Great customer service from Microsoft when buying iPhones. Wait...What???

Yes, the title is correct. I'll explain...

My wife and I had decided over six months ago to buy iPhones. I was sure, like most, that a new one was coming out and it would be announced at Apple's WWDC. Et voila- it was.
I didn't think it would be available so soon, though, so I wasn't ready to pre-order on Day One. I also had to work on Friday and was not going to wait on line at any Manhattan store just to find out there were none available.

Then a little article appeared on Friday: http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/06/19/crunchdeals-get-35-off-your-iphone-purchase%E2%80%A6-from-bingcom/
Huh? I could use bing.com (Microsoft's new search, excuse me, "decision" engine) to get 35% back when ordering iPhones through at&t? All I have to do is register for their free cashback account?

My friend told me about this service quite a few years ago when it was still MSN Search but I had never used it.

OK- I'm game. After all, a quick calculation tells me that if I order two iPhone 3GS @ $199 each, I get back almost $140. Wow- getting close to almost getting one of the phones for free. Plus, it's quite amusing that I'm, in essence, getting paid from Microsoft to buy Apple products. Pleasant irony is not a bad way to start off a Friday in my book!

Anyhoo, I check with the wife to make sure that she's OK with waiting another one to two weeks to get the iPhone into her hot little hand. Considering the stores will be out of stock for a while most likely and the money back, we decide it's worth the wait.

Hang in there- this gets better- I promise.

Now comes the "iffy" part- I have to use at&t's Premier site. Through my employer, we're eligble to use the Premier service which gives us discount on the service and data plans. It also gives discounts on many phones and items, but of course not iPhones. You may ask, however, "Can't you just order the phones through the regular at&t site and then call up about the discount plan after getting the phones?" The answer is yes and no. In theory, this could be done. In reality, though, the regular at&t site only allowed purchase of one iPhone even if you are doing a family plan. The Premier site allows for the purchase of two with no problem.

The big question- will this cashback thing work if I use the Premier site? Well, here goes nothing (possibly quite literally.)

I follow the steps to make sure I'm signed into bing.com, signed into my cashback account, search bing for at&t wireless, get the result, click the link (to the regular at&t site) and then do some cut-and-paste with the URL to get me to my Premier page.
OK, I go through the ordering process, confirm everything and payment...done.

And now we wait...

WAKE UP!!! We're just getting started here. YES, I'm talking to YOU!

Some anxiety starts to build as, throughout the day, I check various comments from people who have tried the "bing thing" with mixed results. Some report that they are seeing the funds in their cashback account an hour after completing the order. After a few hours, still nothing for me. The hamster in my head starts to wonder: "Did I do something wrong? Will this not work using the Premier site?" Some people have been commenting that it won't work using Premier.
I take a breath and stop worrying about it for the day.

Check a couple of times on Saturday- still nothing. Order still pending with at&t, but full funds are definitely on hold on my credit card, although not officially charged yet. OK- maybe tomorrow.
Sunday's here- Father's day- maybe my gift has arrived (I have a cat that's like a son- what of it?!?) Still, nothing in cashback and order still pending on at&t.

OK, the Monday suck is here- will I have some good news to make it better? Of course not- SS DD. I go through the day, checking occasionally and remain patient with unchanged results.
It's now Monday night- I've certainly waited the two days that bing suggests before contacting them about missing payments. OK, time to inquire. Click the link to get the submission form/page. See the following: http://twitpic.com/85tvg Uh oh! Wait- is this good or bad? At least I must be in the same boat as many others if they're posting this message before they even know what I'm inquiring about. I take this as at least a glimmer of hope. I fill out the information that is requested, copy and paste the full at&t order confirmation into the comments field and submit.

Shortly, I get an email from bing Customer Support with all of the info in it but saying they cannot process information that has been pasted in. They want me to attach a copy of the actual order confirmation email and reply back. No problem- pull up email---print---save as pdf---reply---attach pdf---send.

Come on people- stay with me here.

Fast forward to today (Tuesday.) The afternoon comes and so does an interesting email from cashback Customer Support:

Hello Steven,

Thank you for contacting Bing cashback Customer Support! My name is Gina, and I will be assisting you with Service Request [number omitted by me] regarding your missing AT&Tpurchase.

