May 2, 2012

There were 3 posts published on May 2, 2012 (this is page 1 of 1).

Cuisinart’s customer service rules

My wife Kelly got a Cuisinart espresso maker as a gift about a year and a half ago and has used it religiously! Every day she happily makes herself a latte. One morning last week her beloved espresso machine began to balk at making her morning coffee. I knew how sad this would make her so I was already determining how much it would cost to buy her a new one.

I needn’t have worried. Kelly called Cuisinart’s (now owned by Conair) support number and, unlike many companies today, spoke to a live person. Not just a live person, but a clueful, live person! After offering Kelly a few strategies to get her ailing espresso maker working, the helpful rep offered to replace the whole thing for free.

Yep. It didn’t matter that it was a gift and Kelly didn’t have the receipt, nor did it matter that it was a year and a half old. Cuisinart is shipping her a brand new espresso maker and taking back her broken one, for free!

At a time when so few companies remember who keeps them in business (ahem, their customers), Cuisinart goes above and beyond. Bravo!

“Force Quit” Yourself to Get Your Sleep Schedule Back

I suppose some people need this.

It’s easy enough to decide to go to bed strictly at a certain time, but actually doing it is another story. We often get carried away in the late hours of the night, trying to knock off just a few more things we wanted to do, whether it’s for work or fun. The next day, we’re tired and filled with regret yet we don’t stop. If this sounds like you, it’s time to start “force quitting” yourself at the end of the day. Here’s how.

via “Force Quit” Yourself to Get Your Sleep Schedule Back on Track and Avoid Another Day of Fatigue.

Time to bus a move

I’ve been looking for a way to take the bus to work and think I’ve found it! There’s a Park and Ride lot just off Blue Ridge Road where a Triangle Transit bus departs at 9:07 AM. It stops at the Factory Outlet Mall at 9:22, from where I can ride my bike over to the office and be there by 9:30. I still have to drive to Blue Ridge Road but it beats driving all the way out to RTP.

I drove over to check out the P&R lot this morning and was pleasantly surprised to see it was almost entirely full! No bike racks, though, which was a disappointment. I would love to have a place to put my bike in the event that the bus bike racks are full and I have to leave it.

I might also consider buying a used bike to leave at the outlet mall so that I don’t have to haul it on the bus every day. As with the Park and Ride lot, there are no bike racks at the outlet mall. I’m not sure why major transit stops don’t have bike racks but I’ll see if I can get an answer.

Oh, and I tweeted yesterday that I could never commute by bus until there’s a bus dedicated to singing. I guess I’ll have to keep quiet or make quick friends with my fellow commuters!