Shout Out

I'm a customer service fanatic. I also like expensive baubles and love to feel like I'm getting a great deal when I purchase one. It makes me feel smart. Most of the time the customer service + getting a deal on a bauble combo leads to utter disappointment. Heck, leave out the bauble part and just aim for "sub par customer service" and a diva is still hopping mad and/or devastated due to overwhelming disappointment even with low expectations to begin with.

NOT TODAY, SPORTSFANS!

My Mercedes, which I look beyond fabulous in (and let's face it, ANYONE would) has been cranky ... to the point that it stopped showing how fast I was going, how much gas I had in the tank, you know, basic necessary information (especially important to a Diva who's been ordered by the court to driving school for a totally bogus ticket - I just CANNOT get stopped for ANYTHING until September 22nd at 1:30 p.m. I'll have to tell you what a great deal I had, though on court costs, etc. another time.).

The Main Squeeze and I went to drop his car off for an oil change and take mine to have a professional take a quick peek at it. Serendipity happened. My car drove magically to Comer Automobile (http://www.comerautomobile.com/) and we met the delightful staff and owner there. They were SO NICE! They sent us down the street and around the corner to the service shop where Jeff and his fabulous mechanic diva (yes, female) were expecting us. Boil it down to say that the EVIL DEALERSHIP in town told me over the phone last week that this was going to cost me a bucket of wonga at which point, I lost consciousness. ED was supposed to call me Tuesday and nary a peep has been heard yet. Back at Comer Automobile service shop, in person, Jeff called around in person after diagnosing the problem in person and found a part for about $1,300 LESS than the Evil Dealership quoted over the phone. As the Domestic Diva, I must tell you, I would consider eating off the Comer Automobile Service Department floors - and this has NOTHING to do with the difference in prices. It's just that clean.

Take your Mercedes here, Pumpkin. Don't stop. Don't spend $2,000. Phone 323-3300; They're on 3rd avenue south. And no, they're not giving me a discount for doing this. I'm so bowled over that I just had to scurry to the computer and let the Diva/Dude world know about this amazing phenomenon. Good customer service, fair prices, and Mercedes ownership can coexist. I'm so excited.

UPDATE: If you by chance have a wad of Tire Professionals (formerly Tire Engineers on 32nd Street South) gift certificates that you won at any of several nonprofit fundraisers lately, present them before you walk in the door - better yet, just throw them away 'cause they apparently have no intention of accepting them. My darling Main Squeeze went there for an oil change and presented several $20 coupons printed by those folks and they refused them because he didn't present them when he dropped off his car. We looked at the coupons and nowhere on them does it state the order/ manner in which they will be redeemable. He asked for the manager and when one was procured by telephone, they still refused. We should have aimed lower in our oil change expectations. Mental Note, Poodle!