After reviewing your information, we have credited the purchase to your account, pending merchant confirmation. The cashback amount will remain in your account as "pending" for 60 days from the date of purchase. Please be aware that if the merchant indicates that this order was returned or canceled or is otherwise not valid, your cash back may be canceled. Based on this resolution, your incident will now be closed.

Thank you Steven, for contacting Bing cashback Customer Support.

Warmest regards,

Gina A.

Bing cashback Customer Support ~ https://support.cashback.discoverbing.com

We welcome your comments and suggestions about how we can improve the support we provide to you. Please click here to leave us feedback.

SWEET!

Then I see an email from Bing cashback that says:
You earned $69.65 from your AT&T Store purchase on 6/19/2009:

Details	cashback
AT&T Store Unit price: $199.00 Quantity: 1	$69.65

"HOLD ON" you say? So do I. I ordered two iPhones. OK, if for some reason they're only paying out on one, at least that covers my activation fees. So, I have nothing to lose by pushing it a little further and reply back that this is only half- missing the other phone.

Are you holding your breath? Well STOP!- There's no need to be so dramatic!

Finally, the home stretch- I get home and stretch (see what I did there? Huh? Didja?)
I settle in and open my email- another one from cashback Customer Support:

Hi Steve,

Thank you for contacting Bing cashback Customer Support.

I apologize for the oversight regarding your cashback purchases. We have credited the additional $69.65 cashback to your account for the second phone that was purchased. Thank you for your patience.

Have a good day, Steve, and thank you again for contacting Bing cashback Customer Support.

Warmest regards,

Cailen S.

Escalations Specialist

Bing cashback Customer Support-- http://www.bing.com/cashback/

We welcome your comments and suggestions about how we can improve the support we provide to you. Please click here to leave us feedback.

Another email from Bing cashback confirms the second amount.
HOLY CRAP- A little patience and a little persistence got me the full bag. That, boys and girls, finally brings me to the point of all this drivel (OK now- enough with the sarcastic applause!)

I have worked in customer service and often deal with customer service. Most of it sucks beyond belief. So, when I have what I feel was a great experience with customer service that seems to know what it's doing and resolves problems quickly to my satisfaction, I need to tell people. To find out that this great customer service came from- of all companies- Microsoft, well it knocked my socks off. No literally- I'm writing this barefoot! (DO NOT ask for photos!)

And this may actually only be the end of the beginning- at&t already confirmed to me that one of the phones is being sent out today for delivery tomorrow. If that comes without a problem and the second one gets sent soon, I may have to also commend at&t.

The bottom line (yes, it actually does exist): Critical Steve heaping praise on two despised Goliath companies- that guy with the sign on the corner is right- "The End is Near!"

UPDATE...UPDATE...UPDATE!!!
Just got confirmation that at&t has shipped the second phone as well for receipt tomorrow. I'm not sure I've been impressed so much in one day!

Life explained

This was sent to me:

On the first day, God created the dog and said:

'Sit all day by the door of your house and bark at anyone who comes in or walks past. For this, I will give you a life span of twenty years.'

The dog said: 'That's a long time to be barking. How about only ten years and I'll give you back the other ten?'

So God agreed.

On the second day, God created the monkey and said:

'Entertain people, do tricks, and make them laugh. For this, I'll give you a twenty-year life span.'

The monkey said: 'Monkey tricks for twenty years? That's a pretty long time to perform. How about I give you back ten like the Dog did?'

And God agreed.

On the third day, God created the cow and said:

'You must go into the field with the farmer all day long and suffer under the sun, have calves and give milk to support the farmer's family. For this, I will give you a life span of sixty years.'

The cow said: 'That's kind of a tough life you want me to live for sixty years.. How about twenty and I'll give back the other forty?'

And God agreed again.

On the fourth day, God created humans and said:

'Eat, sleep, play, marry and enjoy your life. For this, I'll give you twenty years.'

But the human said: 'Only twenty years? Could you possibly give me my twenty, the forty the cow gave back, the ten the monkey gave back, and the ten the dog gave back; that makes eighty, okay?'

'Okay,' said God, 'You asked for it.'

So that is why for our first twenty years we eat, sleep, play and enjoy ourselves. For the next forty years we slave in the sun to support our family. For the next ten years we do monkey tricks to entertain the grandchildren. And for the last ten years we sit on the front porch and bark at everyone.

Life has now been explained to you.