Subtotal Recall

A Tale of Three Things; Two that have Failed Me and One that I have failed:

#1

So remember two months ago when I bought those Chicco hanging seats (or, to be technical, Chicco Hippo Hook-on Chairs?) And everyone was happy because we could all eat at the table together and I could help Caroline and Edward feed themselves without contorting into unbearable positions and the space around our table became miraculously uncluttered?

[Exhibits A and B]

 

Yeah, well that lasted just over sixty days. On Monday Edward was sitting in his Chicco Hippo hanging seat and decided that he wanted something juuuuust out of his reach. So he leaned forward, hoiked up his knees and did a little bottom wiggle and... huzzah! He was on top of the dining room table.

[Exhibit C, a re-enactment. note: Edward is theoretically secured in this photo]

I was startled to turn around and see Edward acting as a centerpiece and I thought, yikes, we need to tighten that lap belt on him. So we did. This is when we discovered that it is designed such that there is actually no way to tighten the three-point harness so an active or even semi-active child cannot escape.  

Caroline watched him like a bright-eyed sparrow, looked at her own belt, and proceeded to shimmy out of it, sylph that she is.

So we had two children on the table.

Damn it. We just spent $100 on seats that were functional for a mere two months. I thought about it and concluded that a lap belt should offer more than a suggestion that the child should remain seated and I called the Babies R Us store from whence I bought them. My hope was that I could return them because they are dangerous and useless and then I could buy something else that is safe and useful.

The Babies R Us store person listened and then said they would be happy to accept the return provided that the seats were unused, repackaged in their original packaging material and accompanied by the original sales receipt. Oh, did I say they listened? Maybe not. She then told me that I can call the manufacturer and maybe they can help. Or if there is a formal recall, you know, when more children than just mine wiggle out and maybe fall and gash their heads and break their arms, THEN they will take them back.

Whatever.     

I called Chicco. I explained that I had used the seats for two months and that both of my nineteen month old twins had recently figured out how to escape the seats and that there was no way to secure the belt to prevent this.

She said...

[this is when I got annoyed and decided to write this post]

"The three point harness is only intended for use while the parent is in the room and within view of the child."

It was the WAY she said.

My response, like Milhouse the night watchman, "Of course I was watching. First he started to fall over; then he fell over."

What? They think I cannot run a meth lab and feed my kids breakfast at the same time? The nerve.

As I type this I realize that I am not quite enough in the right to justify a refund. As she said, the lap belt only works as well as it works. And despite the fact that it is advertised for use between the ages of 6 months and three years, the unwritten caveat is that these ages only apply to preternaturally still children. So Chicco told me to go fuck myself as did Babies R Us corporate who I called next (and who could have done something. I worked corporate retail. we were insanely powerful. even as a grocery buyer in Chicago I was permitted under federal law to have people killed, if I so chose - getting a shabby product returned would have been a mere bagatelle; something I would do as I flossed with the bones of my P&G rep) suggested ditto (provided I had my original packaging to do so.)

So I have ordered different hanging seats with a five-point harness from Amazon (will advise as to efficacy) and in the meantime I have to sit in between Caroline and Edward as they eat, shoving them back into their seats every five seconds with a firm, "No standing. On your bottom please."

I really resent this.

My online product review now goes something like: Chicco Hippo Hanging Chairs are great unless you do not want your baby to sustain a concussion.

If you were considering getting these seats I would strongly advise against it. Or any Chicco product for that matter. I mean, what if something goes wrong with it? I can personally attest to their unwillingness to provide recourse.

#2

In delightful contrast, let me tell you about Playskool Hasbro.

Caroline, as I mentioned, developed a passionate devotion to the Playskool Made for Me mp3 player. She carried it everywhere, listening to the music and dancing (or smirking, as illustrated here)

[Exhibit D]

     

A week ago the mp3 plug-in part stopped working. I think it has a short in it because sometimes it plays and sometimes it does not. When it does not there is much sorrow.

[Exhibit E]

I bought the thing in December for Edward's birthday present and, although it is not that old, I admit that it has been taking a daily beating from two toddlers. So I think it is reasonable that a wire might have loosened. In fact, I do not think the product was intended for use under eighteen months, although I might be making that up and I do not feel like looking right now. Anyway, my point is that I was disappointed that it was no longer functioning properly but I was willing to consider that the fault was ours.

