Waiting for Service

Since I travel quite a bit, I have to squeeze in "home stuff" when I'm in town. This time the list of stuff includes the usual like going to the cleaners, shopping for jazzy clothes to take when I'm back on the road (thanks Ann Taylor Loft for the great $25 off when you spend $50 coupons), and cleaning (yuk!).

It's also time to tackle some larger issues, like the sectional that we bought six months ago that now looks like a large beige sharpei dog with folds of wrinkled fabric on the cushions, deep depressions in cushions long after the "sitters" have left, and seat cushions that no longer line up like soldiers on the parade field. I am also anticipating a return trip by the bug guy to re-spray for the pesky little german roaches that still roam occasionally over the kitchen countertops, inside the dishwasher, oblivious to the sprays and traps that were supposed to drop them in their tracks.

Waiting for service has become a commonplace thing. Some businesses, like the bug guy, schedule service at a particular time so you can plan your day around them. Others, like the furniture company, will call me tonight (as if it's a national secret) and let me know when they will be coming tomorrow. It won't be a definite time, just a range, say like between 10 and "whenever we feel like showing up." Fortunately, I have the flexibility to be home at random hours during the day to meet these people. Not so when I had a "real job" and had to squeeze service people in before 9 or after 5, or race home to be there or convince my husband to come home early to meet them.

That I have to spend time doing this at all is what irks me and most people that have to return or redo some service or product. If the quality of the product was what it should have been in the first place (and promised) or the bug spray service had knocked the little buggers off like it was supposed to (in one service, guaranteed), I could be off to the beach or taking advantage of the 20% off coupon at Steinmart this morning. But, here I am, sitting captive in my own home, not daring to leave lest someone show up early (or on time, God forbid) and I miss them. I would then have to endure a scolding from their customer service rep for missing my appointment, and then reschedule and do this all over again.

People are busy, with busy lives and not a lot of discretionary time to sit and wait. With prices going up for just about everything, shoppers are becoming more discerning. If I have to spend time after the sale to fix things or replace them, I will be less likely to return to the same store or service provider. Give me the "one-night-stand." I'm looking for vendors that see me once, take my money, and leave me with nothing but pleasant memories. I like to be the one to rekindle the relationship by seeking them out and buying again, not to cry, complain, and tell them why they've done me wrong. Who needs another disfunctional relationship?

Service providers take a lot of heat, since they are often fixing problems they had no part in creating. Companies spend a lot of money and create a lot of ill will when they have to send service workers out to fix things. They could be spending that money on new products, marketing, or printing up those great 20% off coupons to bring in new business. If I have to wait, let it be for the guys from Publisher's Clearing House with that $1 million check. That's worth waiting for.