Hormonal Much?
I can actually laugh about this now, but on Saturday . . . well, let's just say that if anybody around me HAD laughed somebody would have died.
Saturday morning I woke up around 7:00 which pissed me off becuase I wanted to sleep in. Oh well . . . read a little and then got up to start the day. Filled my laundry basket and carried it down to the main level with me. Ate my breakfast and got the kitchen straightened up. Headed on down to the basement to start the laundry, which is where it all fell apart.
I loaded up the washer, put the powder and the softener in, closed both doors and checked the different buttons (colors, warm/cold, extra rinse etc.) Spun that little dial around that you're supposed to spin to select the cycle and pulled it out to start the machine. Instead of starting, the button pulled right off in my hand. Yup, right off. So, I put it back on gently and spin it around again, pull to start and . . . again, the button comes right off in my hand. I start slamming the machine (yuppers, that always helps!) and cursing. Finally get a pair of pliers to try and pull the little stick part out to try and get it to start - doesn't budge.
Okay . . . gotta solve this. I go and get the directions, find the serial number and the model number. Find the customer service number and call in. Explain the situation to guy number 1. He says "Oh, sounds like we're going to have to send someone out to fix that, hold on, I'll connect you." Get transferred and talk to guy number 2 (really a lady, but number 2 person at the company who knows what kind of machine I'm using). Explain the situation to her - she says the same thing. Then she goes in to the computer and explains that the machine is no longer under warrenty, that it will cost $150 just for someone to come and knock on my door. That it will cost extra for parts and labor and that on top of that $150 they also have to charge me for each 15 minutes that somebody is at my house with a minimum visit of 30 minutes. I'm near tears at this point and tell her I'll need to discuss this with my husband. She tries to schedule the appointment anyways and gets frustrated with me when I won't schedule anything without talking to Chris.
I call Chris and as soon as he picks up the phone, I start crying. He gets the story out of me and tries to reassure me that $150 isn't that much money and that we can afford it. But first, just explain the situation one more time. I explain that the knob you turn to select the cycle and then pull to start the machine just comes off in my hands.
Chris says, "Wait, let me get this straight . . . you turn the knob to select the cycle and then push the start button and nothing happens?" Oh crap. The start button. That's right, you don't pull the damn knob to start the machine, you push the frickin' start button. Sure enough, it works as soon as I push the button. Of course Chris then asks if I had thought to call him first and I start crying again as I try to tell him that I didn't want to bother him with something so trivial. Poor guy, got me settled down again.
Needless to say, I'm writing a letter to GE to inquire about their customer service practices. I was extremely clear in stating my difficulties and they each had the information on my washer on a screen in front of them. Neither person suggested that I push the start button but were both very eager to schedule me for service as soon as it was clear that I didn't have a warrenty.
Saturday morning I woke up around 7:00 which pissed me off becuase I wanted to sleep in. Oh well . . . read a little and then got up to start the day. Filled my laundry basket and carried it down to the main level with me. Ate my breakfast and got the kitchen straightened up. Headed on down to the basement to start the laundry, which is where it all fell apart.
I loaded up the washer, put the powder and the softener in, closed both doors and checked the different buttons (colors, warm/cold, extra rinse etc.) Spun that little dial around that you're supposed to spin to select the cycle and pulled it out to start the machine. Instead of starting, the button pulled right off in my hand. Yup, right off. So, I put it back on gently and spin it around again, pull to start and . . . again, the button comes right off in my hand. I start slamming the machine (yuppers, that always helps!) and cursing. Finally get a pair of pliers to try and pull the little stick part out to try and get it to start - doesn't budge.
Okay . . . gotta solve this. I go and get the directions, find the serial number and the model number. Find the customer service number and call in. Explain the situation to guy number 1. He says "Oh, sounds like we're going to have to send someone out to fix that, hold on, I'll connect you." Get transferred and talk to guy number 2 (really a lady, but number 2 person at the company who knows what kind of machine I'm using). Explain the situation to her - she says the same thing. Then she goes in to the computer and explains that the machine is no longer under warrenty, that it will cost $150 just for someone to come and knock on my door. That it will cost extra for parts and labor and that on top of that $150 they also have to charge me for each 15 minutes that somebody is at my house with a minimum visit of 30 minutes. I'm near tears at this point and tell her I'll need to discuss this with my husband. She tries to schedule the appointment anyways and gets frustrated with me when I won't schedule anything without talking to Chris.
I call Chris and as soon as he picks up the phone, I start crying. He gets the story out of me and tries to reassure me that $150 isn't that much money and that we can afford it. But first, just explain the situation one more time. I explain that the knob you turn to select the cycle and then pull to start the machine just comes off in my hands.
Chris says, "Wait, let me get this straight . . . you turn the knob to select the cycle and then push the start button and nothing happens?" Oh crap. The start button. That's right, you don't pull the damn knob to start the machine, you push the frickin' start button. Sure enough, it works as soon as I push the button. Of course Chris then asks if I had thought to call him first and I start crying again as I try to tell him that I didn't want to bother him with something so trivial. Poor guy, got me settled down again.
Needless to say, I'm writing a letter to GE to inquire about their customer service practices. I was extremely clear in stating my difficulties and they each had the information on my washer on a screen in front of them. Neither person suggested that I push the start button but were both very eager to schedule me for service as soon as it was clear that I didn't have a warrenty.