With deepest regrets, this blog is turning into a place to vent my frustration regarding the complete lack of customer service in Canada. The Canadian marketplace is where apathy resides and incompetency rules.
Sears Canada is the latest retail outlet to disappoint us. Several weeks ago we decided to take advantage of their 'Black Friday' sale and purchase a new dishwasher. The price was amazing and we were also impressed by the top ratings kenmore dishwashers received in Consumer Reports. Their saleswoman was competent without being pushy, and after checking out the competition we decided to give our money to Sears.
Everything was great until we purchased the dishwasher and service from Sears Canada dropped off the cliff just like Wile E. Coyote. We were told it would not be in until after Christmas, then last week we were pleased to receive a phone call from the sales woman telling us that the dishwasher was coming in early and she would have someone call to set up an appointment for a technician to install. We received a call Thursday to set up an installation for December 19th (today) sometime after 12pm.
Happily I cleared the space underneath the kitchen sink for the technician and waited. And waited. Hubby came home early and when we had no sign from Sears he made the phone call. Someone at Sears told us that we were NOT scheduled for delivery/technician, AND that the dishwasher would not be in until December 24....WTF? Really? So, what was that phone call scheduling delivery last week all about? Hubby demanded an explanation, and of course they did not know what was going on and said they would phone back. When they did phone back the person said that someone would be phoning tonight to schedule an installation, but when Hubby asked to speak with the manager he was told that the manager had left for the day. Yeah, right.
Sears Canada reveals their incompetency by scheduling a delivery and not showing up. Their lack of concern by not phoning to inform us that the delivery was not going to happen is systematic of a general apathy that is prevalent within Canadian retail. They do not care about the customer.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Monday, October 17, 2011
Toaster Oven Baking
It seems that parts must be ordered for our LG oven, so we may not get it fixed for another week. Since one cannot live on microwave and barbecue cooking alone we caved and bought a toaster oven last weekend.
We did a bit of research on the internet and set out to buy a Cuisinart, but when we got to the big appliance store they had none in stock in any of their stores on the east coast. None. Hmmmm....we took this to be a bad omen for the Cuisinart, but on another shelf I fell in love with a Kitchenaid model. It is basic stainless steel with good old-fashioned dials for controls and Hubby and I agreed to make it ours.
Since yesterday I have been experimenting with baking in the toaster oven. I feel like a 1950s housewife baking cookies and squares in my newfangled appliance. On Sunday, Pillsbury chocolate chip cookies were baked using the broiler pan as a cookie sheet, but I must remember to turn the temperature down in the future to compensate for the black broiler pan. Luckily I enjoy crispy cookies. Earlier today I baked Seven-Layer Squares in a 9"x9" pan and they turned out a bit too brown, so I made a note on the recipe to turn the temperature down by 25F to compensate for the glass pan. Hmmmmm, or maybe the toaster oven runs hotter than normal.
Well, I am off to try baking apple crisp in the toaster oven. Here's hoping I don't burn it.
We did a bit of research on the internet and set out to buy a Cuisinart, but when we got to the big appliance store they had none in stock in any of their stores on the east coast. None. Hmmmm....we took this to be a bad omen for the Cuisinart, but on another shelf I fell in love with a Kitchenaid model. It is basic stainless steel with good old-fashioned dials for controls and Hubby and I agreed to make it ours.
Since yesterday I have been experimenting with baking in the toaster oven. I feel like a 1950s housewife baking cookies and squares in my newfangled appliance. On Sunday, Pillsbury chocolate chip cookies were baked using the broiler pan as a cookie sheet, but I must remember to turn the temperature down in the future to compensate for the black broiler pan. Luckily I enjoy crispy cookies. Earlier today I baked Seven-Layer Squares in a 9"x9" pan and they turned out a bit too brown, so I made a note on the recipe to turn the temperature down by 25F to compensate for the glass pan. Hmmmmm, or maybe the toaster oven runs hotter than normal.
Well, I am off to try baking apple crisp in the toaster oven. Here's hoping I don't burn it.
Friday, October 14, 2011
LG Appliances Suck!
A year since we bought our new LG oven and it is not working. We still can't get over the fact that the oven was delivered to our new home on October 4, 2010 and now we can't even turn it on. No roasts, no cookies, and no apple crisp. You forget how much you use a stove and oven until yours dies.
Hubby phoned the appliance store where we bought it last year and the woman was wonderful and phoned LG for us. She returned our call and told us that LG would honour the warranty and they would send a technician to look at the oven. Awesome. LG then contacted us and we were informed that a technician would be at our home sometime on Friday. That was Tuesday.
