Slamming Lenscrafters

A couple of weeks ago I went to the local Lenscrafters and went through the process of getting an exam and purchasing glasses. Never again will I try that. Their service quality was great when it came to helping me find frames while my eyes were dilated. It was fine throughout the process. What was not fine was the quality of the glasses. I put them on and immediately vision was impaired greater than without them. This is supposed to have the opposite effect. I was seeing a halo image around everything. I told the woman helping me and she at first took them back into their lab returning with a statement similar to this: The technician said they are correct and you may need to upgrade to a different lens with anti-reflective coatings.

Needless to say this did not sit too well for me. I said I was not upgrading to anything and they needed to make them right. A couple more trips back and forth to the lab resulted in a big nothing. At this point I was wanting my money ($186) back and said I would come back the next day to see the manager. Then she had the nerve to ask if I was going to take them home that night. I said no they can stay right here. No way was I taking them out of the store.

Well to their credit, my refund was handled in a timely manner. The manager wanted to re-measure the pupilary distance again and found that it was 2mm off. They measured the first time with their proprietary measuring device. The re-measure was done with the hand-held device everyone uses. I am glad about this too since I did order my glasses online later that night.

So I am slamming Lenscrafters for sloppy service when it comes to production of glasses. They could have done better.

The Blog of Helios: Pop....Thump Thump - Oh Cr*p

The Blog of Helios: Pop....Thump Thump - Oh Cr*p

This is certainly something I continually rave about. The Helios Project now Reglue has always been one of my favorite causes. It is in a nutshell all about the kids they help and they do it very well.

Today Ken is asking for help in grant writing. This is definitely not a strong point of mine but perhaps someone browsing this blog might be able to lend some time. This is a non-profit organization dedicated to getting computers in the hands of the Austin, Texas and surrounding area children and teens that would otherwise not be able to afford them. This is a project worthy of helping. Browse their blog and within you will find many wonderful deeds and pictures of the smiling faces that say it all.

If this is something you can lend a hand with please extend it to Ken at Reglue through their blog.

Big rave for all that they do everyday.

Quick Rave For Linux Mint

If you know me you know I love Linux more than I do Windows. For those who do not know what Linux is I will explain. Linux is an operating system for a computer just like Windows or Mac OSX. It is what you run everything on top of. Linux Mint is a version of Linux of which there are many.

This rave goes out to the team for Linux Mint. They continually put out such a quality product time after time. I really love not having to worry about the inner workings of my laptop and can focus on enjoying it. I just purchased a new Lenovo and you can read what I did to Windows here. Microsoft will not be getting a rave from me for Windows 8 anytime soon. :)

I think there are many Linux distributions that could earn the same praise but I have been a Mint user for a few years now and have not looked back. Thank you Clement Lefebvre and your whole team for the dedication to perfection and the end users.

Fry's Electronics Gets Rave

We bought one of our sons a laptop for his birthday. It was a Lenovo and we felt like it was a good deal. He loved it of course and it has been trouble free so far. But this is a story of how Fry's Electronics gets my vote for outstanding customer service.

Laptop clipart
from Clker.com

Several days later I was scanning their ads when I noticed the same laptop on sale. Well I had heard they had a policy for buyers who found a better price so I went to work researching it. Sure enough they did. On laptops you had 15 days to claim the difference in an advertised price. I thought cool and was about to go straight there only one problem. I could not find the receipt.

On day 12 after the purchase I decided to go anyway sans receipt. I walked in and waited my turn in the customer service line, mostly for returns, until it was my turn. A pleasant young gal was helping me and I was next in line from a real asshole type who was totally abusing her and everyone else. She could have met me coldly but she did not. She was pleasant as I stated earlier.

I started by saying I could not find my receipt and that I needed it for a rebate. Which I did by the way. She informed me after looking up the transaction and writing down the transaction number and an 800 number, that she could not print the receipt but this number could help me with that. Great I told her.

Now I also noticed the laptop on sale here for less money. Without saying a word or batting an eye she looked up the current price and looked at me asking if I wanted it returned to the card or cash. No fuss no arguing just service. I liked that and Fry's Electronics gets my rave.

