Washer

So I'm a little late with the washer story. Told you it was the long verson.
So here it is:

On Tuesday, the load of laundry in the washer wouldn't drain and it was flashing an F21 code at me. I tried all the normal things, like setting it to just a spin cycle, washing the whole load over again, pushing random buttons, unplugging the washer, etc. Nothing made any difference. So I wrung all the clothes out by hand and put them in the dryer. Then waited until Wednesday and tried again with a different load. Same problem.

So on Wednesday after I dropped the kids off at school, I called Maytag. They have that great repairman on the commercials who's always bored because he never has any appliances to fix.

In the spring of 2010, a mere 2 years ago, we purchased a front loading washer and dryer with our tax return. We loved them! We could fit much more into them and the laundry that used to take forever to finish was suddenly manageable. Then we loved them even more when we got our utility bill! We saved $50-$100 per month! The new washer doesn't require more than a few tablespoons of soap, so we save on that too! The salesmen try to tell you that you'll save but we didn't really believe that it would be that much. It was!

The first year we had them, a button stuck on the dryer. It was still under warranty so someone came and fixed it at no cost to us. That's the only problem we've had so far. When we were offered the extended three year warranty by Maytag, I thought long and hard about it. It was expensive ($300 a piece) but probably worth it because we can't afford to be without a washer or dryer for very long and the cost for repairing them can be really expensive anyway. So we purchase the extended warranty.

Fast-forward to our current problem. I left a note for Steve to call to get it repaired. We had a definite lack of communication. He thought the warranty was through Lowes, so that's who he called. When I figured out what he was doing, I let him know it was actually through Maytag. He wasn't very happy with me.

Thursday morning, I was sitting on my laundry room floor pulling sopping wet clothes out of the washer and squeezing them out by hand so I could throw them in the dryer. I wasn't in a very good mood. I decided since I'd be there a while, I could get my page from James and work some more on memorizing while I was squeezing. So I did. Even while sitting on cement wringing out wet clothes from a broken washer, it's hard to maintain a negative attitude when you're repeating over and over, "Consider it pure joy whenever you face trial of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perserverence."

I can honestly say that I finished with a positive attitude. Then I helped the kids get ready for school, dropped them off and came home to call to get the washer fixed. When I called, the gentleman asked a lot of questions, all of which I had all ready tried myself. I tried to be patient and after 20 minutes of questions and answers, he finally agreed to send a repairman........who would be here sometime between 8am and 5pm on Oct 23 or 24th. Oh, by the way, an adult over 18 has to be there when they come. They'll call you the morning they're coming.

No. I'm not ok with that. I tried to explain that my husband and I are not going to take two full days off of work to wait three weeks for a repairman. I needed more of a definite time frame, maybe a specific morning or afternoon? Nope. He couldn't do that. It didn't offer that option on his computer screen. So I calmly asked to talk to a supervisor.

I spoke to supervisor Kim. First, I had to repeat everything I had already gone over with the first guy, including our phone numbers, address, washer model, etc and wait for her to re-enter them into the computer. Then came the "did you try this?" questions. Another 20 minutes later, she was ready to send a repairman. Again, I asked for a timeframe and was told that wasn't possible. After discussion back and forth for another 10 minutes, I told her we had two options at that point. Either they could refund us the entire warranty and I could find someone local to fix our washer in the next few days or she could call the service company herself and find a morning or afternoon that they could come. She finally agreed to do so. I guess I still need a lot of work in the patience department because God is really allowing me a lot of good opportunities to practice it. She told me she would put me on hold for 2-5 minutes (yes, she really said that) while she called the company and checked on a timeframe. Then she would let me know. So I remained on hold for a few minutes.

After being on hold for a while, their phone system started ringing me through to their regular call line. Uh oh. I waited in the system for another 10 minutes the automated voice told me if I hung up and tried again, I would lose my place in line. I finally got Mister Mumbly Guy. I couldn't even understand his name. I told him I was on hold with supervisor Kim. He insisted he could help me. After trying to let him know he couldn't help me, I'd already talked to two people and could he please just transfer me to Kim, he continued to insist he could help me. Trials and perserverance practice again! So I spent another 20 minutes going through the same questions and answers I'd already been through twice.

He finally paused, said it sounded like we did, in fact, need a repairman (really?) and offered to send one out who would be here sometime between 8am and 5pm on Oct 23 or 24th. Oh, by the way, an adult over 18 has to be there when they come. They'll call you the morning they're coming. Really!?!

"Ok", I said, "now we've come back to the original problem. That timeframe is not acceptable".

"There's nothing I can do", he says. "That's all that's offered on my computer screen." Really!?!


 "So do you see now why I was talking with a supervisor and I need to speak with Kim?"

I hear a mumble that I think is an "oh." We go back and forth for another 5 minutes and then, "Hey, now I can get you in on Oct 16th from 1-5pm!?"

I inform him that's probably because by now Supervisor Kim is off the phone with the service company and has entered a specific time on the computer for me. "No," he lies, "I just got it for you".

Whatever. "Thank you." I say politely before I hang up and rush to work after being on the phone for an hour.