It is now Friday and the LG technician never showed up at our home. Hubby phoned LG before 9 a.m. to confirm that a technician would be fixing our oven today, and they confirmed but could not give us a specific time. Hubby, who was working at home today, got a call-waiting beep around 11 a.m. while on a conference call and noticed it was LG. He phoned back only to be told that the technician could not make it today. When Hubby mentioned that this was unacceptable and that they should send another technician, the rep at LG replied that there is only one technician for our metro area. Guess LG has no back up plan for a technician phoning in sick.
It's Friday and we have no working stove/oven until Monday. According to LG it is not an emergency. Customers are not important to LG, and apparently making great appliances is not high on their priority list either. Of course, this is just LG Canada, perhaps LG locations in other countries are more organized with better customer service because customer service is not a priority at LG Canada.
We will not be buying another LG product ever again, and we will be advising everyone we meet to not buy LG products. Such a huge disappointment.
Hubby phoned the appliance store where we bought it last year and the woman was wonderful and phoned LG for us. She returned our call and told us that LG would honour the warranty and they would send a technician to look at the oven. Awesome. LG then contacted us and we were informed that a technician would be at our home sometime on Friday. That was Tuesday.
It is now Friday and the LG technician never showed up at our home. Hubby phoned LG before 9 a.m. to confirm that a technician would be fixing our oven today, and they confirmed but could not give us a specific time. Hubby, who was working at home today, got a call-waiting beep around 11 a.m. while on a conference call and noticed it was LG. He phoned back only to be told that the technician could not make it today. When Hubby mentioned that this was unacceptable and that they should send another technician, the rep at LG replied that there is only one technician for our metro area. Guess LG has no back up plan for a technician phoning in sick.
It's Friday and we have no working stove/oven until Monday. According to LG it is not an emergency. Customers are not important to LG, and apparently making great appliances is not high on their priority list either. Of course, this is just LG Canada, perhaps LG locations in other countries are more organized with better customer service because customer service is not a priority at LG Canada.
We will not be buying another LG product ever again, and we will be advising everyone we meet to not buy LG products. Such a huge disappointment.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Sad Day
Three hours ago my Uncle Joe died. My Mother had left a message saying to phone her right away (which is never a good sign), and when I returned her call she told me that he had died. Her earlier message was to tell me that he was doing poorly while recovering in hospital from an operation yesterday. This was shocking because I had no idea he was scheduled for an operation. Sometimes my Mother forgets to tell me stuff.
Uncle Joe was a big part of my childhood. He and my late Aunt Mary lived in the village where I grew up and they always made a fuss over me. Their children were seven to ten years older than me (they were teenagers when I was in elementary school) and so I looked up to them. As a child I would sometimes walk to their home for a visit without telling my parents. I loved how they always made me feel special.
When my uncle and aunt moved to the city -- after their teenage daughter's death from cancer -- I took it personally as only a nine-year-old girl would. I was hurt that they moved away from me and slowly drifted out of my immediate life. As an adult I finally realized that they must have suffered a great deal of pain and sadness watching their daughter slowly suffer and die. They most likely wanted to escape the sad memories and start over in a new place.
Living in Texas and California the past five years meant that I didn't always see my uncle and his second wife that much. In fact, I cannot recall the exact date I last saw him, but I do remember the first thing he said to me as he walked into my parents' home: "How's my favourite niece?" and then he gave me a big hug. I feel awful that I did not see him in the time since we moved back to Canada.
Uncle Joe was a life-long Conservative supporter, and I can only assume he was happy on Monday to see our cousin re-elected as a Member of Parliament and the Conservatives getting a majority government. I imagine him smiling down from heaven with my aunt and cousin by his side.
Uncle Joe was a big part of my childhood. He and my late Aunt Mary lived in the village where I grew up and they always made a fuss over me. Their children were seven to ten years older than me (they were teenagers when I was in elementary school) and so I looked up to them. As a child I would sometimes walk to their home for a visit without telling my parents. I loved how they always made me feel special.
When my uncle and aunt moved to the city -- after their teenage daughter's death from cancer -- I took it personally as only a nine-year-old girl would. I was hurt that they moved away from me and slowly drifted out of my immediate life. As an adult I finally realized that they must have suffered a great deal of pain and sadness watching their daughter slowly suffer and die. They most likely wanted to escape the sad memories and start over in a new place.
Living in Texas and California the past five years meant that I didn't always see my uncle and his second wife that much. In fact, I cannot recall the exact date I last saw him, but I do remember the first thing he said to me as he walked into my parents' home: "How's my favourite niece?" and then he gave me a big hug. I feel awful that I did not see him in the time since we moved back to Canada.
Uncle Joe was a life-long Conservative supporter, and I can only assume he was happy on Monday to see our cousin re-elected as a Member of Parliament and the Conservatives getting a majority government. I imagine him smiling down from heaven with my aunt and cousin by his side.
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