Rave for Honesty

Last Sunday as Donna left work at the airport, she lost her phone. She tried all the usual places for lost and found, re-traced her steps and still nothing. At about 1:30 PM I received a call from her phone and I didn't get to it in time so naturally I called back only to get voice mail. At the time I didn't think much of it since it was slightly past her usual time to get home and I was guessing she was close.

Well she was but without her phone. Of course I called our service provider Verizon and temporarily suspended service. All of our current contracts are fairly new so this could have been expensive.

Around 9:30 PM I received another call and someone on the other line said is this bear? (my nickname) I said yes it is. The woman on the other end said we found Donna's phone. Can you pick it up? Of course I said sure but then they gave me the address to meet and 67th Avenue and Van Buren was a bit far to go after 9:30 PM from Chandler.

We arranged to meet her mother at 6:00 PM at a Burger King on the corner. She arrived and handed me the phone and all I could say to her was gracias, mucho gracias over and over. I pressed $20 in her palm and she tried to give it back but I insisted. Honesty should be rewarded and I pointed to her grandchildren in the back seat and said take them for pizza. She smiled and we parted ways.

It truly feels good to know some people are willing to go an extra mile to return something as important now a days as a cell phone. So here is a big rave for an honest grandma and her daughter.

Mucho gracias!

Big Slam to Best Buy or is it Now 'Try to Buy?'

Last night my son's went in search of a gift at Best Buy. They had done their research online and the company's website showed what they wanted to buy was "available at the store." Immediately upon walking into the store they were greeted not with, "Can I help you?" But rather "Do you use cable or satellite?" Of course they told the person what they wanted, a Kindle and they were not directed to the location in the store but besieged with more questions of their viewing habits.

I don't think this is the way to treat a customer who is clearly intending on spending cash at the store right now. But wait there's more!

Upon finding the area of the store where the Kindles were, right opposite the TVs, they informed a sales person in this section of what they wanted. He didn't know anything about Kindles and tried to up sale them to something else. But my sons persisted and he went to ask someone else only to return and treated them again as if it was the first time he saw them. He left once more and never returned to help them but did help another victim. But wait there's more!

Frustrated they tried to get help from the TV salesperson who declined to help but said he would get someone in that department. Thirty minutes later they left without a Kindle.

Do you think this is an isolated incident? I don't think so. Read this from Forbes on why this writer thinks Best Buy will be out of business sooner rather than later.

So I am slamming Best Buy and declaring them 'Try to Buy'. Try to Buy had a willing customer in the brick and mortar store, their most costly venue for retail products, in the store cash and desire to leave with a Kindle in hand and let them leave with nothing but a bad taste to return ever. The sale by the way did go through and the winner this time was Amazon.com. Go figure!

Slam Best Buy and I declare their new name to be 'Try to Buy'.

 ******************************************************************************

Side note unrelated: I like the free use graphics from Clker.com. Try them out and support them via their ads etc. There are nice graphics here and an amazing selection. Rave to Clker.com.

Rave For History Buffs - Hyperlinked History - A Multifaceted Journey Through Time

I'm giving a shout out for Dan Messer's new book,

Hyperlinked History - A Multifaceted Journey Through Time

I have yet to read it but I don't yet own an eReader and Amazon has not released a Linux version yet. But I have seen some of his videos he has shot in the same genre and they are quite good and interesting. Dan Messer is quite the creative man. He is the catalyst behind several blogs and a podcast from the library he works in.

Here is a non-inclusive lists of sites and stuff Dan is involved in or the creator of its entirety.

Scoop It - Public Library Circulation

Not All Bits

Hyperlinked History - the video versions

Podcasting | Book Talk

Friends of the Queen Creek Library

And this is just the tip of the iceberg for this talented man. Dan is creative in everything he does, music, writing, art or simply helping people find what they need in the Library. He truly loves what he does for a living a what he packs into the rest of his life.

Take a chance and buy the ebook. I know I will even if I have to read it in Windows. :)

Rave Chandler Regional Medical Center OR Staff

Recently I underwent a surgery for a hernia. It was scheduled for 10:30 AM on Feb. 29th at Chandler Regional Medical Center. Well sometimes things happen that push schedules askew. As in my case, my room for the surgery was booked but taken because of availability for an emergency. Such is life I thought as it happened. My Doctor, Dr. Bodzin, really great also, came by to tell me the news personally at about 10:15 AM. He offered me the chance to come back or stay for the surgery. I opted to stay. After all I had been there since 8:00 AM and fully prepped since about 9:30 AM and I might as well get it over with since all the preparations had been made.

