Customer service?

So,the girl needed a new manual wheelchair.

One that is light and easy to maneuver for her, so those arms and shoulders can gain strength.

We decided to, yet again, pay for it ourselves so we would have the thing delivered in a timely manner.

Well, didn't quite come off as planned...

I organised all the trials and measuring at the end of 2011. Yes, the end of last year. I paid the deposit on the quote (over $7,000) just before Christmas. And then this happened. And that. There was a change on the footplate design, and a different anti-tipper - all of which changed the size of the chair, which had repercussions on the seating... All of this caused delay after delay. We went for a slightly bigger size chair to get the (user-friendly) anti tippers I wanted. To meant we could re-use our current seating system. Which meant I had a quote that was too high.

Eventually we received the chair in April. That is six months later! The anti-tippers worked fine for about four weeks. Now they stick like hell.

I received a reminder to pay the rest of the costs. But I have not yet received an adjusted price, one which deducts the seating system we did not purchase. In addition, part of the order was some of those fun colored hubcap thingies. They still have not arrived. It is now the end of July! I paid for these ruddy things last year! I am not paying the outstanding bill until it is adjusted and the hubcaps have arrived. They are two pieces of plastic, for heavens sake.

And then, there was another adjustment I wanted to make. There is a thing called a freedom wheel. This is a bigger wheel that can be clipped on to the front of the wheelchair. That way, you can temporarily get rid of these pesky little castor wheels that get stuck in every little crack in the footpath. The freedom wheel makes it easer to go for longer walks, or bushwalks, or even for a run.

So I want one. I told the supplier. After nearly 4 weeks of silence, they told me the price. I replied immediately, said ok, when can we make an appointment. Another couple of weeks passed until an email arrived to tell me that the office needed to send me a quote first, and then I need to pay a deposit, and then we could make an appointment.

I mean, what's the hold up?!?! Why the hell could I not have been told that in the first communication, and why the hell could that email not have been cc'd to the office so that they could make a quote? grrr!

Anyway, paid the quote (over $700) in full the day it came in. Which was last month. I cc'd the lady indeed to make the appointment with. I have called her three times since and left messages. I send some text messages. I still have no appointment!

Great customer service eh?!

And this is ME paying.