Gino to the Rescue

 

I KNOW I complain a lot (too much?) about bad customer service.  That's because customer service for the most part no longer exists.  (I think it died along with common sense...I missed the funeral.)   So, when I get GOOD customer service, I want to shout it from the roof top.  And today I am shouting!

Unfortunately, this good customer service story starts with a problem. The problem was discovered late yesterday afternoon.  My son, freshly home from college for the summer, wanted to go see his girlfriend.  He went to go get the car from the garage. (2011 Buick that my mother wanted him to have.  She kept it pristine.  My son, not so much, but...) He came back in the house saying that he thought the key fob needed a new battery.  We didn't have a new battery, so he would have to use the key to open the door.  (Revolutionary concept.)  He went back to the car and tried to start it...nothing happened.  AND the key will not come out of the ignition.

All of us went back to the garage.  Key would not budge and we had a problem popping the hood.  It seemed to be slightly stuck.  Frustration for my son; panic for me.  (Because my mind immediately goes to the most impossible and unlikely scenarios, even when the problem is obvious.)

I have had AAA for more years than I care to admit.  I joined when I got my first job out of college (eons ago) and have stayed with it, even though I rarely use it.  (Although in the years before regular usage of the internet and mobile phones, I used Triptiks quite often.)  However, when you need it (like when I blew a tire on my brand new Jeep late one cold and snowy night), it is worth the annual premium.

The sun was fading in the west and I didn't want anyone to have to come out in the dark.  (This WASN'T an emergency.)  So I decided to contact them this morning.  (If you're interested, my son did get to see his girlfriend last night.  I drove him because he isn't comfortable in my car and it's been over a month since he'd been behind the wheel.)

I had a cup of coffee and went online to request service.  I was pleased at how easy it was and that I immediately got a text saying that my request was being processed.  Not long after that I got a text telling me the technician was on his way, providing me with the company name as well as his own.  Gino, the technician, called me when he was 10 minutes out, so I was ready and waiting when he pulled it.

He quickly backed down our driveway to the open garage.  (Navigating our long and somewhat winding driveway down the hill is an easy task.)  He immediately put me at ease (remember I'm Mrs. Anxious) with his demeanor and knowledge.  He was able to charge the car just enough to pull it out of the garage.  (He was also able to get the key out of the ignition and unlatch the hood as well.)  He showed me that the car battery was only holding about a 2% charge, so I would need a new one.  (No surprise there...I don't know if the battery had ever been replaced. Heck, I didn't even know where the battery was...because it wasn't under the hood)

Of course he had a replacement in his vehicle.  He quickly replaced it, while keeping the car charged so that none of the settings were lost.  I paid him and that was that.  The whole process took less than a half an hour.  It was easy and it was actually pleasant.  

No one wants car issues.  No one want to pay for a new battery, car parts or repair, but it is a fact of life.  And when it has to be done, I hope to always have someone like Gino there for me.

Thank you Gino of High Tech Auto Service.