The pressure washer we bought last year, that we used once to wash the deck, began sprouting water when we used it the first time this year. So we decided to call Honda, the maker of the engine, to see if there was something we could do to stop the eruption. We called the number in the instruction manual, of course we get the robot answering the line with the usual press two if you want Spanish, press three for ..... press four.... etc., after pressing the closest appropriate number an announcement comes on to say we won a two day cruise in the Bahamas. If we didn't want to take advantage of the free ride press such and such number, then the next recorded message is to make sure we do not want to take advantage of the trip we won press such and such number. After pressing the next number we get disconnected.
Next we call Troy Bilt, the brand pressure washer, and of course get the robot and have to hold for customer service. The person in customer service tells me to call so and so, a local 'gold' service rep who tell me to call another company that is handling the warranty on the item.
The fifteen year old car finally became so unpredictable we bit the bullet and decided to purchase a brand new car. After shopping around and pricing brands and models we started to go look at a few. We decided on the car we wanted. One dealer for Nissan told us we were close to making a deal. We wanted to know what would be the final cost, without a trade in of the old car. Three times we asked and no numbers were forthcoming. We get a call that the want us to go back to the dealer so they can test drive the old car. We call back and tell the salesperson that we would not be buying a car from them.
We find another Nissan dealer and make a deal to purchase a car. We have to wait a week to pick it up because we wanted to add a moon roof. They do not do that work but have to send it to another city. The week later when we arrive to pick up the car, we have to wait an hour for someone to sign the paperwork so we can drive the car off the lot.
The television picture sometimes keeps blinking. We have satellite service and a DVR to record programs we want to see later than when it is being played. For the first call in to a Directv rep we go through all the usual stuff, reset the receiver, check all connections, unplug and replug in receiver, the problem is fixed. Another call in for the same problem and we are told that the resolution on the DVR is wrong and should be changed but there is no way to make the change, but turning everything off fixes it again. The next call in for the same problem the rep tells us to unplug the tv, that the receiver and tv equipment are not compatible - again the problem is fixed. The blinking begins again and we call for a new DVR and are told we should probably have a service person to check everything out, and there would be a service call even though we do not own the DVR but lease it. There would be a fee for a new DVR. And if we pay five ninety nine for a service contract the house call will be covered. Since one of the other calls in for the same problem someone said a new DVR would not solve the problem and we are reaching the threshold of not worth spending any more money to watch reruns and the few sports programs, we opt to do nothing until we decide if we want to keep the service.
Accountability and the buck stops here are slogans that have gone by the wayside with integrity, the customer is always right, quality, and customer service. What this is causing, without anyone paying attention, is a breakdown in the consumer economy in America. There is no reason for anyone to buy something if they must be subjected to such abuse. It is the same as paying to be beaten up. There will be a further slow down in jobs because there will be no demand, the engine that runs America will reach a dead stop.
Corporations no longer are the economies of scale, the bigger is better to save cost and increase profits. There is no one responsible for the finished product. There is no quality control. And the corporations are now coming up with another smokescreen for the consumer, the satisfaction survey. They think we believe that they are paying attention to what we have to say. They don't answer their phones, why would we believe that.
Small business is attempting a come back, the mega shops call it the cottage industry, but the big corporations a trying to choke them out. First it was Walmart, moving into small towns in America forcing small businesses out of business because they could not compete with the product pricing of buying in bulk. Then the McDonald's starving local mom and pop eateries again for pricing. UnitedHealth Group is getting in their licks by offering cheap prescriptions through their mail order pharmacies killing local pharmacies. Monopolies will reign, there is no longer any competition for goods and services. The global economy has given the company store a new meaning. A shop like Walmart resembles the sweat shops of the twentieth century, and no one notices, because the goods are bought from another country and no one sees the squalor and poor working conditions. The blind eye to the financial bargain. The dog eat dog world.
Radical Islam has aggravated the situation, fostering insecurity and fear. But that is for another discussion.
Accountability is non existent. Much of American military activity is farmed out to consignment shops. Even the running of the government is not done by government employees but companies hired to do the job. Government employees were long believed to be slow to work, now the integrity and quality of the work is questionable and it is not being done by government employees.
The volunteer soldier is also being abused with extended tours of duty pressing their emotional well being to every test, more suicides among enlisted than ever and the numbers keep growing.
It is a free for all, if you know the expression, it is, everything is up for grabs, everyone is out for themselves grabbing all they can. The fear of the future has captured all by the throat, as the lunge their hands into the coffers, sweeping away every penny of workable cash from the American citizen. The few are stealing from the many.
Maybe this is a global consciousness - going on everywhere - a sign of the times - the new age of everything different but the same.
Twenty five million in America unemployed, infrastructure rotting, national debt unfunded.
