Has anyone else noticed how manufacturers and businesses have adopted the old Mafia business methods of forcing people to “buy protection” for their products? I have. I recently bought a small Frigadaire refrigerator for my office. It holds mostly cans of Slimfast and a package of cheese, another of baloney and ice water and stuff for making sandwiches. The freezer compartment is awesome and overall I love it! But I get glue on my hands every time I open it. Someone at the factory didn’t put in the plug at the bottom of the freezer door that keeps the glue or insulation or whatever from leaking out. See photo - it’s the tan stuff on the black door. Lowes, where I bought the thing, can’t do anything because I didn’t buy the extended warranty. Huh? It’s not even a month old! I’ve emailed Frigadaire. I tried calling, but even though they say they have 24-hour customer service, what they’re referring to is a phone answering machine that directs you to the internet, or to a recording that lists the dealers and service centers in your area. Not helpful. This is where the Mafia moves comes in. First you’re greeted by “friendly” salespeople who sell you anything and promise you anything. Once money changes hands they don’t want to see you unless you want to spend more money. And if you’re unhappy with what you bought? Then you’d have better paid your protection money. Manufacturers DON’T stand by their product anymore. They just don’t. You can’t depend on quality, you have to depend on “extended warranties” - which is like protection money. A new product should not fail in the first year. But they do. And whether you’ve bought protection or not, you’re outta luck. If you bought the warranty, it’s no good. They never honor them, or you have to jump through so many hoops to get them to honor them you could have bought a new product with the time you wasted. So I never buy them. I just buy another whatever.

I know this is true because I used to work at a major company who rarely honored the warranties they sold - or if the customer screamed loudly enough would refer them to the manufacturer who would then deny the warranty because THEY hadn’t sold it, the company did. They hoped that the catch-22 and the mindless aggravation and effort would deter all but those most likely to sue their sorry butts. And it worked. Most people gave up and walked away.

What the companies didn’t take into account was the unhappy customer telling all their friends about the lousy customer service and how extended warranties were a waste of money and so on. Well, they are. The ONLY warranty I would advise anyone buy is the Apple Care Warranty because I guarantee you WILL need it. Your Apple product WILL - at some point in the first three years, need repairs. GUARANTEED. I called Apple more than 40 times in the three years I had my MacBook. They replaced two batteries, two power cords, three hard drives and mucked up the optical drive. Thank you Steve Jobs. The cost of replacing the MacBook would have been $1,200. The cost of repairs exceeded $3,000. Now THERE’S a business model!! Not only did they re-enforce in me that Apple doesn’t really care about customers, they created a lifelong recording of someone who shares their “I hate Mac” story every time I get a chance.

But I digress. Customer Service is about well, giving good service to your customers. I’ve been there. I’ve done it and I did a good job. You take care of one person at a time. You treat people as though you were the person with the problem. What could you do to make them happy and keep them happy with your product? All I want is the tab to this freezer door. I don’t want or need a “service repair facility” to charge me $100 an hour, or half the cost of the fridge, to stick a tab in the door. I just want the tab. It’s a plastic piece worth maybe .05 cents. The stamp to mail it will cost .45 and the envelope and handling, maybe another $12. But for less than $15 they’ll keep me happy. I’m hoping that Frigadaire will get my email and help me - but I’m doubtful. If you call someone who offers round the clock customer service and get a recording and a referral to a website? Major signs you’re already screwed…..sigh. I guess I’ll have to make my own tab. Thanks Frigadaire. When the time comes to spend $2,500 on a new appliance I’ll remember this!