Customer Service

This is not my traditional blog by a long shot, but it is what's on my mind. 

Do you ever feel trapped by companies?  I am opposed to government intervention in business in general.  I believe open competition is the only way to truly regulate and control costs and quality.  But of course, that only works if the companies actually compete with each other; not collaborate. 

I am very upset right now by my bank.  We applied for a mortgage over a month ago and it went through a variety of steps from preapproval to approving the appraisal...then all communication stopped.  Nobody would answer our calls.  This is a bank I have used and been very, very happy with for 15 years.  Turns out our processor left on 'medical' leave and someone forgot to pass our file to a new processor.  In the meantime, our closing day has come and gone and they are still asking for paperwork that we sent them a month ago.  Did our processor take it with him?  Where did it go?  But for all realistic purposes, we are stuck.  If we started over with another bank, it would delay things even longer.  And what will we be compensated for our inconvenience?  For rental costs of the moving truck?  For the time we took off work? 

But they aren't the only company that I am not happy with, yet feel compelled to use.  I can't stand DirectTV.  But they exclusively hold the rights to the NFL Sunday ticket.  The absolute one thing that my husband wants to recieve on TV.  But their customer service is terrible.  They throw on extra costs for everything.  Yet I am held hostage by their monopoly. 

Who else?  Car dealers; All of them.  Facebook; Another one of a kind service with no real competition.  Cell phone companies;  all of the services are terrible.  Airlines; one fee after another and fewer and fewer niceties or even niceness.  Colleges; someone needs to explain to me why a 'well rounded' education is important for every single degree.  Does a meteorologist really need fine arts?  Walmart; it is hard to justify not going there when they are so convenient and economical, but how much I wish I had enough money to turn up my nose and go to nice clean stores with friendly employees...employees who are treated right.   I'm sure you can think of a million more. 

On the brightside there are some local businesses that I go to just because I can choose a place with good service:  Hollywood Nails in Cocoa Beach does great nails and are very fast and friendly.  Jiffy Lube in Melbourne takes care of my cars without trying to pressure me into crap I don't need and even holds the door open for me when I leave.  Tires Plus Melbourne is always friendly and once when they misaligned my vehicle replaced the tires 6 month later no question.  Sonny's BBQ Cocoa Beach is friendly, good prices, food and service.