Author: Eiren

Here’s my first human interest article.

Hey, did you know fresh deli-fried chicken tenders are cheaper at Super Wal-Mart than at Publix? Proof:

Publix: $6.9x/lb

Uber-Wal-Mart: Less!

I don’t mind offshoring. I’d like to see more parity in world incomes. It’s also someone’s right to buy only locally-made goods (whatever local means to them).

What I don’t like is the strategic, aggressive organizational practice of making service so hard to receive that it is more cost-effective, for example, for a consumer to buy a new phone than to spend the three hours on the phone it will take to get a replacement for a faulty (but warranted!) phone. Only to then get hit up with a $14.99 fee for warranty exchange shipping and handling to boot!

You can reach AT&T Wireless’ Warranty Exchange department at 1-877-746-9244.

The AT&T Wireless Warranty Exchange representative I spoke with at length, who told me his name was “Roger” but refused to give me his location, citing “security reasons,” was very polite, if a little robotic. He chuckled when I told I him I thought AT&T’s policy here was not in the spirit of the warranty and bad karma. “Roger” sounded more Pakistani than Indian to me, but I really don’t care. My gripe is with AT&T customer service policies, not their personnel or the location of their call centers.

Senior AT&T Wireless company policy should be:

1. Help your customers. A satisfied customer today is a repeat customer tomorrow. And so is everyone to whom he brags about AT&T’s service.

2. Be honest [with your customers]. Don’t just call me a valued customer. Treat me like one. Opening each phone call be reminding me that I am a valued customer — which Roger did, and I believe he meant it — is not the same as ACTUALLY TREATING me as a valued customer through corporate policy that actually backs up this purpose.

And if honesty fails or conflicts fundamentally with some other hidden, senior purpose, at least

3. Be consistent. When I pushed Roger for his location, he said, “Don’t worry, I am part of the national network.” That’s Avoido-speak(r) if I’ve every heard it. And the girl (“Barb[e|a]ra”) I spoke with about a billing issue before Roger — on the same phone call! — told me she was in Washington state. She did not mention any security concerns when disclosing to me her general location.

Failing honesty, at least strive for consistency. If your policy is to cite “security concerns,” then at least have the respect for me to have your domestic personnel deliver the same line of crap as your overseas personnel.

I contend that if AT&T Wireless applied the above three points broadly, they could keep customers based on actual customer satisfaction, not with two-year contracts signed in blood.

I am not going to renew my AT&T Wireless contract (on which I still have another year to serve). But I’m up for parole in six months.

I’ve been reading A Different Drummer for a while now, written by Michael K. Deaver. Had a recent interest in the former President of the United States, Mr. Ronald Wilson Reagan.

I’m glad, for pointless, romantic reasons, I guess, I found out something about him before he died. Better that than because he died, though at least something good comes from death that way.

On a personal level, I imagine he’s better off. On a broader level, I think a good man died yesterday and the world is worse for it, at least for a while.