Sams Club

Hi,

I am calling to complain about the high prices at the Sams Club that is nearest my house (Club #xxxx). I got a Sams Club membership (again) a little more than a year ago and for the most part have been very happy. You have a good selection and better prices on some items than a typical grocery store.

But recently, while I was at a different Sams Club also in the Cincinnati metro area, I noticed that the price on cheese was lower than I remembered. Then, after I got home and did a little research on your website, I found that this was not a fluke, that in fact, the prices at my Sams Club were consistently higher (and not insignificantly).

I compared 4 clubs that are near my house: Club xxxx (8 mins away), Club xxxx (22 mins), Club xxxx (15 mins) and club xxxx (23 mins), for the items that I typically buy at your store.

Here are a few of the items, with the prices at each of those 4 clubs
5 lb Cheddar Cheese - $8.24, $8.28, $9.16, $9.22
5 lb Mozzerella Cheese - $7.93, $8.05, $8.53, $8.56
American cheese - $7.42, $7.79, $8.12, $8.12
Pancake mix - $5.68, $5.72, $5.72, $6.48

I did find a few items (mostly non-perishables) that appeared to be the same price at each club.

I just find it frustrating that in order to achieve the "every day low prices" that your company always touts and advertises, that I have to drive around to several different clubs WITHIN YOUR SAME COMPANY!!!

I would like to send this to the manager of my local store (#xxxx) to let him know that he will now be losing my business due to his prices, but found no way to contact an individual store on your website.

Thank you for your time.

Dan Miller

To NBC, RE Kings

I heard a rumor that Kings may be on the chopping block. (as in the proverbial one, not the horrible TV series one).

Please in the name of all that is good about television, do not cancel this show.  Finally My wife and I have found a drama that interests us as much as early ER and 24.  We have been looking for a long time and have found disappointment after miserable disappointment, but we love Kings.

Great acting, compelling story lines, and intelligent writing make it a show we look forward to.

That said, we do watch it on DVR, so if you are going solely by the ratings, we aren't helping any, I don't think, but remember that there are those of us out there that think this is a great series and will be sorely bitter if you cancel it.

Cheers!

Compliment for Garage Doors of America

We had a garage door problem a few weeks ago and did not know where to turn. We tried the Home Warehouse chains and did not find much help there, so I looked online to see what I could come up with. Your website was one of the first that I found and within minutes of finding your site and signing up for help, we had a contractor scheduled to come out and fix our garage door. And the 15 dollar coupon was helpful as well.

Keep up the good work!

A Letter to XM Radio

This was a letter that I sent to XM Radio regarding the format change from the old channel called POTUS 08 that was devoted to the presidential elections.  I understood that some changes would be needed after the election was over, but, as you will read, certainly don't like the way that they are going.


What happened to my POTUS?  It went from being the first and usually the last destination on my XM dial to being just another talk channel.  What's up with having commercials?  What happened to commercial free in the land of the free?  Where did the good programs go.  At least you still have the Press Pool, but please tell me you aren't seriously going to keep Pete Dominic around.  Please.  I can accept that everybody will have a little bias and a little bent to their opinions, but this guy is so far left he makes Obama look plain conservative.  I have listened to his show a few times this week (how can I help it, it is always on!) and I have heard him insult just about everything that I stand for.  I have heard him tell a man who was abstinent from sex due to religious preference that he was dumb and should "get laid", I heard him say that God doesn't exist, I heard one of his callers swear several times in the course of an anti-American (the caller was from Canada) rant and not get censored or at least reprimanded, and on and on.  And even if I agreed with his politics, this guy is so full of how great he is and how novel his talk show is that he feels that he needs to tell us.  Every 5 minutes.

I can't be the only POTUS listener who is sorely disappointed in the direction that this channel is taking.  I don't need a whole slew of hosts who espouse my views (I don't really like most of the right wing shows anyway) but I just want what you had set up before - a channel where I could listen and get facts and even occasional opinions that were non-insulting and fair and interesting.

For many months POTUS 08 has been the biggest factor keeping me subscribed.  If it keeps in this direction then I'll just go back to land-based radio because if I want blowhards I can get them anywhere.

