Lesson learned last week:

Mom ran over a pot hole with her ridiculously expensive and altogether too-much-car-for-a-78-million-yr-old-lady 2012 E 300 Mercedes and took a chunk out of the sidewall of one of the low profile tires. She was very nervous driving it in that condition, so made an appointment at the dealership for repairs. She took it in last Friday, 9am. She was promised a call by lunch to say whether or not she would need a loaner for the weekend. No call by 3pm and mom was worrying about a weekend without a car.

I called:

Melvin: Hello, This is Melvin, customer service at Mercedes-Benz, Broadway dealership, how can I help you?

Me: Hullo Melvin. I’d like to check on the status of my mother’s car; it’s in the repair shop.

Melvin: Hold on please, I’ll transfer your call.

Angela’s voice mail: Hello, you’ve reached Angela, customer service concierge. I’m away from my desk; please leave a message. Beeeeeep…/click

Dialing back

Melvin: Hello, this is Melvin, custom…

Me: Hi Melvin. You put me thru to Angela’s voice mail; please put me thru to a service representative so I can check on my mother’s car.

Melvin: I’m sorry about that, please hold…

Yuki’s voice mail: Hello, you’ve reached Yuki, cus/ CLICK

Dialing back

Melvin: Hel…

Me: Melvin! Please put me thru to a real person at the service counter, not the concierge’s voice mails.

Melvin: Who is servicing your mother’s car please?

Me: I don’t know.

Melvin: We cannot put you thru if we don’t know who to put you thru to…ma’am.

Me: Look up my mother’s name in your computer then and tell me who is servicing her car please. It’s Dr. (mom’s name)

Melvin: That would be Lino, hold on please.

Lino’s voice mail: Hello, you have reached Lino at Mercedes-Benz service. I’m away from my desk, please leave a message. Beeeeeep…/click

Me: Mom, let’s go for a walk.

What I learned: Next time buy a Toyota.

Oh, and have your people call my people.