Two Words...Four Syllables...Sounds Like "Sir-Kit Sit-ee"...

Warning: kinda bitchy rant ahead. If you're not up for that, skip to the last paragraph, where I shower you with loving sweetness. (But I'm ranting about everyone's favourite thing to rant about: corporations and customer service! Yay! Don't you want to hear another story about customer service?)

So for Christmas, I got Travis a Wii. Gasp! Alyson, don't let the cat out of the bag! Oh, no, but wait, fair reader: He knows about it. Why? Because I told him this morning when I got the news of when it would arrive.

The gift that I ordered on December 14th and that shipped on December 17th with a proposed arrival date of December 21st will be arriving by December....29th! Yes, December 29th, that happiest of holidays.

I. Was. So. Annoyed.

I called Travis, told him (rather unceremoniously, I'll admit, because I was upset) about his Wii and that I was so sorry (like he could give a crap - he was totally fine with it being late, but dammit how cool was this Christmas set up to be? I already got my present, so there's no sewing machine distraction, just a whole morning of spoiling Travis rotten, presenting him with a freakin' Wii and then playing it for hours on end).

I knew they'd peg it on me for going for the free shipping. Yeah, see, if there'd been a notification on the site of "Free Shipping Means You'll Get It After Christmas!" instead of "Free Shipping In Time For Christmas!" I'd have sprung for the speedier service. You know? Another 10-15 bucks, I'll find a way to manage.

I spent 45 minutes on the phone with the company just trying to get someone to say, "I'm sorry." Do you know that there's no one at Sir-Kit Sit-ee customer service (which is not in the US, by the way) who's AUTHORIZED to say "I'M SORRY"?? I got a reference number, and my complaint documented. I was like, "What does that get me?" Basically, it gets me documented. (Well, okay, I guess that'd be great if being documented was all I wanted for Christmas, but that's not the case, is it?) I said, "Okay, so who's going to apologize and make me feel better about you guys so I don't just go to Best Buy next time?" The response was a timid, "I'm not authorized to...." I was like, "WAIT. You're not authorized to say 'I'm sorry'???? What kind of bizarre fascist dictatorship are they running there?? What, do you not have free will? Can I not tell you the unfortunate circumstance in which I now find myself and have you say, 'I'm sorry to hear that'? Really?? Okay, well who's authorized to apologize?? Who can I talk to who has been given permission by the boss to say, 'It sucks and we wish there was something we could do?' What number do I call for that?? Why don't you give me THAT number??" (Poor dear thing, not like it's her fault, but I kind of just unloaded 20 minutes of being on hold and having the first CS rep put me back into the loop because she didn't feel like dealing with it and having to hold for another 20 minutes and having to explain the whole thing again to yet another rep after her refusal to send me straight to a supervisor and I was just really tired of feeling like these people, geographically speaking, were incapable of helping me to begin with, could really give a crap, and probably didn't even understand what I meant when I said that I had "bubkus" to put under the tree on Christmas.) So she told me she'd transfer me to a supervisor. Whereupon I was placed on hold for 15 minutes and finally hung up, apology-less and annoyed. (And certain I'd avoid Sir-Kit Sit-ee in the future.)

What makes me laugh (and feel like I'm in a Seinfeld episode) is that each time she'd place me on hold and come back, she'd say "I'd like to thank you for your patience and I'm sorry for the delay". I was like, "SERIOUSLY, all you have to do is replace "patience" with "purchase" and maybe throw a "very" in front of "sorry" and that's exactly what I want to hear!! If you can apologize for one delay, why not the other??" I'm sure they're trained to never admit fault or insinuate that they messed up. But it just cracked me up.

I do understand Christmas spirit. I know it's not about the gifts. I know people are MUCH less fortunate than we are on Christmas morning, and I'm grateful there can be gifts at all, not to mention all the love and joy and food and family with which I'll be surrounded. I can't wait for my vacation, to see my family and have a blessed and wonderful Christmas morning. I understand that's what it is really about.

I also understand customer service, and I know if I ordered something from any of the places I normally order goods from and I found myself in this sort of predicament (which would never happen because those places are too awesome,) the people I love to deal with would be unbelievably gracious and apologetic and sweet and make me remember why I love all the people I do business with on a regular basis. (Buy handmade! Buy small business! I really should take my own advice. Dear Loopy Ewe/Sweet Sheep/Yarn4Socks/Etsy: Please start carrying Wii. Love, Alyson)

And I can't help but feel a little like a turd that on our first Christmas morning as a married couple, he has spoiled me rotten and I'll be presenting him with a few DVDs, a book, and a pair of handknit socks (like there's any better present than that.) I know it's not like I didn't get him anything. And I was really really lucky to get a Wii at all near Christmas - hell, or ever - and I shouldn't be that worried about a delay, since my next shot at getting one would probably be in, maybe, August, but darnit I was let down and customer service is expected nonetheless!

In other news: Hemlock Ring continues to block aggressively (thank you for your kind words!), knitting continues fast and furious, or at least furious, and I made some quilted coasters last night. Heh. Yeah, wait til you see that. Heh heh. Sometimes I amaze even myself. (And that works both ways. In this situation, it's maybe not in such a favourable manner.)

We're traveling to North Carolina tomorrow morning to spend Christmas with my parents. I don't know how much posting capability I'll have over the next week - so in case I don't see you, please have a wonderful and delightful Christmas (or, if Christmas isn't your thing, have a wonderful and delightful Tuesday) and thank you for reading and for all the kindness and lovely blessings you've heaped upon me this year just by coming around to read and say hello. Love and smoochies!