Don't Make It Difficult For People to Do Business With You

I called Hawaiian Airlines last week to book a flight for my wife.  After booking, I was told I couldn't pay for it with my credit card because the name on the credit card has to be the same as the passenger's name.  Never mind that we live at the same address and have the same last name, the answer was still "no."  I was told we had to go to the airport ticket counter, present my ID and pay in person.  Hawaiian Airlines, which recently emerged from bankruptcy, has violated the #1 rule in business, which is DON'T MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE TO DO BUSINESS WITH YOU.

On Saturday (7/17) my wife and I drove clear across town to McCarran Airport in Las Vegas and went to the Hawaiian Airlines ticket counter at 1:30 pm.  It was closed.  I called Hawaiian Airlines and was told we'd had to come back when the counter opened - at 11 pm!  The hours were never mentioned to me when I was told to go to the airport to pay.  The customer service rep I spoke with still wouldn't take my credit card over the phone, so I asked to speak with a supervisor.  The supervisor listened to my story and agreed to accept the card over the phone "as a one time courtesy."  Gee, I'm trying to give them $1800 and they're going to extend me the courtesy of accepting it!

It's a terrible business policy to make it difficult for customers to do business with you, including erecting barriers for people who are trying to give you their money.  Who comes up with such asinine policies and why are such people allowed to keep their jobs?  Unfortunately, Hawaiian Airlines is the only carrier that flys to Pago Pago, American Samoa.  If there were any competition, perhaps their stupidity and arrogance might be somewhat tempered.

New Math

I went to Wal-Mart Sunday and gave the cashier (an adult woman) a coupon for some frozen dinners that were advertised as "5 for $10."  She looked at it for a few seconds and then said, "I have to ring them up separately.  How much is that each?"  I suppose I should have told her $1.25.  She wouldn't have known any difference. 

Do they not teach ANYTHING in school anymore?

Foreign Aid

Some Pakastani government blowhard is promising to respond with "full force" if the U.S. carries out any military action within his country's borders again.  Fair enough.  But about those foreign aid checks we send to Pakistan, including over $1-billion a year to "fight terrorism"...  let's just stop payment on the last one we sent and not send any more in the future.  Our deficit is at an alltime high - we're broke.  Let's use our tax dollars on something more important.

George Bush Did It

OK, so Osama Bin Laden is dead.  President Barrack Hussen Obama apparently gave the go ahead for our military forces to finish off the rag-headed bastard.  Good job.  However, for the past 2-1/2 years, everything that's happened in Obama's administration has been blamed on George Bush.  But you don't hear his name now.

TSA Idiots

Going through security in Newport News, Virginia, I handed the TSA agent my boarding pass and my new Passport Card.  He'd apparently never seen one before and didn't know what to make of it.  "Do you have a driver's license?", he asked.  "I do, but that is a U.S. Government issued photo ID, it should be sufficient", I said. "I need to see your driver's license", he said. I could have argued further, but I've found that's it's pointless to argue with TSA agents.  They're all idiots. 

Your Tax Dollars at Work

I had to call the IRS on Wednesday regarding an issue with one of my businesses.  I dialed the number on the IRS notice, waited on hold about 10 minutes, and after explaing my situation to the woman who answered, was told "you called the wrong number, you need to call 800-829-3903."  "That's the same number I called, the one printed on the notice", I said.  "You got transferred to me, so you must have entered something wrong."  Of course, it's MY fault!  I should have known.

The only thing I entered was my tax ID number, which is what I was prompted for.  "Oh, you shouldn't have entered that, you should just wait for assistance."  How the hell was I supposed to know that?  Why prompt me for my tax ID number in the first place?

She transferred me to another woman, who kept me on hold for another 10 minutes.  After explaining my situation to woman #2, she said "you called the wrong place, you'll have to call the Seattle office."  So much for printing clear instructions on IRS notices.

I called the Seattle office and got a recording telling me everyone was busy assisting other customers.  Yes, of course they were.  I left my name and number and am still waiting on a return call.

Is there any wonder why this country is on the road to ruin?

We'll Be Landing Soon

I was on a flight to Memphis recently when the flight attendant announced that we would soon be landing "in the Memphis area."  In the Memphis area?  I was hoping to land at the Memphis International Airport, not just somewhere "in the area."