Comments on: The Axis of Misery http://www.horsepigcow.com/2008/03/the-axis-of-misery/ a world uncommon Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:03:36 +0000 hourly 1 By: Kara@istockphoto.com http://www.horsepigcow.com/2008/03/the-axis-of-misery/comment-page-1/#comment-50480 Kara@istockphoto.com Fri, 28 Mar 2008 14:06:13 +0000 http://www.horsepigcow.com/2008/03/02/the-axis-of-misery/#comment-50480 This is spot-on...and I LOVE what you said to the rental car lady. Girl, you are a hoot!! This is spot-on…and I LOVE what you said to the rental car lady. Girl, you are a hoot!!

]]> By: Shoestring Branding http://www.horsepigcow.com/2008/03/the-axis-of-misery/comment-page-1/#comment-50442 Shoestring Branding Sun, 16 Mar 2008 21:11:05 +0000 http://www.horsepigcow.com/2008/03/02/the-axis-of-misery/#comment-50442 <strong>An example of good customer service...</strong> Photo Credits: garybembridge The true character of organizations is often revealed by how well do they respond to customer feedback. Doing the right thing for the customer has always been good business sense, but never more important than today, whe... An example of good customer service…

Photo Credits: garybembridge
The true character of organizations is often revealed by how well do they respond to customer feedback. Doing the right thing for the customer has always been good business sense, but never more important than today, whe…

]]> By: say no http://www.horsepigcow.com/2008/03/the-axis-of-misery/comment-page-1/#comment-50419 say no Fri, 07 Mar 2008 07:48:37 +0000 http://www.horsepigcow.com/2008/03/02/the-axis-of-misery/#comment-50419 hey tara - great post but i really don't like validating the bush administration's "axis of evil" trope. stay as far away from that, and them, as you can. hey tara – great post but i really don’t like validating the bush administration’s “axis of evil” trope. stay as far away from that, and them, as you can.

]]> By: Jake McKee http://www.horsepigcow.com/2008/03/the-axis-of-misery/comment-page-1/#comment-50414 Jake McKee Wed, 05 Mar 2008 15:47:55 +0000 http://www.horsepigcow.com/2008/03/02/the-axis-of-misery/#comment-50414 GeekMommy, Why wouldn't you fly Southwest? The story you linked to was about AirTran, not Southwest. GeekMommy, Why wouldn’t you fly Southwest? The story you linked to was about AirTran, not Southwest.

]]> By: TAR ART RAT http://www.horsepigcow.com/2008/03/the-axis-of-misery/comment-page-1/#comment-50412 TAR ART RAT Wed, 05 Mar 2008 14:56:13 +0000 http://www.horsepigcow.com/2008/03/02/the-axis-of-misery/#comment-50412 the folly of skimming: I mis-read "2. Being duped" as "2. Being dumped" and was then baffled at how it was not the opposite of "2.Competence" need to sit and think or steer away from these connections ...all too odd. thanks for the post. the folly of skimming:
I mis-read
“2. Being duped”
as
“2. Being dumped”
and was then baffled at how
it was not the opposite of
“2.Competence”
need to sit and think or steer
away from these connections
…all too odd.

thanks for the post.

]]> By: Nick Wagner http://www.horsepigcow.com/2008/03/the-axis-of-misery/comment-page-1/#comment-50408 Nick Wagner Wed, 05 Mar 2008 01:02:52 +0000 http://www.horsepigcow.com/2008/03/02/the-axis-of-misery/#comment-50408 Many credit card companies offer car rental insurance as part of the card plan. Most plans with Wells Fargo and MBNA do, for example. My card is with CITI, and this is the benefit description on their Web site: <blockquote>Receive automatic coverage for damage due to collision or theft when you rent a car and charge it to your Citi® Platinum Select® / AAdvantage® World MasterCard® and decline the car rental company's collision, loss/damage waiver insurance.</blockquote> The small print says that it is secondary coverage, meaning CITI only pays *after* my State Farm coverage pays. But if you don't have a car or car insurance, then I assume CITI or whomever, would be the primary payer. Another thing to note is many car insurance policies, mine included, will not cover rentals for business trips. That's why I got the credit card in the first place. Many credit card companies offer car rental insurance as part of the card plan. Most plans with Wells Fargo and MBNA do, for example. My card is with CITI, and this is the benefit description on their Web site:

Receive automatic coverage for damage due to collision or theft when you rent a car and charge it to your Citi® Platinum Select® / AAdvantage® World MasterCard® and decline the car rental company’s collision, loss/damage waiver insurance.

The small print says that it is secondary coverage, meaning CITI only pays *after* my State Farm coverage pays. But if you don’t have a car or car insurance, then I assume CITI or whomever, would be the primary payer.
Another thing to note is many car insurance policies, mine included, will not cover rentals for business trips. That’s why I got the credit card in the first place.

