Customer Service Failure

I think it’s worthwhile to note every once in a while when people or companies do an outstanding or abominable job with customer service. At this point, most of my readers are well familiar with my extreme disappointment in Best Buy service, but I’d like to add another to that list: Swann Electronics. They also do surveillance units which is why I was working with them.

I don’t know what it is with electronic companies. Dell is the reason I went and dealt with Best Buy in the first place and Best Buy has so many rules in place that it makes it nearly impossible to get help turnaround in anything less than 2 weeks. Even when they do, they refuse to help without a fee, insisting that their warranty doesn’t cover your request. And nearly every time, they are right. The funny thing is, though, that if I just went out and bashed my computer against a wall they would replace it free. So why would they refuse to just fix the original problem? I’m getting closer every day to a freak gasoline fight accident to force them into an early replacement.

But at least both Dell and Best Buy are easy to reach. I assumed when I had to call into Swann about a DVR power source that is burnt out that I would spend an excess of 30 minutes on hold. Absolutely incorrect. Instead I spend about 5 minutes or so every couple of hours trying to just reach someone or something that won’t hang up on me. They use an answering machine for their customer service desk and their entire directory is backwards. I tried emailing the web help but they referred me to a number in the directory that doesn’t even exist, insisting all the while that calling was the only way to even get the problem fixed in the first place. And all of this just to get an order number for a replacement part. Awesome. After 2 weeks of contacting Swann, I have finally gotten an order form faxed in and have yet to have my order acknowledged or a receipt given.

While we’re at it, I’d like to touch on the positives and negatives of Craigslist. Man, if you want to find something, this site is the way to go. Everything is listed on there and if you can deal with the slight crazies you can find whatever you want or didn’t want but now know that you need desperately. And then there was the guy who didn’t know what he was selling online, misclassified it, misdescribed it, and couldn’t give me any more info on it when I called. He refused to talk or help me get to his place, having already given me 2 bad phone numbers. When I saw the item and told him no thanks, he sent me a less than happy email for which I reported him to Craigslist. Great website to use, but not everyone believe the customer is right. Good luck to him ever getting that bike sold now.

Fundraising

I think I might need an organization as misleading as HSUS to help me with my fundraising for the Pelotonia. Or maybe one of the 10 minute infomercial (<-- can't believe that's an official word now) welfare requests. They're sure good at tricking people into donating. I'm just not especially good at asking people for money; it's been something I've struggled with all my life. We never negotiated for allowances with our parents. Our 4-H projects always sold to the people who bid the highest, but not because we had ever sent them letters asking them to buy our animals. If we sent a letter, it was asking them to support the fair and the youth in general, but never just us. Even when I worked at Farm Bureau and my job was specifically to recruit sponsors, I still struggled with asking people for money. Any amount was fine with me just so long as they were giving of their own good will.

But now here I am again, asking for money. My Pelotonia profile says it all: I'm riding to raise money and awareness for cancer research in Ohio. Our Ohio hospitals are making huge progress in treating and preventing cancer and this research will provide hope to many people this year, next year and next decade. Has cancer affected my family in the past? Heck yes, it has. That's the main reason we live in Ohio now, because we moved here to support my grandpa as he fought and ultimately won his battle with cancer. This year two of my friends have also been fighting cancer, both with great outlooks. And a friend at Amanda's church is in a huge struggle this year as we pray for a miracle.

So that's why I'm riding. I don't do cancer research, nor am I a nurse or a doctor, nor am I superb at comforting those who suffer. But I am athletically built enough that I can ride the miles. And so I ride, because that's my part in this. I ride so that you and others know that we are trying to fight cancer and help those who suffer. But riding isn't enough, I have to also actually raise the money for the ride.

And that's where asking comes in. The hardest thing that I have to do for this Pelotonia, harder than the training or the bike search (which is now complete!) is the asking for money. I've posted to Facebook, contacted old friends and even sent out letters now to corporations and politicians, organizations and well-connected friends. And now I'm back to here. If you read this blog and can even spare $5 or less, please consider donating. This link will take you to my profile where you can choose to donate or not after reading mine and other peoples' stories on the Pelotonia website. Please consider giving to support this huge effort which encompasses nearly 4,000 riders.

Pelotonia

I'm not really 100% sure what I'm getting into yet, or what the word "pelotonia" is supposed to mean. However, I will be riding in it, the whole 200 miles to Athens, OH, and back. The Pelotonia has a pretty cool website. Check it out, but don't sponsor directly to the site! Within a week or so I will be registered on there and ready to receive donations on my behalf. And trust me, I need help. I can't get to the money limit all by meself, that's for sure.

As far as riding a bike that far? Well, I'm figuring that I'll start by riding my fixi. If I can get my fixi up to 60 miles, then I'll be in great shape for the race. That gives me more time to find a suitable bike using the good old craigs list to find something both cheap and durable. I think I've found a couple of decent options, but time will tell if I can get one of them.

Also, my dearest Amanda has been highly complemented recently for her great blog posts. You should definitely check out her MLHR blog with OSU's Fisher. She's pretty much amazing.

Thunderstorms came through again today, and the garden remains wet. It's been a rough week for getting stuff in, but Mom found some volunteer tomatoes in the peas and beans so I transferred them over yesterday before they were choked out. Otherwise, I'm trying to stay out of the garden as much as possible. I feel bad for the farmers that I've been talking to and driving past. They have so much invested and the weather has been pretty rough this spring.

Also. Katherine mentioned finding a sheep of ours chained up about a month or two ago, even though we've never chained an animal before. Apparently we have some neighborhood non-neighborly intruders and we're going to have to do a better job of watching the place. For anyone else trying to raise livestock of any species or quantity this year, please keep an eye on them and protect them from the crazies roaming about.

Also. Weight report is at 238.2. Funny, I just don't think I'm losing any... Oh well. I'm off to ride this evening.