Each Day Already is a Challenge

Really? Is it true?

Some things just don't seem right, you know? But if you read them in print or see them on the news you have to wonder.

For instance, I have heard for years that folks in Europe don't attend church as much as folks in the U.S. But I have never done any real research on that.

This morning, in my News With Views email, one of the articles said of European churches: "The churches are for the most part state supported and sanctioned. They have been secularized and made obedient to the state. Strict adherence to Biblical principles invites state censure and may subject both disobedient pastors and lay people to fines and incarceration." Really? Is that true? Here's the link to the whole article. It speaks of George W. Bush's membership in the Order of the Skull and Bones and that Bush serves them and not the people of the U.S. My son just watched a documentary about that. http://www.newswithviews.com/Schwiesow/jim27.htm

This morning on Good Morning America, they said that Sprint/Nextel has fired over 1,000 customers for complaining too much. GMA read a copy of the letter sent out to the customers they fired. It seems that they complained and Sprint/Nextel thought it best to cancel their service. Really? I wonder how many calls to customer service is too many? Will they tell new customers in advance that if they call too many times they might be dumped? Will they give them a warning before dumping them? "Dear Customer: You are coming close to the lifetime number of calls to customer service that our company allows."

My sister has been dealing with AOL problems ever since my parents first went to live with her. She originally set up my mother's AOL account and knows her password, but Karen was honest when she contacted AOL to cancel mom's account. She provided copies of the court order giving her complete control of my mother - her money and her health issues. AOL customer service said they didn't "recognize" that form and insisted that my mother needed to fill out their form. Really? AOL doesn't recognize a legal document that gives my sister complete control over my mother's health and welfare? AOL continued taking payments from my mother's checking account until my sister canceled it. Then they started sending collection notices to my sister's house. They're still trying to get money from my sister. Amazing.

I was reminded of this because GMA also showed a segment where a fellow argued with a customer service agent from AOL who refused to just cancel his account, which was what he wanted. The taped call was part of GMA's segment on customer service today. (That fellow was fired, supposedly.)

I remember when the saying was, "The customer is always right." That's surely not the case anymore.

A few months ago, I heard part of a conversation at a store's customer service desk. A young woman was trying to return a few wedding gifts. The company - one of our large discount retailers - has a new policy that no items may ever be returned without a receipt. The customer service person explained that and also said that the buyer(s) should have asked for a gift receipt. The newlywed explained that the gifts were from her grandmother and a great-aunt and they probably didn't even know there was such a thing as a gift receipt. She thought the sales clerk should have offered gift receipts to them, since both most likely made conversation (as the elderly tend to do) about the up-coming wedding. The customer service rep insisted that it's not a cashier's job to offer a gift receipt; it's the customer's job to remember to do so.

As I walked away, I realized what a different world it has become. The customer is not only NOT ALWAYS RIGHT, but is deemed MOST OFTEN WRONG.