…with a smile. 

As part of my new campaign to remember to relax more I took myself out to breakfast yesterday before going to see my mother who hasn’t been well.  Maybe it was because I was apparently the first customer of the day, or maybe it was because I had my sketchbook and camera out (and the staff thought I was a restaurant reviewer) or maybe it’s just the way things are there, but I was treated wonderfully.  Attentive (but not intrusive) service made all the better by a wonderful contraption on the table.  Press one button and a smiling waitress appears to take the order, press another and the bill it quietly slipped on the table.  I left stomach filled, happy and determined to pass the word on about this wonderful new place to eat.

All so very different from an ongoing saga with Apple.  Apparently the disks that arrived with my new Powerbook are faulty or incomplete.  I phoned their technical support over three weeks ago and after leaving me on hold for nearly an hour before telling me they couldn’t help, put me through to customer support.  They didn’t answer, instead transferring me to an answer-phone and asking me to leave a message if I wanted to be called back.  I did.  They didn’t.  Numerous emails later I’m left frustrated and disillusioned.  No one has once uttered the magic word "sorry" and I still have no replacement disks.  In fact until today when I was phoned by someone, who to be fair was very helpful (if not apologetic), no one has even admitted that I should have new disks.

Now, I wonder which of the above experiences of customer service would have me rushing to say good things and throwing more of my hard earned cash in their direction…

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