Done and Done

Woke up Wednesday to a nonfunctioning laptop.

Guess the laptop’s feelings were hurt when I blogged a day or so previously that I didn’t much care for it.

Actually though, when I logged out the night before, Windows did its automatic update thing. Next morning, the laptop would not boot up.

Good job with those updates Windows People.

Off I went to the Big Box store, arriving at 9:30 to see if they could get the laptop working.

Too early.

Too anxious.

Big Box wasn’t to open until 10, so I drove around looking for a Starbucks in vain because the GPS kept leading me in loops and once to a dead end street.

Arriving back at Big Box 10:00 sharp – coffee less, I get in line for Nerd Support and got scheduled an 11:00 appointment – a one hour wait.

That’s new.

Use to be you got in line, walked up to a Nerd in a row of Nerds when called; the Nerd fixed the issue on-the-spot or logged the laptop in for service, two/three days later you got a call to pick up.

Quick, fast, organized.

Did not like this new procedure, and I wasn’t the only customer to voice dislike.

At any rate, 11:00 came and went. Just when I was considering walking out, I was called up to the one Nerd girl manning the Service side. (There were two manning the Return side).

Big Box is beginning to look a lot like Circuit City did just before it went under.

The Nerd girl typed in my laptop problem, logged the laptop in for service, said I’ll get a call to pick up in 2/3 days.

WHAT?!

I waited 1-1/2 hours for a 5-minute check-in?

Makes no sense, and I said so.

During the hour and a half of waiting, I did look at other computers. Didn’t see anything I liked and – with the new appointment procedure to check-in, I wouldn’t buy another from Big Box. In fact, I saw that even folks purchasing new puters weren’t able to check them in for the usual setup. They were told they too would have to wait hours for an appointment.

Returning to the complex with a headache, feeling aggravated and pretty well done with poor customer service, having already decided to bypass the next day's Residents’/Management meeting in lieu of going directly to Corporate Boss Lady -- because Head Maintenance Guy was just gonna make excuses in the meeting and lie anyway, I asked the residents who are generally on top of things if any of them had Corporate Boss Lady’s email address – (Before the laptop became inoperable, I’d researched the company’s website but did not find her contact info).

No one had it so I had to show my cards ... I texted Community Manager asking if she could provide that info.

I didn’t say why I was asking, but obviously she had an inkling the manure was about to hit the fan because I could feel her panic coming through the air.

She did not reply. However, less than an hour later, Head Maintenance Guy knocked on my door to say an A/C Guy from a company other than the company originally contacted would be here the following day.

So that was my Wednesday.

On Thursday, an A/C technician arrived at 12 noon. Twenty minutes later, the A/C was operating – no parts necessary.

The A/C Guy said he didn’t know why Maintenance Guy didn’t call him in the first place, as he does repairs for the company and wasn’t going to charge near as much as the outside company that said the entire unit had to be replaced -- when it didn’t. I said it was because Maintenance Guy wasn’t the motivated type and didn’t get motivated until he realized I was about to involve his boss at Corporate.

This obviously not being A/C Guy’s first rodeo with Maintenance Guy, he nodded agreement with the description of his being “unmotivated” and began to laugh, and laughed even harder as he said, “He’s afraid of you now. He was too afraid to escort me up here. He asked T____ (our other Maintenance Guy) if he’d do it”.

That’s hilarious, but more likely, rather than afraid, he's too ashamed for jacking me around to face me.

“Well, tell him don’t be too afraid to come get his portable A/C’s”, said I.

Enjoying the intrigue, A/C Guy was still laughing when he said, “I’ll tell him, but he’ll probably send T___ by himself”.

Then there’s Equifax.

Last two years I requested an annual, they denied me online because some of their data did not match my reality. Instead, I was sent a form request to fill out in order to prove I am who I say I am. But then they have no problem putting me in jeopardy with this breach – essentially giving data away to not me.

Lastly, the laptop is still in the shop.

So how are you posting you ask?

After a 19 day wait for A/C repair and an hour and a half wait to check the laptop into Big Box, I’m done with waiting. After A/C Guy left, I headed to Costco and picked up a new laptop. It’s a brand that has an iffy reputation, but I like it -- and I like it way better than the HP. Besides, no computer is ever going to last as long or live up to that Sony Vaio.

I was thinking of giving the HP to Grandbaby, but have since learned my flash drives do not fit this new laptop.

Why does everything have to be so complicated?

Looks like I’ll have to make room on my station for two laptops. At least when one is in the shop, I’ll have the other to work with.