THE SEARCH FOR MR. ADEQUATE
Part 52

By Susan Silver

I was having trouble with my cable and after going through the phone system hell several times, I lost it. I decided to track down a real person, exec type and complain or kvetch as the case may be.

It took me hours but I persevered. I looked up Time Warner in the phone book and called every one of their companies (which by the way all had electronic phone systems) until I got the head corporate phone number ... from a security guard!

Then I dialed it (it’s not in NY by the way) and kept pushing in Dick Parsons name until some poor guy whose name started with “P” answered. I, very nicely, (as opposed to screaming) told him the problem and that I had to keep going through the system with no results. He, though he had nothing to do with cable, said he would make a call and take care of it. And he did. Of course the fact that I mentioned I was a friend of Carl Icahn’s might have helped.

Seriously, I ran into Carl and told him the story and he laughed. But in truth the man was going to help me without the pull.

Next morning on a ‘VIP call’, which the workman showed me on his paperwork, there was someone here bright and early to fix the problem. It couldn’t be fixed here, so the next day they sent someone to the next point of connection and so on and so on and so on.

It took three weeks, but they CALLED ME EVERY NIGHT TO KEEP ME POSTED on the progress. Eventually they found the problem and fixed it.
So, like the squeaky wheel folks, you will get service ... but you have to be willing -- ok ok obsessed and crazy -- to devote yourself to tracking it down. One for the customer!!

Next, after my Hawaii trip (which you didn’t get to read about as it was so depressing and problematic, remember) I wrote to the owner of the Marriott Hotel and told him everything that went wrong with their newly acquired hotel and in great detail. I had gotten sick and was very in need of pampering. There was none. Again, I was nice in my complaint letter ... hard for me, but hey, it works.

Well, lo and behold, two weeks later I got a lovely letter from the hotel manager, with details of how they are addressing the problems. And, ta da ... a refund, which I hadn’t even asked for.

I will be returning to Marriott now, as they did the right thing. And all their hotels around the world probably have my name and photo on file to either kill me or treat me very very well.

Again ... I don’t know of many people who will waste or spend their time writing and complaining ... but if you chose to, write to the CEO ... not the customer service types. Or you just get those form letters.

Back next week with the Palm Beach story. Who knows what will happen as I am on a role! And JetBlue might need some straightening out.

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P.S. On the “Adequacy Scale” the top rating is “THE ONE!” Needless to say it’s hard to find in any category. But I just found it ... in dessert! Yes, folks, the single best dessert I have ever had is the warm almond torte at the Red Eye Grill. So the next time you are near Carnegie Hall, drop in and order it. You will thank me.

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