This really happened. About 27 years ago. That Key West business that I dealt with is no longer in business. Thank God.
In October 1993 I purchased a former guest house in Key West at a public auction held by the Small Business Administration. The SBA had foreclosed a mortgage on an operating guest house located in a prime Old Town location. The building sat boarded up for two years. I took possession in December 1993 and undertook the clean-up and moved forward to re-opening the business.
I drove out on Roosevelt Boulevard to a local appliance dealer that sold SubZero appliances. I purchased a new stand alone refrigerator and stand alone freezer. I previously owned a SubZero in Denver and knew it to be reliable brand. I wanted the best. Not the cheapest.
We had just refinished the wood floors in the kitchen. They looked great. The delivery truck arrived. The appliances were already unpacked from the shipping boxes. The deliverymen put each appliance on a dolly and brought them into the kitchen. The floor was scratched in the process. It was a huge gouge. Repairable, but annoying.
The deliverymen set the appliances up and left. Within a few weeks the freezer acted up. It did not work. I called the dealer who sent a repairman. It worked until it did not work again. I called the dealer who sent the repairman who messed with it and then left. It worked until it stopped again. I called the dealer who said he could not deal with ME.
This was 1994 - before the Internet and Google. I found the name and fax number of SubZero. I sent a FAX to the President of SubZero in Wisconsin and detailed my problem.
A day later. One day later. Not two days or a week. A day later. I got a telephone call from the president of SubZero's secretaty who said she would refer my problem to person in Florida. A day or two later I got a phone call from that person. He was a state or regional honcho. He asked a bunch of questions including the Model Number and Serial Number on the freezer. There was none. NONE.
I know what identification plates look like. There was none. The guy on the telephone was distressed. He said he would come down himself. He did. He was PISSED OFF. There was no plate on that SubZero. Somebody was f****ng with his product. Within a couple of days he had a brand new freezer delivered to me that was still in the box.
The local dealer I dealt with in Key West is no longer in business nor is the repairman. Locals know their names. Their names are not important. SubZero as brand stood behind its products and took care of my problem.
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