Regardless, I emailed Hasbro and explained when we bought it and that a part was broken and asked if there was anything they could do. Within three days I received an email back. They apologized for the problem and said unfortunately they have discontinued this item (a real shame, I think, and I note that they are now selling for $40 online - you might want to consider it.) However, they said, they mailed an item of equal value to us and hoped that it would help ease our sense of loss. Or something like that. I have not gotten the package yet (I am very interested to see what we get) but WOW.

Chicco. Hasbro.
Hasbro. Chicco.

One of these things is not like the other. One of these things just isn't the same.

#3

I have no idea where I read that nonstick cookware is not intended for extended use but I did. Something about the nonstick part turning toxic or breaking down on something. I read this aloud to Steve (whatever it was) and we said, huh, we might need new pans since ours are at least ten years old and look like they were used during the Battle of Hastings to hit the Saxons.

Then Steve had some sort of psychic break on Monday. In the morning I reached for a pan that was sitting on the stove top and then recoiled like I had been burned. Because I had been burned. Because Steve had made himself some sort of fried egg and wild mushroom thing for breakfast and then returned the empty pan to a still lit burner where it sat smoldering away for at least an hour. Uh, DANGER.     

What the hell, Steve, I asked.

Oh, sorry! he said

Later that same day we were eating lunch and I said, "Do you smell something burning?"

Steve looked stricken and ran over to the stove where he had yet again left an empty pan over an open flame. Same pan. My ten inch nonstick saute pan is now deader than dead.

So two questions:

Do you have a good skillet recommendation? Something affordable, please, as we are in reduced circumstances this summer and I just had to buy two more freaking seats for the twinkles.

What's your worst customer service experience? I feel like continuing to burn with self-righteous indignation and my Chicco ire will only get me so far.

PS I will shortly be posting a caprese salad recipe over at Scrambled that I think is pretty good. With a twist! Get your tomatoes ready.

Comments

[Lawmommy]

I am exceedingly fond of my Calphalon 10 inch pan.

My worst customer service experience was with Toys R' Us. They have the same crap return policy as Babies R'Us. (Not a surprise, there, since they are the same entity.) I wrote about it here. I hate them them and I won't shop there anymore.

[Celeste]

Customer service these days is a joke.

I wouldn't buy another set of the table toddler seat thingies. Won't they just outgrow them in the next six months or so? Why not buy them something that will last throughout the toddler years and won't take up so much space.

example: www.allmodernbaby.com/Mutsy-EGROW-X-MUT1158.html

We went with a Stokke, but with needing two the $$$ could add up. We liked how it can adjust to the growth and be used for three or four years.

I replace my non-stick pans every year, so I always try to get something reasonably priced. I just bought a few pieces of Tivoli from HomeGoods (TJMaxx) and I have been very happy. They run anywhere from $16 to $45 for sauté pans and are comparable to All Clad. The non-stick finish is superior and can be used with metal utensils.

At least your husband will feed himself and make food. I'd spare a pan that. Happy shopping!

[Erika]

Cast iron, but don't use it for tomatoes. (or so I've heard).

The worst experience--that I can think of--was 2 years ago when I ordered indian river grapefruit for my parents for Christmas. Didn't arrive. Called the company about 2 days after Christmas--no one answered. Called again, and again, and again--no one answered. Sent an email, got a msg back (after New Year's) apologizing b/c they'd been on a holiday vacation/break/whatever. He said they'd send another package. Never arrived. The first package *finally* arrived--turned out the company had sent it to the right address, but UPS decided the address didn't exist (new house in new development) and changed the zip, so it went to the other corner of town. 2 weeks later, finally arrived--w/ totally rotten fruit. My parents threw out the fruit & sent the package label to me, and I contacted the company again--no response. Finally contacted Visa, and was told that because I hadn't kept the original merchandise, they couldn't help me.

Didn't matter that the original merchandise was food, and would have been completely rotten by that time. That's the policy.

So. Suckitude all around. My only advice is that if you order grapefruit from Florida, be VERY careful that the company you use has a long and happy track record.

[Lawmommy]

Crud, I did the link wrong...my craptastic Toys R Us experience is here: http://adventuresoflawmommy.blogspot.com/2008/12/open-letter-to-toys-r-us.html

[Ang]

Marshalls, Tuesday or TJ Maxx--do you have those? They always have high-quality pans for way less than anything in a dept store.