]]> By: Amie Gillingham http://www.horsepigcow.com/2008/03/the-axis-of-misery/comment-page-1/#comment-50407 Amie Gillingham Tue, 04 Mar 2008 16:33:39 +0000 http://www.horsepigcow.com/2008/03/02/the-axis-of-misery/#comment-50407 One thing I've noticed in providing customer/tech support is that people automatically assume they're going to get a bad experience, or have to fight for a refund, and often start things off very negatively/defensively. It's a struggle from our company's viewpoint to reassure people that they are individuals to us, and if they ever have a question or need something, all they have to do is ask. It's definitely a challenge to brush off the negativity being thrown at us that is a direct result of our customers' cumulative years of poor customer service experiences. Keeping things postive is paramount with us for our customers (and our own mental health,lol). Although the upswing is that in many cases, we've found that people who require customer service from us are ultimately pleasantly surprised and are happier with us as a business than had they never needed to contact us. One thing I’ve noticed in providing customer/tech support is that people automatically assume they’re going to get a bad experience, or have to fight for a refund, and often start things off very negatively/defensively. It’s a struggle from our company’s viewpoint to reassure people that they are individuals to us, and if they ever have a question or need something, all they have to do is ask.

It’s definitely a challenge to brush off the negativity being thrown at us that is a direct result of our customers’ cumulative years of poor customer service experiences. Keeping things postive is paramount with us for our customers (and our own mental health,lol). Although the upswing is that in many cases, we’ve found that people who require customer service from us are ultimately pleasantly surprised and are happier with us as a business than had they never needed to contact us.

]]> By: Dan Krohn http://www.horsepigcow.com/2008/03/the-axis-of-misery/comment-page-1/#comment-50406 Dan Krohn Tue, 04 Mar 2008 15:24:02 +0000 http://www.horsepigcow.com/2008/03/02/the-axis-of-misery/#comment-50406 The commercial aspects are interesting, but what is more interesting to me is the impersonal nature of so many transactions - usually on both sides. The classic writing on this is the waiter discussion in Sartre's "Being and Nothingness". He writes of how we view waiters: not as full, complex, beautiful human beings, but as cogs in a machine. We expect them to perform a certain task and that's all. So it was at the rental car counter you encountered. You were not a person, you were merely part of the job to be done. And probably the person behind the counter disliked you because your presence was only an increase in work to be done. Rarely is this a one way street. How often do we, as in Sartre's example with the waiter, consider the person behind the rental car counter as a mere piece of machinery in the assembly line which is to provide us with a product or service so we be on our way? Yes, indeed, this does lead to misery. And it is impressive how much joy is delivered when we treat people as people. The commercial aspects are interesting, but what is more interesting to me is the impersonal nature of so many transactions – usually on both sides. The classic writing on this is the waiter discussion in Sartre’s “Being and Nothingness”.

He writes of how we view waiters: not as full, complex, beautiful human beings, but as cogs in a machine. We expect them to perform a certain task and that’s all. So it was at the rental car counter you encountered. You were not a person, you were merely part of the job to be done. And probably the person behind the counter disliked you because your presence was only an increase in work to be done.

Rarely is this a one way street. How often do we, as in Sartre’s example with the waiter, consider the person behind the rental car counter as a mere piece of machinery in the assembly line which is to provide us with a product or service so we be on our way?

Yes, indeed, this does lead to misery. And it is impressive how much joy is delivered when we treat people as people.

]]> By: Tim Trautmann http://www.horsepigcow.com/2008/03/the-axis-of-misery/comment-page-1/#comment-50402 Tim Trautmann Mon, 03 Mar 2008 15:06:14 +0000 http://www.horsepigcow.com/2008/03/02/the-axis-of-misery/#comment-50402 I have flown on many domestic carriers and I must say that Southwest is one of the best out there. They don't promise you fancy services like some of the other majors but they usually deliver on what they promise or get darn close to it. That article that GeekMommy linked is about Air Tran, NOT Southwest. Re: Rental Car Insurance. Make sure that you have a good credit card that got you covered with automatic "Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance" and then simply decline the collision damage waiver options at the counter. I have flown on many domestic carriers and I must say that Southwest is one of the best out there. They don’t promise you fancy services like some of the other majors but they usually deliver on what they promise or get darn close to it.

That article that GeekMommy linked is about Air Tran, NOT Southwest.

Re: Rental Car Insurance. Make sure that you have a good credit card that got you covered with automatic “Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance” and then simply decline the collision damage waiver options at the counter.

]]> By: Ryan Coleman http://www.horsepigcow.com/2008/03/the-axis-of-misery/comment-page-1/#comment-50401 Ryan Coleman Mon, 03 Mar 2008 14:07:54 +0000 http://www.horsepigcow.com/2008/03/02/the-axis-of-misery/#comment-50401 Sounds to me like this is an opportunity for Zipcar (at least along the insurance lines)... Adding a rental car insurance clause to their policy for members (even if explicitly limited to cities where there is no ZipCar facility) could be a huge differntiator in the space and help it's clients avoid yet inconvenience related to not owning their own car... Sounds to me like this is an opportunity for Zipcar (at least along the insurance lines)…

Adding a rental car insurance clause to their policy for members (even if explicitly limited to cities where there is no ZipCar facility) could be a huge differntiator in the space and help it’s clients avoid yet inconvenience related to not owning their own car…

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