A different type of customer service

One of the most frustrating things about living in Peru is that you can't do business on the telephone. You have to go stand in line for hours with a 100 other people just to have a question answered or to do something simple (ie....transferring a telephone). And even though we are transferring the telephone 10 days before we move, we will still be without cable, internet and telephone for 10 days (minimum) b/c that is "just" how it works here. HUH? We tried another company, but 10 days later they have yet to confirm that we tried to set up an account and their systems have been down for almost a week now. They are sorry, but they just can't help us. BIG SIGH!

And then, we ordered 2 dining room chairs and 10 days later, and many lies later on behalf of the vendor, we had to demand our deposit back b/c it was obvious that the lies weren't going to stop and we weren't going to get our chairs anytime soon. And John warned other people at the store not to by from this lady and they just said, "Well, it's okay. This is just how Peru is." I'm sorry, but I won't get use to lies and excuses.

And then there is the medicine that another team tried to bring in from the U.S. and MANY months later it was set to be released from customs, but someone in the health department wrote the wrong code on the paperwork. No biggie! Just fix the code and release the package. Nope, not here. Now the package has to start ALL over again in the process and 2 weeks later, and the team has come and gone, the package still has not been released.

I'm not trying to be Debbie-Downer, but this is our life. And sometimes it is so incredibly frustrating that I just want to put my head in a pillow and scream "WHY?" There is a much more effective way to do business and make money and have better customer service. But alas, it is not that way here and it doesn't look like it will change anytime soon.

Almost EVERY single thing we have tried to change or do in terms of our move has turned into something VERY complicated and difficult when it doesn't really have to be that way.

So this blog sums up how you can pray for us.....PATIENCE AND UNDERSTANDING in a culture that makes no sense to us sometimes.