And still we have millionaires and billionaires, the few who have it all. Seems like we are vaulting back to the dark ages of serfdom and there is probably nothing we can do about it but accept it. Too bad, it was nice while it lasted. And nothing lasts forever. Too bad it has to end this way. Too bad we didn't learn how to make it better. Take really good care of yourself.
Next we call Troy Bilt, the brand pressure washer, and of course get the robot and have to hold for customer service. The person in customer service tells me to call so and so, a local 'gold' service rep who tell me to call another company that is handling the warranty on the item.
The fifteen year old car finally became so unpredictable we bit the bullet and decided to purchase a brand new car. After shopping around and pricing brands and models we started to go look at a few. We decided on the car we wanted. One dealer for Nissan told us we were close to making a deal. We wanted to know what would be the final cost, without a trade in of the old car. Three times we asked and no numbers were forthcoming. We get a call that the want us to go back to the dealer so they can test drive the old car. We call back and tell the salesperson that we would not be buying a car from them.
We find another Nissan dealer and make a deal to purchase a car. We have to wait a week to pick it up because we wanted to add a moon roof. They do not do that work but have to send it to another city. The week later when we arrive to pick up the car, we have to wait an hour for someone to sign the paperwork so we can drive the car off the lot.
The television picture sometimes keeps blinking. We have satellite service and a DVR to record programs we want to see later than when it is being played. For the first call in to a Directv rep we go through all the usual stuff, reset the receiver, check all connections, unplug and replug in receiver, the problem is fixed. Another call in for the same problem and we are told that the resolution on the DVR is wrong and should be changed but there is no way to make the change, but turning everything off fixes it again. The next call in for the same problem the rep tells us to unplug the tv, that the receiver and tv equipment are not compatible - again the problem is fixed. The blinking begins again and we call for a new DVR and are told we should probably have a service person to check everything out, and there would be a service call even though we do not own the DVR but lease it. There would be a fee for a new DVR. And if we pay five ninety nine for a service contract the house call will be covered. Since one of the other calls in for the same problem someone said a new DVR would not solve the problem and we are reaching the threshold of not worth spending any more money to watch reruns and the few sports programs, we opt to do nothing until we decide if we want to keep the service.
Accountability and the buck stops here are slogans that have gone by the wayside with integrity, the customer is always right, quality, and customer service. What this is causing, without anyone paying attention, is a breakdown in the consumer economy in America. There is no reason for anyone to buy something if they must be subjected to such abuse. It is the same as paying to be beaten up. There will be a further slow down in jobs because there will be no demand, the engine that runs America will reach a dead stop.
Corporations no longer are the economies of scale, the bigger is better to save cost and increase profits. There is no one responsible for the finished product. There is no quality control. And the corporations are now coming up with another smokescreen for the consumer, the satisfaction survey. They think we believe that they are paying attention to what we have to say. They don't answer their phones, why would we believe that.
Small business is attempting a come back, the mega shops call it the cottage industry, but the big corporations a trying to choke them out. First it was Walmart, moving into small towns in America forcing small businesses out of business because they could not compete with the product pricing of buying in bulk. Then the McDonald's starving local mom and pop eateries again for pricing. UnitedHealth Group is getting in their licks by offering cheap prescriptions through their mail order pharmacies killing local pharmacies. Monopolies will reign, there is no longer any competition for goods and services. The global economy has given the company store a new meaning. A shop like Walmart resembles the sweat shops of the twentieth century, and no one notices, because the goods are bought from another country and no one sees the squalor and poor working conditions. The blind eye to the financial bargain. The dog eat dog world.
Radical Islam has aggravated the situation, fostering insecurity and fear. But that is for another discussion.
Accountability is non existent. Much of American military activity is farmed out to consignment shops. Even the running of the government is not done by government employees but companies hired to do the job. Government employees were long believed to be slow to work, now the integrity and quality of the work is questionable and it is not being done by government employees.
The volunteer soldier is also being abused with extended tours of duty pressing their emotional well being to every test, more suicides among enlisted than ever and the numbers keep growing.
It is a free for all, if you know the expression, it is, everything is up for grabs, everyone is out for themselves grabbing all they can. The fear of the future has captured all by the throat, as the lunge their hands into the coffers, sweeping away every penny of workable cash from the American citizen. The few are stealing from the many.
Maybe this is a global consciousness - going on everywhere - a sign of the times - the new age of everything different but the same.
Twenty five million in America unemployed, infrastructure rotting, national debt unfunded.
And still we have millionaires and billionaires, the few who have it all. Seems like we are vaulting back to the dark ages of serfdom and there is probably nothing we can do about it but accept it. Too bad, it was nice while it lasted. And nothing lasts forever. Too bad it has to end this way. Too bad we didn't learn how to make it better. Take really good care of yourself.
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