of the worst places to be to pick up the virus. I just I don't die of a heart attack.
These businesses need to buy a better inventory control program for their computers.
DeleteWe are being encouraged to start going to preventative health appointments again. Cancer, heart disease, etc. isn't taking a break because of Covid.
Whatever happened to good old customer service? I remember taking classes specifically for customer service. Nobody practices it anymore. I can't believe you maintained your composure as well as you did.
ReplyDeleteCustomer service went by the wayside long ago. I really do try to not take out my frustration on the phone folks because it's not their fault that they work for bozo businesses.
DeleteI've experienced all of these. The only customer services that I can tolerate are LLBean and Lands' End. An actual REAL human picks up in a very timely manner.
ReplyDeleteWell, welcome! I've never shopped with LLBean or Land's End, but that's good to know.
DeleteLOL with all those questions for the doctor's office and an appointment on September 1st. It makes you wonder what people are thinking (they aren't). You are right, things could dramatically change by then. We ordered thermometers off of Amazon about 3 weeks ago. Should have been received within 5 days of the order. Still haven't received them. Can't find thermometers in the store so hubby said don't cancel order until we actually have some thermometers on hand (I don't see that happening soon). I'm tempted to cancel the order and just wing it and hope we don't need to check our temps (we have sort of a game plan on hand if we start feeling sick, like recording symptoms, when they started, including checking temps, etc. I guess we disposed of the thermometers we had when the kids got older and we didn't feel the need to check temperatures any more. Lesson learned).
ReplyDeleteCan't believe there would be a price hike for getting the paper. Seems like they would be offering incentives to encourage people to want to subscribe!
betty
Wasn't that nuts with the questions? I never found thermometers to be that helpful or reliable, so I wouldn't bother buying one. I've read humorous anecdotes online about the ones employers are using now. Apparently, there are folks walking around with temps of 88 degrees. LOL!
DeleteWhen I was young, if you had a problem you just phoned up a company, a person answered and sorted things out. Trying to remedy any kind of basic problem or complaint nowadays involves a long telephone obstacle course. I can't make any GP appointment at the moment, luckily I don't need one. We don't have any credit card problems or online delivery problems. But trying to get a flight refund from British Airways was a nightmare. It took Jenny 47 attempts, usually being cut off as soon as the phone was answered, before she managed to reach someone who could arrange the refund. And miraculously the refund came through 3 days later.
ReplyDeleteOMG on the 47 attempts. God bless her for not giving up. I was about to book our summer vacation flights in February, but got lazy and decided to wait until we got back from Miami. Once again, procrastination ruled in my favor because all hell broke lose the following week. Telephone obstacle course is an apt description!
DeleteMy daughter put in a change of address to our apartment. It was working fine and then I saw that a package that we were expecting and tracking got sent back because the change of address had expired. No one would answer the phone so my daughter went down to the post office where they said the package couldn't be found anywhere in their system so it was gone and her change of address was still in effect even though she's had no mail for a month.
ReplyDeleteThe US Postal Service is a sham. Go on Next Door and see how many people either don't get their mail or get someone else's. It's crazy.
DeleteGood grief. Why in the world would they ask those questions so far in advance. I read that to my husband and he threw up his hands and shook his head. And then said they should be asking people, "Have you gone to a Lowes or an O'Charley's where no one is wearing masks?"
ReplyDeleteLol, now those would be some better questions!
DeleteWe've been amazed ( and alarmed) at how local stores have managed the whole social distancing thing, Home Depot and Lowes being great examples. Both stores have taken solid, definitive steps to ..... FUNNEL everyone into the same zones and consolidation services in one location to keep folks close and personal with each other.
ReplyDeleteBoth have closed everything down to a single entrance and just 2 exits making sure we all get cozy coming and going.
Both have created the silly 6-foot stickers and placed them exactly where the lines used to form, meaning they end up blocking major portions of major walking aisles. They also both have more than one spot where the 6-foot sticker for one section is right next to the 6-foot sticker for another one.
Lowes, though, went well above and beyond. They had customer service, returns, and order pick-ups in separate sections prior to this. Now all 3 are done at the same desk, right inside the only entrance! If there is anyone getting one of those services there is no way to enter the store without practically rubbing elbows with 'em. If there is more than one person waiting they are all stacked up in a bunch and the registers open are 2 feet apart! And the order pick-up that had individual marked shelves to hold orders was moved to the seasonal area with no markings so if you go to pick something up you wait in the main aisle with people brushing by while the associate mills through all of the waiting orders, having to touch each and every one to locate the identifying label.
I sent 'em an e-mail offering my services as an efficiency associate as they obviously hired an INefficiency expert to manage the crisis. Funny thing, ain't heard back yet. Guess they're busy?
Our Lowe's didn't change a thing, besides red tape on the floor in 6 ft increments. Home Depot, though . . . One entrance where you are lined up and herded. The dumb part is the lawn and garden area. The majority of plants are in the parking lot by lawn and garden. But you aren't allowed in and there are no carts. So, you have to pick only the plants you can carry, go stand in line at main entrance, walk through store, get to lawn and garden, and then stand in the ONE cashier line they have open. May, their busiest season. I wouldn't be surprised if some folks just walk off with stuff or just give up once they realize they have to carry everything through the store.
DeleteI had the runaround with Joanne Fabrics. Spent over 2 hours ordering fabric online that was all in stock when I placed my order. They charged my card but I never got a curbside pickup notice. After a week I called and the girl got snippy and said they had 300 online orders to fill and they'd get to it when they get to it. I guess to me, 300 doesn't sound like that many as one or two people could get those filled in a day if they hired enough people to cover online sales only. Well, 10 days later I get an email that my order was ready for pickup, promptly followed by another that they cancelled my order. Seriously? I waited 10 days for 4 yards of fabric just to have it cancelled after I get an email telling me it was fulfilled? I went to Hobby Lobby and got my fabric instead.
ReplyDeleteOh, wow! What a nightmare. I understand the time it might have taken, but to get an email that the order was ready and then canceled makes NO sense whatsoever. I hope you were able to get a credit easily.
DeleteThey did recredit my card, but I was irritated as I could have picked up fabric elsewhere more quickly. Their online order system really needs an overhaul!
Delete