*sigh* Once again ...

[unixronin]

... I don't care how cute you think the backronym for your business phone number is.  When you list your customer service number on your product, list the actual phone number as well as your backronym.  Don't make me figure it out.  The odds are I don't call your customer service number often enough for it to be worth my while memorizing wither your backronym or your phone number, especially when your backronym isn't even vaguely mnemonic of your company name or product, so if I already have to squint at your product identification plate to read off the phone number, I don't want to have to then take extra time converting the backronym into a dialable number.

Yeah, I know, a lot of folks just dial the backronym directly.  My brain doesn't work that way.

That much said, when I called Black & Decker customer service a few minutes ago to report that either my new-last-year Firestorm 24V¹ cordless drill's batteries had stopped taking a charge, or the charger had stopped charging them, the customer service rep didn't mess about at all. She had me give her the model number of the drill and the date code from one of the batteries, then said that since the batteries were fairly new, the most likely explanation was that the charger had failed, and she was going to send me out a new charger, along with instructions on how to test the batteries with a multimeter once I had the new charger.

Good job, B&D.

[1]  The Firestorm 24V drill rocks, by the way.  It has gobs of torque, good erconomics, and the best and most usable keyless chuck I've ever used — metal, not plastic, and with a fine enough thread that you CAN tighten it adequately without a chuck key.  Most keyless chucks, in my experience, can't be tightened enough without a tool to drill hard materials or large holes without slipping, and can't be tightened with a tool without damaging them.

Comments

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

I have encountered phones that didn't have the silly letters backing up the keypad numbers. This makes 1-800-CUSSATUS even more frustrating.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Yup, same here.

The other thing that's always irritated me on this subject is that phone keypads and computer-keyboard numeric keypads are inverted with respect to each other. Hey, sure, make us train and retain two conflicting sets of neuromuscular memory ...

(Oh yeah. And I want my landline phone to have a "done entering, dial now" button and a BACKSPACE KEY, so I don't have to start over when I inadvertently misdial the twelfth digit in a 14-digit international number.)

[tabbifli.livejournal.com]

My landline does have a done and backspace. A number of the new digital phones do - that's the catch, though, they're digital, and they're not cheap.

My landline is one corded unit with eight cordless units (and room on the control set for one more cordless to be added). It's got some fabulous features, including the fact that when the power's out, the batteries will actively work for 5-7 hours of continuous use afterward, but it was about $350 - $400 to set up in the first place.

[therealocelot.livejournal.com]

Yep. I had only minor irritation about such matters until I got a BlackBerry. Now that I can't just glance at the phone to figure it out, I'm more than likely not even going to call unless I have absolutely no choice.

[olafthunderfoot.livejournal.com]

too heavy, my old 9.62 precurser to the firestorm works just fine!

[olafthunderfoot.livejournal.com]

oh yeah, i've had it since 1998!

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Actually, it's pretty light. Considerably lighter than my Wen Electric corded drill, which is also half-inch-VSR like the Firestorm. ('Course, the Wen generates a lot more torque ... more torque than any other drill I've ever used.)

[olafthunderfoot.livejournal.com]

you need to try a 1/2" air drill if ya want torque! the ones we have at work hurt when they bind up!