(originally published June 12th, 2005)

I got my car back after four weeks of it being on the shelf. It was a harrowing experience, in that the warranty company decided they weren't going to pay for any of the repairs. With that, I trouped into the dealership to pay for my car, happy in the fact that I had the money in my checking account to easily take care of the balance.


the car before this one

Lo and behold, life isn't always as simple as one would hope it would be. My card rejected, and of course I was embarrassed. A quick call to the bank taught me that there are limits to how much money one is allowed to take out on their debit card, no matter how much money you have in the account. I never remembered that one in the fine print, especially since this was my business account.

Almost an hour later, they had finally upped my limit so I could pay for my car, then pay for my rental, but it was only good for an hour. I was happy to have my car, but I was dismayed at the controls others are putting on my money, without my knowledge. Sure, I know it now, but having to wait for an hour to get access to my own money was ridiculous. Unfortunately, I was in an area where my local bank didn't exist.

Do you run your business or department with hidden rules that others don't know about? What kind of reaction would you expect when such things are unleashed on the unsuspecting? And, if you need to rectify an issue, do you feel that expedience is important, for the customer's sake, or do you take your time because, after all, the customer will eventually get what they want?

Important questions to ask yourself as we begin another fine week.