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Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Pitching a Shit Fit Helps Get the Job Done


The other morning I took my truck to the dealer to have a few things done. I arrived when they opened the big doors at 7:30. The maintenance guy (advisor?) told me he had three cars ahead of me so it may be a 3 or 4 hour wait, maybe longer.

I couldn’t see sitting there in their waiting room for that long of time with nothing to read (I was in between books). So, I suggested I bring it back later and leave it overnight. He said that would be better, then “his men” could start on it the first thing the next morning.

I did. In the early evening I left the key and the work order in the hands of the same service guy I earlier talked to. He again, told me he would get “his men” on it the first thing in the morning.

The next day I waited until 11:10 to call and asked for him, Nick, and asked how my truck was coming. He said they haven’t started on it yet and still have about 3 cars ahead of it and they were going to “try” to get to it before the end of the day.

I pitched a shit fit. I reminded Nick what he told me twice, that that “his men” would get on it the first thing in the morning. I politely told him I wasn’t real happy with his promises made on the spot to make me happy momentarily only to not fulfill that promise and I wasn’t happy, to say the least, I needed my truck. I was just about to tell him I was going to kidnap his family and chop off one finger of one family member at a time for each hour until my truck was ready, but he interrupted and said let him check on it and he would call me back.

He didn’t call back. I called him back. He said they were working on it now and should be ready around 3:00. (which in service language meant 4:00).

Never underestimate the power of a good old fashion shit fit.

4 comments:

  1. Anonymous1:59 AM

    I guess it's true that the squeaky wheel gets the grease...i'll be very interested to know whether or not they had your truck ready at 3 (or 4!).

    ReplyDelete
  2. Bird,
    They had it ready at 4.
    I think they meant to take their own sweet time because two of the items were to be done free. A tailgate chain recall and the door latch they installed one week short of a year ago - and their parts and labor are under warranty for a year.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous9:46 PM

    Didn't you fear that they would cut your breaks or something to get you back? I always worry about things like that. Then I'm nice to people who don't deserve it, and it makes me even madder.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Suzanne,
    Usually I am overly polite to people who are doing something I am paying them for - the old "fear of someone spitting in my soup" syndrome.
    But I lost my cool... maybe they did do something - we'll see.

    ReplyDelete

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