An Open Letter

Dear Graco,

I realize that you are a huge, multi-million dollar corporation and that the problems of one exhausted housewife don't rank very high on your list of ways to make even more money things that matter, but I would like to point out what I feel is a gross lack of give a crap caring in your customer service department.

I've owned more than several of your products over the years and the four babies and never had any problems with any of them until about a week ago when my Lovin' Hug Swing motor died. Both my teeny monster and myself were devastated. How were we ever going to sleep again? We tried a couple different fixes for the problem, including a friend's swing, and nothing came close to the swinging wonderfulness we had experienced with our Graco swing. After finally locating the model and serial numbers, which were stuck to the bottom of the tray by the way--a really stupid place to put them, we ordered a new motor assembly from your website. And there was much rejoicing. We were led to believe that 3-10 business days from then we would be swinging once more. But this was not the case...

I waited, and waited, and waited some more but three days went by and I hadn't received an email stating that the much needed part was in the mail. Have you ever tried to use a swing that was missing it's motor arm? It's not easy. My three year old got desperate enough for an end to the whining and brought his tools to the living room to see if maybe he could fix it, but no amount of plastic hammering or sawing could make the swing go without it's motor arm. And so I called...and I spoke with a nice woman whose name now escapes me; had she said it slower and followed it with some along the lines of "What can I do to help you today?" I might have been able to remember it. I tried to be nice and reminded myself that it was not her fault that I was tired...it was really, really hard.

I explained my situation and she pulled up my order. I was then informed that the part I had ordered had, sometime between when I ordered it and when I called, gone on back-order. Yes I know. I got your email. What? You didn't send me an email to let me know that I was never going to get to sleep again? Ahhh. I see. Your helpful and compassionate agent then proceeded to remind me that I would get an email when said product had shipped and since I had not yet received such an email that meant the product had not shipped yet. Perhaps you should train your employees in the sometimes subtle differences between tired and stupid. I covered for you this time and told her I was the former and not the latter.

Serendipitously the very part I had been waiting for had just become available again that very morning. Now here's where another company, let's say Fisher Price-just for fun, would have demonstrated the correct method of customer handling in this situation. "We just got them in this morning. I'll get one out to you today and you should be receiving it in the next day or two." Instead your concerned and sympathetic agent informed me that it should ship in the next 2-3 days and I should be receiving it in 3-10 more business days. I waited for her to say something that would make me not hate you as a corporation anymore but nothing came. I felt like I had inconvenienced her in some great way by calling. I'm not familiar with soap opera schedules, perhaps I called during Days of Our Lives?

At any rate I feel that I should remind you that your customer base consists largely of parents, who are tired and need SOMEBODY to give a crap about how just tired they are, apologize at least once for the fact that YOUR product is responsible for their lack of sleep and to at least attempt to convey a sense of empathy when you are called on to rectify the situation. I would also like to inform you that if the swing motor at the heart of this matter is not in my possession this time next week that I will be very unhappy and very tired and cannot guarantee that I will not do something rash...say replace the whole @#$% swing. With one made by another company...let's say Fisher Price. Just for fun.

Sincerely,

Mom
(and Booger Head)