Whether you’re preparing for an earthquake or the next wildfire season, part of your planning should include creating what safety experts call a “go bag.” My problem is that every time I start to prepare, I only get partway there and never complete the task. Sound familiar? Read more

I was sad to hear that a friend’s husband was recently taken for a ride by some guys wandering their neighborhood selling pressure washing services. All the red flags were there. Read more

It’s amazing how some consumer complaints can easily be resolved when a responsive provider does something a little extra and unexpected. That was my experience on our first family vacation since the pandemic began. Read more

I’ve rented a lot of cars over the years, but I’ve never seen what I’m seeing today. Prices are high due to low inventories, and in some cases, no cars are available at any price. The strategies I’ve used in the past to save money have been upended by unanticipated consumer demand. The rental car industry sold off large numbers of vehicles during the pandemic to stay afloat, and those same companies are now having trouble ramping up with new cars due to manufacturing delays. This shortage in some popular destinations could last through the summer. Read more

For reasons I won’t go into here, my husband and I recently found ourselves in possession and taking care of five automobiles. For a while, my nickname in the family was “Fleet Manager.” One of the vehicles was sent to the East Coast by transport to our son, but that still left us with two extra used cars. We decided it was time to sell my 2015 Honda Fit and my husband’s beloved ’69 Volkswagen Beetle. (He was the original owner!) Read more

During the shelter-in-place orders, so many of us are spending more time at home than ever before. This has brought on a home improvement and decorating boom, along with another rather mixed blessing: the opportunity to uncover hidden problems. In my case, it was a slow water leak from a skylight.

For months, I’ve been ignoring some cracks and small bubbles in my bathroom ceiling near the skylight. After one of the recent rainstorms, the problem became more noticeable. I decided to poke a broom handle around the area and it was spongy. As my husband and I tore out the ceiling, we discovered mold in an area that extended several feet in all directions. Read more

I was so delighted when, after complaining to a grocery delivery service online, I received an email response within 30 minutes. I’d been unable to use a discount code on the website even though I tried three times. I placed the order anyway because I needed groceries. The customer service rep apologized in her email, acknowledged having other complaints and offered to manually apply the discount code for me. 

Most consumers have higher expectations for companies that are operating during the pandemic. In fact, a recent study surveying more than 1,000 consumers in different age groups (conducted by Hiver, a customer solution company) found that people want customer service to be not only more responsive but also more empathetic. Read more