[Ang]

Tuesday Morning, that should be.

[Steph]

I sell and love Pampered Chef pans.

Lifetime guarantee.

www.pameredchef.biz/stephs

[Jessica]

You had a bit of a better experience with Hasbro Playskool than we did. Of course, ours stopped working because of our own negligence. We took a long time changing the batteries in it and the old batteries leaked and made the spring break off. When we called Hasbro they basically just said "Sorry." My husband was able to solder a new spring on that he bought at Radio Shack.

We found them recently at Toys R Us on clearance for like $25. I made sure we bought a second one for our new baby too. I think they're recommended for ages birth and up, actually. But we love it and are also disappointed about it being discontinued.

[Amy]

Cast iron. Really. I, the neurotic anti-chemical one, was still using a nonstick or things like eggs until recently. But then I tried my old, well-seasoned cast iron skillet and it was fine! I think there are pre-seasoned ones now. The trick is to never let them see soap. Scrub in hot water. That is all. If you cook something that eats away the seasoning (like tomatoes) either re-season it or make sure you use it for something fatty next time.

[Sue]

Thank you for the timely consumer comparison. I need to replace a peeling,low-end calphalon non-stick pot that I bought earlier this year. Who could be more reliable than readers of Julia's blog, seriously? I just ordered the Cuisinart Green gourmet product recommended by Leslie in Toronto - half off at Amazon. Thanks Leslie!

On the customer-service-is-so-often-bad topic, I'd say the worst was when our health insurance tried to tell me that the anesthesia for my husband's, pre-approved, eight-hour brain surgery was not usual, customary and reasonable. I spent almost a year chasing that charge and trying to keep it off of our credit report. Oh, wait, maybe it was the time a quaint, little hotel in downtown New Orleans charged my credit card two years after I last stayed there, the exact amount of my last stay. When I called to sort it out the rep. tried to tell me my husband was probably staying there without telling me and putting his secret "travel" charges on my, and mine only, credit card. The same husband that had recently had that surgery, by the way. She was a peach.

As a consumer, good customer service earns my loyalty faster than anything else.

[Jen]

I have a second hand customer service story of my sisters that I witnessed a few weeks ago.

My sister is a bridesmaid in a wedding next weekend. The bride told the girls what color of dress to buy and told them to go wild. My sister ordered a dress online from David's Bridal. The dress came and it did not fit. She contacted David's Bridal via e-mail and by phone to try and return the dress, and received no response.

After a week of no correspondence she and I drove to the nearest David's Bridal to try and exchange the dress. She walked in and the store manager told her they couldn't do anything for her since she bought the dress online. They said it was like she had bought a dress from JC Penny's online and tried to exchange it at their store. Uhm. . .I think not!

She argued and argued with the associate and finally gave up and we wandered the store to find another dress. She spoke to someone else who then gave her another line that they could have helped her BUT we were there on a Saturday and they can only take exchanges from 2PM to 2:30 PM Monday through Tuesday, or something along those lines.

We did eventually find someone who was kind enough to help a little. They said that they know the online customer service is hard to get a hold of. My sister found another dress that fit perfectly in the store and bought it, and the rep told her they would contact their online department and send the old dress in and she'd get a refund. I'll have to ask her how that follow up went.

We have wonderful nonstick pans. The problem is they are at home and I am not. I'd recommend them if I knew what brand they were. A lot of help I am, right??

[Amy]

Oh, and crappy customer service: Wild Blue satellite internet. Here in the boonies we can't get DSL, so we have to resort to satellite or hope you are lucky enough to get service from a little local company (which we can now--yay!). We had Wild Blue for a few months and the customer service was non-existent. You'd call the 800 number and it would hang up on you. When I finally got through to someone they weren't at all helpful. We were given incorrect instructions and advice. The internet service was spotty, so we were trying to call all the time. It got to the point that we had enough of a case to cancel AND get out of our contract.

[Elizabeth]

We went through FIVE high chairs/seats/table attaching thingees until we got the Fisher Price one that straps onto the chair. We use it without the tray and just push it right up to the table. Child never tries to climb out of it, even when he's not strapped in.
http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Healthy-Care-Booster-Seat/dp/B000WU3DVG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1249505630&sr=8-3

[Elizabeth]

I have a calphalon pan from target that I LOVE. It's pretty heavy and hard to scratch. And it's from target so it isn't too horribly expensive.