Dr. Bodzin left and was actually assisting in the emergency surgery so I lay there watching others getting wheeled into their OR room for about 5 hours. Yes I was on the table for 5 hours before the surgery actually took place. This is why the rave for the OR staff at Chandler Regional Medical Center. The folks that took care of me were kind and gracious from the very beginning. One of them was even there when I awoke in post-op. She had a wonderful smile and I knew I was okay. Lisa even wheeled me out to the car later.

Before surgery Josh, who prepped me at the beginning, walked by once and offered Donna and I a beer while we waited. He was full of funny jokes even if they were not directed to me. Of course this was just a joke too as no beer was allowed in the pre-op.

Finally about 1:45 PM the anesthesiologist came by and Dr. Bodzin a minute later. I knew then the time was close. A nurse followed a few minutes later and wheeled me into the OR leaving pre-op with the nurses station cheering and waving me on. I can remember her saying "2 o'clock on the nose" as we entered the room. I switched tables and saw the team moving about. A couple of small talk jokes later and I was out.

This Rave goes out to the entire staff of Chandler Regional Medical Center OR staff. I can't remember all the names but everyone there made my stay and surgery a success. From downstairs to upstairs, on the OR floor, the check in window and all the nurses and techs, I can't thank them enough.

I also have to thank my wonderful wife Donna who stayed with me through the entire morning. She was more worried than me and I think the staff's attentiveness to me helped ease her mind also. 

Slam - 4myrebate.com

Rebates are a big reason many of us make purchasing decisions. We all want the best price for our dollar. When someone advertises a rebate, they should follow through if the customer has made all of the right choices in all the hoops they are presented.

Last Christmas I purchased a power supply for my son form NewEgg. They are a fine online retailer and I have no arguments with them. It is the rebate site 4myrebate.com that I have an issue with. In this case they offer a 5-7 days processing and the text leads one to believe they will have their rebate very quick. Of course this extra process is $3.00 for a service fee charge. I agreed as you can see in this screen capture of the original documents: (I should mention this is the only thing I liked about 4myrebate.com)

 

As is plainly visible I elected the Amex Reward Card and accepted the $3.00 service charge. Well I did not receive an Amex Reward Card but a check for $27.00 and it took a month to get it. See next screen capture:

 

Somehow it went from the Amex Rewards Card to a check. How did this happen as you can see in the first image I selected the card. And it took a month to get the rebate check. So I was dinged $3.00 for fast service, didn't happen, dinged $3.00 for a card, didn't happen and it took a month. Not what I call great service.

Well the story doesn't end there as a second purchase I made from NewEgg also involved a rebate handled by, you guessed it, 4myrebate.com. See the screen capture for this one:

 

Unlike the first case this one was handled in a decent fashion and I received inside a month an Amex Rewards Card for $27.00. The big thing I am griping about here is their claim for 5-7 days for processing. I can hardly believe it took ten days to arrive and once it is claimed to have arrived they do process in 5-7 days as they say. In this case it was six days. But it still took nearly 4 weeks to arrive and the verbiage on their website leads you to think that for $3.00 you will be holding your rebate in about a week. After all it was entered and the process started on the web.

Well for the future I will just wait for the checks since it takes about the same amount of time. Slam goes out to 4myrebate.com for not following through completely on their advertised agreement.

Gary's Automotive - Rave for Great Service

Gary's Automotive

These days it is extremely difficult in my opinion to find a business that will service your car and not just your wallet. Gary's Automotive does just that and does it great. We have had both cars serviced here and each time they are done correctly and with terrific customer service. Gary and his team listen to your concerns about your car and then go to work for you. I have been extremley impressed each and everytime I visit. I feel like I am walking into a friend's garage instead of a business. Now that doesn't mean things are not run like a business because it is. But you will find the work is done for a more than fair price from someone who cares about your business coming back.

We will be coming back since I know that I will be treated honestly and fairly. Gary really wants the best for his customers both in the quality of the work and saving you money if possible on the repairs.

Raves all around for Gary's Automotive in Chandler Az.