<p>D’s flight from Phoenix to Nashville was delayed for two hours because of some “security” reason [we heard later the VPUS plane was there]. We live two + hours from N’ville, so D always gets a shuttle to the nearest town. Her new flight time into N’ville was going to arrive after the last shuttle for the night. While we were trying to work out arrangements, D went into a part of the P. airport where her cell phone service dropped out and then boarded the plane and turned off her phone. </p>
<p>I called SW cust. svc. and explained that I needed to reach my D so that I could tell her we’d pick her up in N’ville. I got a live person, who gave me the local numbers for the airport desk in N so that we could have D paged. Also gave me a direct number at SW to call to check on the est. arrival time of D’s flight so that we would know when to page her. We drove up to N., and managed to get D paged as she came off the flight, while we were still 15 min. from the airport, to tell her we’d be there soon. She was waiting for us at the baggage claim as we drove up in front of the airport.</p>
<p>Ahh yes, TheDad - growing up in western PA, I remember when Allegheny was ‘Agony Airlines’…and to think we’ve used USAir through Pittsburgh several times in last few years and it was a breeze. But no longer to be, as USAir thinks it’s a much better idea to abandon Pittsburgh as a hub and move all those flights to Phila. Don’t understand - how can the city be so much fun, but the airport so very, very bad??</p>
<p>The best customer service I can think of comes from Starbucks. They’re cheerful first thing in the morning, in the face of caffeine-deprived customers, and they always get the order right. My H’s standard coffee order is so complicated it’s embarassing (“grande, triple-shot, half-caff, non-fat, no foam, sugar-free hazelnut latte”) and they still don’t mess it up. (They’ve even told me they have worse customers, like the guy who wants his espresso at “196 degrees.”)</p>
<p>UGH…you guys have me worried now. We have Cigna (though have not been with them that long) and given my daughter’s recent car accident and subsequent health bills…skimming the surface here but two ambulances, two ERs, surgery, intensive care, ten days in hospital, visiting nurses, physical therapy, many medications, medical equipment rentals, etc. etc…and I am sure we are talking astronomical health bills…and right now I have to sift through a pile of at least 20 things that have come in the mail related to this and this is just the beginning. I have to say that while I have barely dealt with it yet, I have spoken twice to the person at Cigna in charge of our D’s case and she has been as sweet and as patient as can be but maybe that is just cause she is there to “help” but has no decision making powers, lol. So, um, I can’t wait, now that I just read this thread…oy.</p>
<p>And add me to the list of thumbs down to USAIR overall but particularly through Philadelphia where I must go from time to time and so far, not so good this year (including child traveling alone, what a mess).</p>
<p>The absolute worst is anything to do with Cleveland city hall. A bunch of overpaid idiots who would rather talk about their new nails or their kids new clothes than help out the next customer. (I guess alot of govt workers are like this, when I have anything customer service oriented to do with the Air Force I always strive to help as best as I can)</p>
<p>Really bad is AOL/Dell/Microsoft when it comes trying to get help in dealing with spyware. Every last one of them tried to say it was the other manufactuers fault.</p>
<p>Bad/good would be US Bank. When it comes to anyone inside the bank they get a bad because they are complete idiots, but their automated systems/Internet Banking are second to none in my opinion. (I don’t like dealing with CS personnel if you can’t tell)</p>
<p>I agree with USAA. Instant satisfaction with any question or problem. And the employees sound happy!<br>
Worst: Our cable/high speed internet company. I won’t say their name because I’m sure they’d find a way to “interrupt” my service - again!<br>
The absolute worst is my Chrysler vehicle and the service department at my local dealer. Never again.<br>
Also, the drivers license place. People start lining up in the dark and are still there after lunch. Unbelievable.</p>
<p>Totally agree with over30, the worst is the DMV - I called them once when D was 16 and ready to get a license. Someone answered, and said “you have the wrong office, you need to dial this phone number - 123-4567”. </p>
<p>So I did. A woman answered. I asked for the department I needed. She said “you have the wrong office, you need to dial 123-4567.” I said “but that’s what I did, I dialed 123-4567”. She then asked “well, what happened when you dialed that number?” - I responded “YOU answered the phone”. </p>
<p>She said “no I didn’t!”.</p>
<p>I had no earthly idea what to even say next, so, I hung up and started over.</p>
