Putting the Cuss in Customer Service

Patience isn’t one of my virtues. But lately I seem to have more patience-testing trials than I know what to do with. Here’s Exhibit A.

 

My Nissan Pathfinder (a.k.a.“the money pit”) has always had only one key. I bought it used and after hours of negotiating over new tires, warranties, etcetera, the fact that the dealer had only one key was not a battle I wanted to fight. Of course I’ve always feared I’d lock myself out, and in the 5 years I’ve had the money pit, I’ve done so only once. Triple A rescued me quickly.

 

Well, in the last year, the key has been falling apart piece by piece. First, a chunk of black plastic that covered the microchip in the corner of the key broke off, leaving the little blue chip exposed. It made me nervous, but not nervous enough to shell out $170 for a new key.

 

The money-pit and I limped along with our chip hanging out for about a year. And then it happened. The key broke so it could no longer attach to a key ring. Frantic constant worry I’d lose the key soon ensued. When it fell from my pocket once in our street out front, I went from zero to crazy lady in about 3 seconds. And I stayed that way for 45 minutes it took me to find the key. Last week I went to the local Nissan dealer to get keys made. I figure if it’s my money or my life, I’m choosing life. 

 

We went early, before Carson’s play date at the park. The service rep told me it would take an hour to make 2 new keys and reprogram the old one. An hour with a get-me-to-the-park-play-date toddler and nowhere to go. We walked. I entertained as best I could. Even my best attempts to divert his attention at the nearby Home Depot (the only business open at that hour) were not enough. We ended up back in the dealer’s showroom where Carson colored the showroom plate glass windows with the free crayons they gave him. Hey, any shelter in a storm.

 

An hour and a half later, my keys were deemed ready, and I paid $302 to go on my way. We hurried to the play date, and then home for a later-than-warranted nap. In our driveway at home, I decided to test all three keys. (When they brought the money-pit around at the dealer, it was already running – and we were late for the park – so I didn’t think to test the keys then.) Two of the three keys worked. One new key and my old, broken down key. Suddenly the new key was a $300 key. And that’s not okay.

 

When I called the service manager back, he apologized and said I’d have to come back. They would reprogram the keys for me. (Oh goody, I can’t wait to spend another hour plus trying to keep Carson from coloring the sides of a shiny new Nissan Murano!) I told him I’d be there the next morning.

 

When we arrived, I asked if this would take more than an hour again today in the exasperated way only a teenager or toddler’s mother can ask. He assured me it wouldn’t. Off we went to the kids’ table in the showroom. Carson colored. And charmed the salespeople. I worked on article outlines and kept one eye on the boy. We paced by the service office to make sure they remembered we existed. I let Carson play with the vending machine buttons in their hallway. Still no luck.

 

Finally, 90 minutes later the service rep came and told me that one of the keys “dropped the encoding” after a few minutes, and must be a bad key. He had ordered two new blank keys from the warehouse in Baltimore and would call me when they arrived so I could come back and go through the reprogramming procedure AGAIN. Imagine my excitement. He handed me my old broken down key and I left. Let’s look at the scoreboard:

Nissan Dealer:	$302
Leading Mama:	-$302	and 4 hours time

 

And still, I’ve got nada. Zilch, zip, nothing. Same ol’ broken down key. Can you believe it? I couldn’t. The following morning my service manager called at 7:15. I say “my service manager” because at this point it feels like we’re dating. I see more of him than I see of my husband. Truly. He says the keys have arrived. I’m sure my response was not the giddy-with-excitement reaction he had expected. We went to the dealer that morning to visit our new keys and have them reprogrammed again. Happily, 45 minutes later he emerged with two new functioning keys and my old broken down one. I tested all three in the parking lot. They work. Hurray!

But I figure the cost of the entire transaction in money and time makes each new key worth approximately $275. That’s if I bill $50 per hour for the time I spent getting keys made. Two keys = $550.

 

Patience isn’t one of my virtues. Leading Mama’s time (like yours) is priceless.

 

Comments

[Chris]

Arrggh...I can relate! Customer service has absolutely dropped to an all time low.

Great article!