[Mary]

As others have said, check Homegoods, TJ Maxx of Marshalls. Woody's Girl, 4K?? Holy cow!

[rosie_kate]

I personally love my old garage-sale fare cast iron skillets, as well as double-clad Revereware stainless steel skillets. Not into teflon... :-)

As for customer service... Foot Smart (or Foot Dumb, as they became known to us). My Grandma ordered two pairs of slippers for my husband and I for Christmas. They shipped a box to me and without opening it, I stuck it under the tree. Opened it on Christmas to find my husbands slippers and two completely random and weird-looking pairs of shoes. So I called, and they said they would not charge us for the return shipping, but would send a complimentary return shipping label. Nice of them. So I returned the weird shoes and they sent my slippers... to my Grandma. On the other side of the country. Again with the complimentary shipping label (boy these folks are generous) and a few weeks later, I got my slippers. Which by the way, are the best slippers I've ever worn, but still... customer service anyone?

[Nancy]

If you have a Wegmann's near... check out their house brand of nonstick cookware. My husband swears by them. And since he's the cook and they make him happy, they make me happy.

[SusanOR]

Consumer Reports just rated cookware this month. They rated EarthPan #1, Emerilware was #3, Allclad was #10 but all were recommended.

As for booster seats, we have the cooshie - it sits on the dining room chair, which I then push in. She only pushed it back once (could be the evil eye-don't you do that- I gave her). Unfortunately, bought it at BRU which I also hate.

Pass along your complaint to Baby Bargains -- they will get the word out even further and perhaps get CPSC action!!

[AJ]

My tomatoes are withering in quiet anticipation. I am SO HAPPY you wrote this though. I thought I was the only one that thought customer service was on the decline and that they were all against me. I had bought a car a few years ago from a local Suzuki dealership that I had not done enough research on, but expected it to last for a few years till I could afford something nicer. I had purchased the car with after factory tint that I didn't want but I didn't have any other options because the tint was already on on the car I wanted. They threw in the tint for free in the end. Two days after purchasing the car I noticed strange streaks on the windows and I suspected the glossy finish was just wearing off that they put on all new display cars. After a few weeks and 2 car washes I realized the streaks were IN the tint. The tint hadn't cured properly and every time I wanted to roll my window down in left roller marks. I went back to the dealership and requested them to fix it. They told me No.

I THREW A FIT! I mean an all out, I will not leave till this is fixed, fit. Lets just say I scared customers away, my car keys were stolen by the dealer, police were called, etc. But I never did get that tint fixed.

It STILL bothers me a little to this day. I have many other horrible ones too, especially with a well known insurance company called United Health Care. Which should be "We are assholes and your lucky your doctor even takes our plan."

But man, I do feel a bit better now, so Thank You!

[April]

Oh, I have a customer service story for you!

I had been rear ended and had to get my car fixed by an insurance-company-designated repair shop in Chicago. When I was picking my car up, I was pretty appalled at the way the owner of the business spoke to people on the phone in front of customers (rude to people, inappropriate language, etc). So when I received a survey from the business I answered it honestly and returned it- they did a decent job on my car but the customer service was less than desirable. Well, he called and left me long, SCATHING messages at work and at home, to the point where I felt a bit threatened by him. I called the insurance company that sent me there, quite upset, and complained...finally saying to the rep, "would you let this guy talk this way to your wife?" Being a reasonable guy he said no and I later found out that the repair place lost their contract with the insurance company.

I felt quite vindicated!!

[Elizabeth Hosto]

Oh, I have a customer service (or lack there of) story for you! I recently bought (online) over $200 dollars of what turned out to be fake oilcloth from a company called Doxie Shop. I ordered 12 - 3 yard pieces hoping to make Christmas presents (reusable shopping bags). However, what I received, first wasn't oilcloth, which I was willing to deal with, but not my whole order, only 6 pieces of oilcloth and one of them wasn't 3 yards but 2. No invoice, no paperwork, no explanation, no 1 of 2 on the box, nothing. I tried to call, no one answered "please leave a message". I tried to email, again nothing. I just wanted to find out if the rest of my order was on the way and if I could get the shorted piece of oilcloth replaced. A week went by with me calling everyday, emailing every other day still nothing. Then I get an email that I am getting another shipment, still not the complete order but 3 more pieces, this time they list that they aren't even sending the correct length. Now why bother to ship something if it isn't even the right thing! I call, I email, still nothing, going on two weeks now. When I do get the package it isn't even what they listed when they emailed me the invoice! not 3 yards but 3 - 1 yard pieces, and a piece that I had never even ordered! I am still calling and emailing, now telling them that I don't want anymore of this botched order, that I want to return everything and get a refund and still nothing, not a call, not an email, simply an answering machine that apparently no one checks and the void that is the internet. I feel like I have been talking to a brick wall for a month now and have no way of resolving anything! I am at my wits end and have no idea what to do next. UGH!

