Bose has great customer service (but you knew that)

I have a set of Bose QC2 noise-canceling headphones that I use every day. I bought them in late 2007. They don't make my BART commute quiet, but they make it tolerable enough that I can listen to music and podcasts.

Within the first year the wire started to fray a little. I walked into the Bose store in San Francisco and without blinking they gave me a new cable. Very cool.

Another couple of years later and my sweaty, bald head had caused the ear cups and cushioned underside of the head band to wear out. I ordered new ear cups ($35 + shipping) from their website and made a mental note to call tech support about replacing the headband when I had a chance.

Yesterday two things happened. First, the new ear cups arrived. And then I noticed the cable fraying again in the same spot - the insulation is pulling away from the jack. So now time to call and ask what should I do. I want to order the cable and the headband.

Tyler has the rep who got my call. The cable was $15 and easy to replace. But the headband piece was not replaceable.

"So you've already spent the $35 for the cups. I can certainly send you a new cable, which is $15 plus shipping. But we're certainly sorry that you've had these issues with our product - they really should last longer than the few years you've had them."

I replied that the electronics are fine. But my glands are just outside Bose's tolerances.

"Here's what we can do - for $89, plus tax and shipping, and $5 to ship your old headphones back to us, I can send you our newest equivalent model. We just released it in the last year or so and they're lots better anyway."

Really?

"Really."

Do I need to ship them right away? I'd like to use them on a business trip next week.

"No problem. Print the mailing label when you get it in your email - it expires in a week. But the label is good for 90 days. If we don't receive the old set by then, we'll cancel the whole thing. So drop it in the mail when you get back. You're all set. I'll transfer you to our RMA department to send back the ear cups you've already received. No problem."

Damn. 

I didn't get the second rep's name, but he finished the transaction before I could tell him the whole story.

I'm going to give Bose the benefit of the doubt that they'll refurb what they can and dispose of the parts they can't. 

Meanwhile? Super Happy Customer.

My "Where's Larry?" Jury Duty post is a "Primary" source

larryellisondropout.jpg
ORCL Mar 24 2011, 05:20 PM EDT
32.14 Change % Change
+0.73 +2.32%
Oracle CEO Larry Ellison couldn't make today's earnings call because he was on jury duty.

Instead, Mark Hurd -- the company's president, who was dismissed as HP's CEO last year -- sat in.

The report confirms a couple of tweets from Tuesday that reported seeing Ellison on jury duty at San Mateo County Superior Court. One person, David W Frank, posted a picture of the jury selection room on Posterous, but Ellison isn't obviously visible in it.

Earlier today, Oracle reported third quarter results ahead of analyst estimates, earning $2.21 billion ($0.41 per share) on $8.76 billion in revenue.

Excluding one-time items, profit was $0.54 per share, ahead of analyst estimates of $0.50.

The hardware business showed strong growth, with revenue doubling from $458 million a year ago to $1.67 billion this year. No wonder Oracle has been taking so many shots at server rival HP -- it looks like the trash talk is working.

The PDF of the earnings release is here.

The company also increased its quarterly dividend from $0.05 to $0.06 per share.

via businessinsider.com

Really you can't spot Larry in my photo? Well, I guess you didn't manage to get my name right, so OK.

Kids & Teachable Moments

Adapted from an email I just sent Dan Benjamin and Merlin Mann of the "Back to Work" podcast. Posted here for posterity.

---

Back to Work's episode "Little Velvet Hands" (http://5by5.tv/b2w/8) was in my head the other day, so I used it in a teachable moment with my son.

We just took a family trip to Phoenix, AZ to catch a little Giants Spring Training (Merlin, that's cricket). When we fly, we always have the kids, 5 & 9, pack & pull their own roller bags. All the better to teach how to navigate the whole airport thing. Plus ownership & responsibility is good, right?

This trip they wanted to check their bags. BAGS FLY FREE on Southwest, so why not?

 On the flight home, we land at SFO and they lost my son's bag - he's the 5 year old.

The boy,  "WHOO-HOO! I DON'T HAVE TO UNPACK TONIGHT!" 

As awesome as that is, that's not what I came here to tell.

I stood in line, behind bunches of the seriously grumpy people, I gave my phone number, I got the receipt. And we left.

When Southwest called the next day to say the bag had been found they gave me the option to have it delivered or come pick it up and get a $50 voucher . We live close to SFO so I chose the latter.

I chose to bring the boy. It was, after all, his bag. And he needed to pick it up.

So we drove to the airport. I gave him the receipt. We walked in to the empty Southwest baggage claim area and to the baggage desk. Behind it was one woman who was clearly on a soul-sucking phone call in the middle of a soulless shift. 

When that call ended, she looked at me and said, nearly perky, "Can I help you?"

And then a 5 year old boy pointed to the corner, handed her his receipt, and said, "That's my suitcase."  

She beamed. "Well then let's get it checked out so you can take it home."

Clickity-clickity-clackity.

The boy, "What happened so that my bag wasn't with everybody else's bags?"

She, grinning, "Somebody forgot to put it on your plane. But we put it on the next one."

The boy, "You mean from Arizona?"

She, "Yep."

The boy, "Ok." <beat> "Thank you."

I sent this to not only to brag. But because what we talked about all the way home is how the lady was there waiting for him and that he made her smile while she did her job because he was nice. 

And that most people she dealt with during her day were mad that their luggage was missing and were NOT NICE to her. So it was important to remember that it was helpful to be nice when you can because it makes people smile.

That and he had to unpack his bag when we got home.

The boy, "Oh, MAN!"

Thanks, Bobby.

Updated: March 22, 2011, 7:27 PM ET

Braves to retire Bobby Cox's number

Associated Press

ATLANTA -- The Atlanta Braves on Tuesday announced plans to retire former manager Bobby Cox's number.

The Braves will honor Cox's No. 6 on Aug. 12 before a home game against the Chicago Cubs.

Cox is the first to have his number retired by the Braves only for his accomplishments as a manager.

Cox retired after last season. He is fourth all-time with 2,504 wins, including 2,149 wins in 25 years with the Braves.

The Braves won 14 straight division titles and the 1995 World Series under Cox.

"Bobby Cox exemplifies the Braves organization," team president John Schuerholz said. "Inducting him into our Hall of Fame and retiring his legendary No. 6 is fitting recognition for a man who has done so much for our organization, our great game and the city of Atlanta."

Cox's number will become the third the team has retired in three years, following Tom Glavine (47) last year and Greg Maddux (31) in 2009.

The only other Braves players to have their numbers retired are Hank Aaron (44), Eddie Mathews (41), Dale Murphy (3), Phil Niekro (35) and Warren Spahn (21).

Mathews, the third baseman who hit 512 home runs, was 149-161 as the Braves' manager from 1972-74.


Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

via sports.espn.go.com