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Wow! Look at On Your Side. My advocacy blog and wiki, On Your Side, is back! It expands my mission to other consumer issues beyond travel, and offers you a chance to become part of the action. Please sign up for the daily newsletter or RSS feed or, if you’re interested in helping consumers, register for our volunteer newsletter.
Do we need another tarmac delay law? Some consumer advocates are pushing Congress for yet another tarmac delay law. What do you think? Take the poll here.
What I’m reading. This week’s highlights include my Mint.com column on customers misbehaving, a dismissed case that was eventually solved and the curious problem of Nissan’s failure to comment on its Leaf delivery issues. Have a great weekend!
On Elliott.org
Four Unbelievably Stupid Things No Customer Should Ever Do
When the service is so awful that you feel like taking a swing at an employee, or falling to the ground and wailing, give yourself a little time-out and watch these videos.
The Travel Troubleshooter: Is my lost train ticket a lost cause?
When Stephanie Sanzo loses her Eurail pass, she’s promised a quick refund. But now, more than a year later, the 313-euro refund is still missing in action. Is she out of luck?
Case dismissed: A strange delay dooms a ticket rebooking request
This may be one of the oddest cases I’ve ever been involved in. It’s particularly upsetting because someone, somewhere pushed a wrong button and made the problem impossible to fix.
Ridiculous or not? Hotels can cancel your reservations anytime, and you’re outta luck
The email from the Hotel Solamar in San Diego came as a “complete shock” to Barb Staigerwald on a recent Saturday morning. Her reservations for a convention in July had suddenly been canceled without explanation.
On Your Side
Silence isn’t golden: 6 things a disgruntled customer won’t tell you
Ah, the things unhappy customers keep to themselves. If only they were as transparent as they claim the companies they’re fighting aren’t, life would be so much simpler for this consumer advocate.
Yet another meaningless list: The 10 “best” companies in America
It’s not that I don’t believe the 30,000 members of the general public surveyed by Harris Interactive are telling the truth, when it comes to the most reputable companies. It isn’t even that I don’t think the winners deserve to be highly ranked.
Is Nissan lying about its Leaf?
David Imboden can’t wait for his Nissan Leaf, the highly-anticipated 100 percent electric car. But he’s troubled by the long wait that seems to have been exacerbated by the earthquake in Japan, and the car manufacturer’s explanation — or lack thereof.
Should I delete my customer service blog?
Alistair Young had a problem. He booked a room through the Comfort Inn site and paid $225, but then found the same room elsewhere online for just $174.
CBS Interactive
Advertising Reality Check: Are You Leading — Or Lying?
New media offers new opportunities to get your advertising message to customers. But are you crossing a line? Where is the line, for that matter?
This Britney Spears Video is an Ad — Can You Tell?
That song you’re listening to on your iPod could be bought and paid for by an advertiser.
The 10 Worst Companies in America
Harris Interactive surveyed 30,000 people and asked them to evaluate companies based on a long list of criteria. The list of the worst companies is revealing.
Also
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