Customer Abuse Awards 2007

The purpose of this post is only to warn the unsuspecting public about dastardly business practices. Based upon my own experiences, here are my nominees for Customer Abuser of the Year 2007:

*3rd Runner-up--World Gym. They require that you give at least 30 days' notice to end your membership. When my daughter and I wanted to quit, we gave written notice more than 30 days early, and they gave us a date on which our membership would end. But they took money from my bank account for another month! When I complained, they refused to refund the cash, but after a big hassle they gave us 30-day passes which I only used three times, because I'm too busy to go--that's why I quit. That bothered us so much that my wife also quit the gym, but they also billed her for an extra month! Obviously it's an intentional way to squeeze one more month's money out of each member. I wonder how many get charged for an extra month without noticing.

*2nd Runner-up--Big O Tire. First, they had my car on the jack for more than an hour, just to install a new tire. Then, when I was finally notified that my car was ready, I stepped out of the store just in time to see their employee "peeling out" in my little Honda. When I complained via e-mail, phone call, and letter, I didn't get even as much as one apology. Lastly, the tire they installed developed a bubble after a few thousand miles and had to be replaced (by a reputable dealer).

*1st Runner-up--Arizona Federal Credit Union. As I was comparing terms of different institutions for my home refinance last September, I saw that AFCU guaranteed for their members that they would beat all other offers or give $500 cash. I didn't think they could beat the offer I had just received, so I carefully followed their instructions to qualify for the $500. I have sent a plethora of faxes, emails, and phone calls their way to prove that I qualify, yet they never even answer. Upon every inquiry, they say they'll get back to me, but never do.

*Winner, Customer Abuser of the Year: the post office. Notice I didn't say U. S. Postal Service--they don't provide sufficient service to qualify for that title. I don't merely write this as a customer, but also as an employee who regularly witnesses the customer abuse.
It's all about the money for the P. O. today. In a fanatical effort to save man-hours, they have prevented employees from providing the service that we once did. Phones ring fifteen times before they're answered. The front window regularly opens eight or ten minutes late. It's common to delay some first-class mail for weeks. They won't hire enough people to get the mail delivered by once-guaranteed 5pm, so we're out until as late as 9pm in some stations. And, because of managerial threats and pressure, we're moving so fast all of the time that we make more mistakes. Congratulations, P. O. You're 2007's big P. U.