<p>Annoying - Time Warner Roadrunner. I hate having to go through tier one support, which is only “turn off your computer, wait a minute, then restart”, before you get connected to tier two support, which might be able to help (maybe).</p>
<p>Top of the heap, best of show, etc. Our clergypersons. Dive Tech West (scuba gear repair/maintenace shop in CA - I use them for d’s and my gear even though we’re in Kentucky. Believe me, you don’t want something you’re breathing through with 100ft of water on top of you to pack it in - these folks get it right the first time, not always true for that industry). </p>
<p>Great - USAA, local Chrysler dealer, local Toyota dealer, Swarthmore folks of various stripes, one of our US senators and our congressperson (even though I’m a liberal democrat and they’re republicans - they know my persuasion from questions at civic club meetings). Southwest Airlines. Our family doctors. BellSouth DSL</p>
<p>So-so - Cingular wireless (would be great if they’d do away with some of the layers of automated call handling), Maytag (I notice they quit running the commercial featuring the bored repairman - our stacked washer/dryer keeps him moving)</p>
<p>Awful - local guy who did some remodeling for us - promised finished work in May, delivered (although kitchen was torn up for entire time) in September.</p>
<p>Charter Telecommunications (great when service calls were dispatched locally, now terrible thanks to “regional” service centers. (My classic tale - bad reception for weeks, several calls to Charter, finally they determined that, down the street, a cable had been strung through some tree limbs and the tree had grown around the cable, tearing it apart ).</p>
<p>Venting is fun, I’m feeling really good about the day.</p>
<p>In my “summer tour of 2003” we had the most horrible customer service at several places:</p>
<p>AVIS Car Rental BWI. I requested a minivan to rent for 6 weeks , and had written confirmation of reservation. No minivan available, But that was “okay, because you can pick it up tomorrow in DC.” “No, I can’t, I am going to be at the shore tomorrow with my minivan.”…waiting, waiting, to the pick up area where the woman says to me “they told me you were a b-tch over there.” OMG. Never had anything like that happen before.</p>
<p>Chilis- Cherry Hill, NJ. 2pm…an inordiantely long wait for hamburgers And after 30 minutes we are told “we have run out of hamburgers.” What is that?</p>
<p>Then there is: </p>
<p>Aetna-“what do you mean you didn’t ask to be switched to our PPO, we wouldn’t have switched you if you didn’t ask to be switched.” (we live 9,000 miles away from the nearest PPO doctor…6 months later…</p>
<p>BEST SERVICE: Shangri La Hotel Xian China. We arrive with 7 ragged children in 3 families after 17 hours on overnight train from Beijing. “You are all looking a little tired, I think you need a free upgrade to the deluxe suites!!” </p>
<p>BEST SERVICE: Singapore Airlines Business class Lounge, Changi Airport Singapore. My husband wants to live in that airport in his next life.</p>
<p>WORST SERVICE: United Airlines from Tokyo to LAX…screaming 4 month old in my arms needing to sleep while light streamed in on her, “I am sorry we can’t ask the passenger next to the window to pull down the shade, it would have to be their choice.” At this point, screaming 4 month old had the good sense to share a “projectile event” with “passenger service representative.”</p>
<p>The high end Asian hotels have the best service I’ve ever seen anywhere. A box of toys delivered for my kids right after check in at the Oriental in Bangkok. Room service delivered in 15 minutes. One hotel in Thiland, a Dusit, slipped a video under my bathroom door while daughter and I were in the giant tub watching the TV with VCR in the Bathroom.</p>
<p>Service has a whole different meaning in Asia.</p>
<p>The Good: Nordstrom, Costco, Starbucks, Davenport Hotel Spokane WA, American Express, Drake Hotel Chicago, Pacific Northwest Ballet Seattle, ebay, Netflix, Amazon.com, BooksOnTape.com, Twin River National Bank - Lewiston ID</p>
<p>The so-so: most businesses and services</p>
<p>The Bad/Ugly: US Postal Service (hours from 8:30 to 5:00 when most of us work 8 to 5, 2 counters open and 4 counters closed with a half-dozen employees roaming around in the back!), Adelphia Cable/internet, Philadelphia Hilton Hotel (not the one at the airport), AT&T wireless</p>
<p>I have a alltime new worst: Domnion East Ohio (gas company) I had to give my f’n account number and name to FOUR different layers of people. Why do you have to give your damn account number again and explain the same forking problem to every person on every level? Is there no communication at this company?</p>
<p>I do like Bristol Farms but their sub-title should be “Why pay less?”
The 10 percent discount for UCLA employees gets the prices down to merely high as opposed to “Are you out of your !@#$%! mind?”</p>
<p>I stop by after church on most Sundays, loading up on their soups & chilis for lunch over the following week.</p>
).</p>