Sincerely,

A disgruntled listener

Kroger shredded cheese

To whom it may concern:

Recently I had some trouble with a bag of shredded mild cheddar Kroger brand cheese. While most of my experiences with Kroger store brand products has been positive, this one was very frustrating. On the top of these bags of cheese there is a strip of plastic that rips off, allowing you to open (and reseal) the bag. But this particular bag's strip would not rip correctly. I tried ripping it from each side, and it only partially tore, rendering the bag unopenable. Eventually I had to carefully cut the top with a pair of scissors.

While this was only a minor inconvenience, I thought you would like to know so that you could try to improve your manufacturing process. I tried to look for a manufacturing code or something like that to further aid you in tracking down the problem, but was unable to find one.

Thank you for your time in reading this.

Pampers followup

Unlike certain cracker companies, P&G is on the ball

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Thank you for sharing your disappointment with our product. Our goal is to produce high quality products that consistently delight our consumers and I'm sorry this wasn't your experience. Please be assured I'm sharing your comments with the rest of our team.

Since your satisfaction means a great deal to us, I'm following up with you by postal mail. You should receive my letter within the next 2-3 weeks.

Thanks again for writing.

P&G Team

Pampers

I frequently use Pampers Cruisers for my children. We're currently using size 4 of this product for my toddler. We've never had a problem with your diapers before. We just opened a new pack of Pampers Cruisers a few days ago, and already 4 tabs have ripped off, either on application or when taking the diaper off. Each time it was always the right tab. (The tab on the right hip of my child.) I wanted to alert you to this problem since this package seems to have several defective diapers in it.

I must say, I'm very disappointed. I expect more from Pampers products.
Thank you for your time.

Austin crackers

Guest complaint from Carolyn!!

We frequently purchase Austin variety pack of cookies and crackers. Of course, everyone has their personal favorites. But I must ask, why do you include 10 each of the peanut butter crackers and only 5 each of all the others? I like peanut butter crackers the same as the next person, but they clearly can't compare to the cookies or even the cheese crackers. My kids always complain that there's nothing left in the box but the cheese and peanut butter crackers, which no one feels like eating. Can't you more evenly divide up the cracker selection in the box? Or perhaps include more of the REAL FAVORITES, like the cookies? I mean, come on...what child is going to pick peanut butter crackers over cookies?!

I know my family would be very pleased to see more cookies and cheese crackers in the variety pack and fewer peanut butter crackers. Thanks.

IHOP followup

I complained again about my not having gotten an email from my initial complaint.

Response:
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Thank you for taking the time to contact IHOP.

We definitely do not condone any bad food or service, or any other "mistreatment" of our guests. Most of our restaurants (including the one you visited in Cincinnati) are independently owned franchises. As such, they are ultimately responsible for their own customer service. As a courtesy to them and their customers, we here at IHOP Corporate help the Franchisees by relaying any guests concerns that we receive. However, it is the sole decision of the Franchisee what steps he or she wishes to take to resolve any guest issues that arise concerning their restaurant. Most owners do wish to make their guests happy and do make every attempt to resolve their concerns.

We have received your comments on 10/1/2008. I have already forwarded your original message to the FBC who works with the franchise owner of this restaurant. They will inform the Franchisee of your comments and will recommend it in the best interest of the Franchisee to contact you soon. Please allow 7 – 10 business days for a response.

I sincerely hope that this has explained in more detail how our system works. Thank you again for contacting IHOP.


Sincerely,

IHOP update

Dear

Thank you for taking the time to contact us concerning your experience at the IHOP in Cincinnati. While it is always disappointing to learn that we have not lived up to our guest's expectations, it is invaluable to receive feedback so that we are able to continually improve our level of guest satisfaction.

We are sorry to learn of the difficulties you encountered at this location. Please be assured that the matter will be shared with the proper individuals to address your concerns.

I have forwarded your concerns to IHOP's Franchise Business Consultant for the North region. They will contact the franchise owner regarding your recent dining experience in this restaurant. We are confident that the franchise owner or his representative will contact you shortly to better understand your concerns. It is our hope that you will once again allow us to earn your patronage.

Thank you for keeping us informed.

Sincerely,


Guest Services Representative
IHOP Restaurant Support Center