CUSTOMER SERVICE REMINDERS FOR GAS FIREPLACE

Customer service, whether a health matter, auto, or gas fireplace, follow the same rules.

You know it’s good when you don’t have remorse after the service.

But what if you do have remorse and get a customer service call-back that goes wrong?

Beware of the fast talking man with an edge to his voice.

Health first:

I had amazing customer service with a cardiologist.

“I’ll schedule for an appointment a year from now.”

Anytime you see a heart man and he schedules you out a year, you’re doing something right.

What sent me there was a tense conversation. How tense?

Tense enough to spin me out with ‘heartbreak syndrome.’

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After one of the best weekends imaginable, including a farewell, family, and the embrace of loved ones, I remember thinking: “Now I can die happy.”

It’s a common saying heard from healthy people and it’s funny. I’ve said it before and it felt funny. Not so much this time.

It was a funny twinge in my chest, which is no surprise. Last week I put up 225 lbs on the bench press. That’ll twinge a few things if you’re not ready. In other words I lift weights, I’m a weight lifter, and there’s always a twinge, a cramp, a spasm, a pull, or a tear.

Cranking through planned resistance training everyday is a key to staying young, or at least vital. One point is bragging rights:

“Did you lift today?”

“Yes, I lifted. And here’s what I did,” followed by listing sets and reps, the sort of conversation people hear too often and quit public gyms. Gym Rat talk.

Except I didn’t lift Friday or Saturday.

A slight twinge Saturday night, more twinge Sunday morning, then the finale on Monday morning. Time to book a room at the heartbreak hotel.

“Honey, I need to get checked out.”

“Then let’s go.”

After a spending a night for observation in the ICU after a work-up, the doctor gave me the news:

No surgery, no medication. I got the No-No.

Auto Customer Service Review

If you buy a new car, you take it to the dealer for servicing and check-ups.

In the early 70’s my Dad bought a 1964 blue Chevy truck.

His plan was giving us boys a car to drive to school.

It was a truck because part of his plan was taking us out to the causeway connecting Hwy 101 with the road to Horsefall Beach.

Logs were piled up on the south side, logs that turned into firewood we sold for gas money and insurance.

The Old Man’s idea of customer service when the engine didn’t sound right?

He bought a new engine and dropped it in like a one man pit crew.

Who does that? Not me.

And no one complained.

I had a good Dad. He made me want to be a good dad, too.

Gas Fireplace Customer Service

Like health and cars, customer service for a gas fireplace should be as easy?

My wife called a company after the fireplace wouldn’t spark to life.

I’d done the cleaning myself until then, but this seemed like more.

The tech came in and made the rounds. He got the fireplace cleaned and flaming.

Then it wouldn’t flame all the way on.

And I needed to make a repair appointment after he finished his cleaning and inspection work.

He couldn’t go any further on this visit.

His boss called me after my wife called him asking what’s up with a fireplace that doesn’t work.

The boss started reading me the details of the service contract in speed talk.

I cut in when he took a breath to ask if he was reading the contract.

If he was, and I signed it, I asked him to stay on topic, which was fixing my fireplace.

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“Your guy came in and vacuumed a little.”

“He did more than that. You had a gas leak.”

“I called the gas guys and got it fixed.”

“They’re not supposed to do that. I’ve my tech here in the room and the phone on speaker.”

“Good to know. You’ve got a good guy, I’ve got a dead fireplace. This shouldn’t be too hard to figure out.”

“It is a problem.”

“Your guy came in, did his work, and I paid. My problem is a dead fireplace. That’s why you were here. I’ve still got a dead fireplace. That’s the problem.”

The man broke down his pricing compared to his competitors, defended the contract, and said he was contemplating a refund.

You know it’s getting serious when a refund is mentioned.

“This sounds like a public relations call. If you don’t mind me saying, your public relations and customer service needs work. If you’re worried about a bad review on Yelp, don’t. All I’m asking for is a fireplace that works. Am I talking to the right person?”

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That’s when he gave up the big secret: There’s a battery that operates the upper bar of flames hidden in the control panel.

And his appointments were booked a month out before they could return.

So, like a good home owner, I got to work.

First I couldn’t find the fireplace owner’s manual.

Then I couldn’t find the make or model of the fireplace.

But I tracked it down on the product testing sheet.

My rig is a Mendota Seabrook, a fancy one.

The 9 Volt Battery required for the Rear Flame ON/OFF function is mounted on the back-side of the Control Panel shown in the diagram above.

To access this battery, remove the control panel mounting screws and flip this panel downward. Replace the battery with a high quality 9V Battery only.

I’m going in.

Wish me luck.

Tell my wife I love her.

I’m hoping for a picture of a working fireplace today.

Should I send it to the customer service guy?