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Healthy Happy Loving Life, Kebba Buckley Button, stress, Stress Management, The life you want, UpBeat Living
© Kebba Buckley Button, MS, OM. World Rights Reserved.
If you get tired of dealing with big companies for necessary services, you’ll like this story. This happened to me yesterday, and I won!
I have had an alarm system with Famous Company for over 9 years. My late husband had it installed after we had a break-in. The thief actually broke in through the kitchen windows, which start at my chest height. So how he broke the window and came in over a sinkload of dishes, I will never know. He unplugged the Huge TV and such and tried to take them out the back gate, into the Park. But the lock for the back gate is—intentionally—difficult. So he carried the electronics and their cords out the condo door and down the walkway to a turn in the walk that leads to a Park gate. Fortunately, a neighbor who knew we were out to dinner called us and asked if we meant to have some guy in our home, with all the lights on, moving around. We said NO! and called 911.
So when we got home, 5 police vehicles were in the driveway, and the thief had been placed in one of them. The police asked us to look at a neat stack of electronics down the walkway, where it turns, and tell them if any of those things were NOT ours. They were all ours. Some things in the house were broken and messed up, but the electronics were fine.
Naturally my husband decided we were getting an alarm system, and he wanted “the best”. So we engaged Famous Alarm Company. A few months ago, the system stopped working, and it was impossible to reach someone at FAC to solve the issues. So this week, though my locksmith friend, I found a smaller company to provide a similar service. That was the easy part.
The hard part was quitting Famous Alarm Company! I just wanted to get free of them.
- Rather than getting mired in their national phone system, I tried using the “Call Now” button for their closest store. At first, I thought I had hit a home run. The gracious rep said I could buy out my contract for $218.95. Worth it to end the relationship. Most divorce costs much more. But the gracious rep could not take my payment.
- So the gracious rep put me through to their “disconnect service” group, which was on their national (actually international) phone system. I could hardly understand “Tone”, a man with a heavy vaguely Hispanic accent. My locksmith friend, my new security guy, and I were all surmising where this call center might be.
- Tone was unable to get my contract payout to go through. During a pause, I asked him where his charming accent was from. HE SAID COSTA RICA. Several times, he politely asked if I could hold for a moment while he consulted a supervisor. He asked if I would mind if they put it through in 2 payments, one for $100 and one for 118.95. I said, no, I’m uncomfortable with that. Tone tried again, and I asked if he had a supervisor I could talk with. He sounded relieved!
- I was forwarded to a supervisor, “Marlin”, who spoke more clearly. Marlin said that actually I had been forwarded to the Tech Services Department and they were entirely unable to take payments. I asked if he could forward me to someone who could take payments.
- Marlin forwarded me to a voice, “Precious”, who was clearly a US person and who I swear sounded exactly like the first Gracious Rep I had spoken to. We were now at the 35-minute mark.
- I asked Precious if she could help me to buy out my contract by accepting payment of the $218.95. She said, graciously, actually no, I had nothing owing. WHAT? She said she saw a payment of $100 just made—remember Tone wanting to split the payment?—and that this reflected ZERO BALANCE on my account. My locksmith friend, my security system guy, and I all looked at each other with bug eyes. (Shhhhh! We all gestured to each other.) I’ll take it, Precious! I thanked her and wished her a great day.
The Little Guy won! So all that and almost an hour of my time was worth it! I stayed patient and gracious, and all the reps were gracious with me. I got out of the relationship with Huge Corporation for only $100 plus my time! Plus, I got to chat with Costa Rica. I’ve deleted their app, and I have a great new system with a personal rep. Life is good! Do you have similar stories?
Be patient and pleasant, and you may well get what you want, or better. And that will be you–ever more Healthy Happy and Loving Lifesm.
Kebba Buckley Button is a stress management expert, holistic healer, and award-winning author who celebrates life. She has a longtime natural healing practice and is an ordained minister. Among her books are: Discover The Secret Energized You (http://tinyurl.com/b44v3br), Inspirations for Peace Within: Quotes and Images to Uplift and Inspire, and Sacred Meditation: Embracing the Divine. The books are available on Amazon and through Kebba’s office. They are also available in Scottsdale, Arizona, at the Franciscan Renewal Center bookstore and at the bookstore at St. Barnabas on the Desert Episcopal Church. Or simply email us to order: kebba@kebba.com . Thank you!