A Creative Approach Solved My Key Problem

<img src="https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dcr-apis/wp_contents/uploads/DCR-ADMIN/key%20problem.jpeg" alt="undefined" style="height: auto;width: auto"/> After procrastinating for months about tracking down a replacement key for my home safe, I finally found a way to contact a company that provides that service (the safe manufacturer had gone out of business). We store passports, birth certificates, deeds and other important documents in the safe, so I was anxious when I lost the original key. Finding a replacement involved tracking down the safe’s model and serial number, as I expected. But because I didn’t have the receipt from the original purchase years ago, I also had to get the form notarized. I shelled out $40 for two new keys and shipping, and I sent the form by both email and regular mail to cover all bases. The order was supposed to be processed within 15 days according to the company’s website. A month later, my credit card was charged but there was no sign of the keys. My calls to the company were met with robotic referrals back to the website. I called multiple (800) numbers, sent emails and sought out the company’s corporate office number, but I got nowhere. It was time to get creative, so I called a competing company that replaces keys for safes that are older than ours (made before 2010). To my astonishment, a live person answered after three rings, listened to my tale of woe and said she would try to find a way to help. Fifteen minutes later, she called back to say she found the exact key I needed and offered to send it to me for free. Five days later, I received two keys in the mail. I count this as a small consumer victory that wouldn’t have been possible without my persistence and the human contact reached by phone. In the continued push for efficiency, increased productivity and reduction of labor costs, more and more companies can hide from their customers behind a faceless wall of technological runaround, but not every consumer problem fits neatly into their options. When searching for a company to provide services or products, make sure to explore their capacity to respond to questions that aren’t listed on their FAQs. Some companies, like Apple and Google Home, are readily available to talk you through a problem or help with an installation. Judge a company not just by their products, but also by their capacity to stand behind them. <a href="https://www.diamondcertified.org/" target="_self">Use Diamond Certified Resource to find top rated companies.</a> Related Articles <a href="https://www.diamondcertified.org/Guide/Savvy-Consumer/" target="_self">Your Guide to Being a Savvy Consumer</a> <a href="https://www.diamondcertified.org/find-expert-advice/" target="_self">Get Expert Advice From Owners of Top Rated Local Companies</a> <a href="https://www.diamondcertified.org/membership/" target="_self">Become a Diamond Certified Preferred Member (Always Free)</a>