posted 06-08-2004 06:16 PM         

Today when I got home, I noticed my lawn seemed slightly shorter than it had been this morning. Sure enough, the guy had mowed my lawn. He apparently wasn't phased by the fact that the lawn had a well-manicured look despite the fact that he hadn't shown up in 3 weeks, or by the letter he must have by this time received.

posted 06-08-2004 09:29 PM         

At the doctor's office I work at, we had a lab company that consistently gave poor service. Instead of firing them, I did a little experiment. I just stopped sending them business. We had been calling them on a daily basis to come pick up lab specimens for processing. I said just stop calling them and see how long it takes them to contact us to inquire about why the lab calls have stopped.

A year and a half later, a representative from the company came by our office! He didn't come to find out what was wrong. He came to ask us if we wanted to sign up for their service! The office manager informed him, at great length, that we were already signed up and had switched to a competitor. The poor fellow left carrying a box of his company's equipment that we had stowed away in a cabinet 18 months before.

posted 06-09-2004 07:50 AM         

IE: A big comapny like GE put my friend out of business because they never filled his order right not even once. He sold starter equipment to contractors and lost major accounts due to GE's incompetence. I'll never buy a GE product again.

posted 06-09-2004 07:14 PM         

I work for GE, and take only slight exception to what you posted. I agree it is easy to get lost in the eyes of a big company like GE, but it is unfair to characterize the entire company by just one example. There are seven major businesses within GE, each of which would be in the top 10 Fortune 10 company if run separately. Each major business has several vertical businesses which would also be in the Fortune 100 if run separately. But what it comes down to in GE is your individual business unit and that is where the customer cannot be lost. My customers know me and can call me 24/7. Not everyone at GE is a moron.

Also, I highly doubt you do not spend money on GE. Light bulbs and appliances make up less than one tenth of one percent of GE's income. If you eat at McDonald's, shop at Target, watch NBC, shop at Home Depot, use a cell phone, fly on an airplane, watch a movie, or even surf the internet; I guarantee a portion of what you are spending ends up in GE's coffer. If your kid has a Playstation from Sony, and you paid $199 for it, approximately $12 of that purchase went to GE.

Personally, I think GE is too big. But with over 400,000 employees, you are bound to find some morons. However, GE has a long standing policy that is hard to match elsewhere. Every year there are performance evaluations. The bottom 10 percent of all employees are fired. The top 10 percent are promoted. The middle 80 percent are allowed to stick around for another year. Jack's idea, not mine.

Good pay, excellent retirement and stock benefits, and countless opportunities. But check out my kitchen, I have Kenmore appliances and Sylvania light bulbs.

Just my opinion. Sorry about your friend.

posted 06-10-2004 04:51 PM         

quote:

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Not everyone at GE is a moron.

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That would be an interesting corporate motto. A little edgier than "We bring good things to life," but still...

Bob Miller:

That's hilarious! I'm gonna print that one out. The applications are endless!

UPDATE:

posted 06-13-2004 01:39 AM         

Anyway, same story. My wife sees him pull up in the drive after 3 1/2 weeks of non service, and politely tells him his services are no longer needed. I'm in the open garage letting her handle him. Well he goes nuts, shaking a rake at her, and calls her a F****NG B**CH....At the end of the day, I ended up mowing the lawn myself and paid for his Dentist to go to Europe for 2 weeks.....

It never fails to startle me, the amount of damage a clueless jerk can do.

Dr. Mike
"Dali"

------------------

"Dali" is Dr. Mike & Mrs. "Jo-Jo" S. near Dallas, Tx.
Email us at: dealer@suttonplacegallery.com
Visit us on the web at: www.suttonplacegallery.com

posted 06-14-2004 07:05 PM         

I called lawn guy yet again and again got his voicemail. I left a message but also sent him a certified letter. According to my wife, he still hasn't cashed the check we wrote him quite a few weeks ago for services rendered.

On a somewhat related note, I've been trying to get a business colleague to return a piece of paper I mailed him (along with a self-addressed stamped envelope) that requires nothing more than his signature for 3 weeks.

At my business I return every phone call I get the same day. Anything I get that needs to be signed is signed and mailed or faxed back the same day, too.

posted 06-15-2004 10:13 PM         

Lawn guy is still MIA.

posted 06-17-2004 01:04 AM         

Didn't cash the check.... Maybe you got lucky, and the world is spinning with one less jerk on it !!

As far as your co-worker; that sucks! I cant imagine putting my name and reputation on the line with someone who acts like that. Sorry, but that is downright disrespectful. I personally would tell all clients that I'd be gone for a couple of weeks, and would return their call upon my arrival, rather than let this person make me look like a fool.