by Mark Laughlin

The movers had just unloaded our last box off the truck from our 1000-mile move out West.  Now it was time to get a few basics in place for our new home.

Since we knew our new home only had electric service, we didn’t take our gas dryer with us.  We cruised into town the following day and stopped at a large national department store chain to look over the dryer options.  We were new to town and felt safe dealing with a national company.

The model we wanted wasn’t in stock but the salesperson gave us the next model up for the same price.  This saved us about $50.  We were told delivery was free but I needed to purchase an installation kit for $20.  The kit included a vent hose, some clamps and a three-prong electric plug. 

The salesman told us they could deliver the next day.  That doesn’t sound so bad, does it?  We had piles of blankets, comforters and towels to wash and dry.  We needed a dryer!  The salesman then called the delivery company to confirm the delivery date.  They informed him they couldn’t deliver until the following Tuesday.  I reluctantly resigned myself to the delay and said, “What the heck, that’s fine”.  I was told the delivery service would call the day before and give me a time window for delivery.  We left the store happy and confident with our decision.

Dirty laundry was piled in a mountainous heap.  We had to start washing it.  So my poor wife took on her “Laura Ingles” roll, hanging laundry on the line in the back to dry.  The delivery service called while were out and left a message on our machine.  The message informed us that we were out of the normal delivery area and there would be a “special” delivery charge.  And the dryer couldn’t be delivered until Friday!

I was upset.  When we were buying the dryer I told the salesman that we lived twelve miles outside of town.  There was never any discussion of “special” delivery charges.  Friday afternoon came around, and we still had no dryer.  I called the department store’s appliance number and was transferred to the main office.  Someone took down my vital information and promised to get back to me.  No one ever did.

By Saturday morning, I was fuming.  I purchased the dryer on my credit card, so I went online to the credit card company to protest the charge.  Then I called the department store to cancel the order.  Again I ended up getting transferred back to the main office.  The phone rang thirty times before I hung up. 

I called back on the general information line and insisted that they take my information down instead of sending me into “phone transfer hell”.  They looked my order up on the computer and informed me that my dryer was going to be delivered next Wednesday.  I immediately thought, “Oh, I can’t wait to tell Laura”.  The mountain of clothes was becoming Devil’s Tower.  I canceled the order.

One of my new neighbors had told me earlier about a small family owned appliance business in town.  We got in the car right after I hung up and drove over.  We were met with a knowledgeable and friendly salesperson.  I later found out our salesman was one of the owners. 

“Laura” gleefully got an upscale model for the same price we were going to pay at the department store.  I explained that we lived twelve miles outside of town.  The owner said, “That’s local, there’s no charge for delivery.  Is it okay if we deliver it Monday morning?”  I was elated and so was “Laura”.  I was also told the installation kit was included in the price.  I left a happy camper.

Monday morning rolled around.  The delivery truck pulled into my driveway right on schedule.  One of the delivery gents was my salesperson/owner from Saturday.  Zip, zap, zoom; it was inside the house drying a load of clothes.  The owner fully explained all of the dryer’s features to us.  He even pulled out the warranty card for me to fill out.  Then they picked up all the packaging material and left.  Two days later we got a beautiful hand signed “Thank You” card in the mail.

Customer service is a wonderful experience, when you get to actually experience it.  The smaller company’s (David’s) product was priced $60 less for a better model.  We got on time delivery and someone I could trust for in-home repairs, based on their reputation and professionalism. 

The department store (Goliath) was so disorganized internally.  I knew in my heart that the delivery service would be calling me on Tuesday to schedule the delivery of the dryer that I cancelled last Saturday. 

Did they?  Yep, and when they told me the delivery company’s name was “On Time Delivery”, I burst into laughter.  “Laura” had been happily drying clothes for two full days already and had made a serious dent in the mountain.

Goliath just doesn’t get it!