Oh and for pans, I love my Kirkland set that we got at Costco as a wedding present almost 10 years ago, fabulous!

Good luck!

[Molly]

This skillet:http://snipurl.com/osns9 I love it, love it love it.

[elana]

oh black and decker. the inner part of the OUTSIDE handle is metal. meaning, if your hand is bigger than an infant's you will burn your hand every time you open the toaster. black and decker did not care. they said "did you read the instructions? they say to be careful." helpful.

as for chicco...my husband is very fond of calling companies that are not helpful and asking to speak to their legal department. often, just asking gets things done. you can try that with chicco or babies r us, both of whom should be much more helpful than they were.

[Shell]

T-Mobile. Hands down.

Our cellphones didn't appear be roam. I called customer service and they said something to the effect of, "Yep. Defective. Should roam." I asked if we might have new ones that did roam as advertised. "Yes. If you sign a new contract and pay retail price." Um, no we PAID for phones that are SUPPOSED to roam. I haggled a little more and finally got to an agreeable situation. A huge discount on new phones, new contract, and a small credit for returning the defective phones.

Not ten minutes after I hung up a "supervisor" called back and said the agent wasn't authorized to give us a discount on new phones and oh by the way the new contract costs more than your current contract. When I protested and said we'd be moving to AT&T he said - and I'm quoting literally here - "Good luck with that."

[plunkie]

Hands down, AT&T. Every call, minimum 45 minutes. Every issue, nightmare. Takes at least 2-3 calls to resolve anything and they never have a record of your last request to REMOVE CALL WAITING IS THAT SO MUCH TO ASK IT'S A BUSINESS LINE FOR FUCK'S SAKE. WHAT!? I'M NOT TALKING TO THE BUSINESS DEPARTMENT!? HOW MANY MOTHERF'G DEPARTMENTS ARE THERE?! PISS!

*shudder* Which reminds me, I need to call back their collection agency for a $700+ bill on a line I disconnected TEN MONTHS ago! TEN! Not a call, not a letter, just all of a sudden HELLO IT'S AT&T AGAIN, DID YOU MISS US? HI! WE'RE ABOUT TO KILL YOUR CREDIT FOR A MYSTERIOUS $700+ BILL YOU NEVER PAID! SAY HI TO THE KIDS! XOXO!

Gaaaaaaaaaaaaah. Sorry about the seat, btw. I hate having to waste money like that. Terds.

No tips on a pan, ours look as bad as yours.

[Lisa]

I love, love, love my Calphalon One 12 inch nonstick frying pan. They have an introductory special that I think is sort of like a drug dealer offering you free crack -- the line is very expensive but this particular product goes for $49.99 including a glass lid. It's a wonderful, heavy piece of cookware. I got mine on Amazon and I see they are not selling it anymore but some of their other vendors are.

[Missie]

I just wanted to second the EXCELLENT customer service of Crate and Barrel. I order things from them online all of the time as the closest one to me is 1 1/2 hours away. I've had a large flower pot arrive broken, and 2 of 6 glasses arrived cracked. I called, they immediately sent new ones. I didn't need to send back the broken things, or send proof of their breaking. I always recommend them to newly engaged couples as a place to register.

[brenna]

Oh sweet revenge. You are currently google search listing number 4 for "chicco hippo hanging chairs."

[LawWife]

A gal I know on a message board has the worst luck when it comes to customer "service." http://customerdisservice.blogspot.com/

[Elsie]

cast iron for sure, for skillets. I have them in every size, all antique.

[Ashley]

Check out TJ Maxx or Marshall's for really high quality pans at very reasonable prices! We have bought several top-brand pans from there and they are always between 12 and 20 dollars!

[Jill]

I love it that Edward figured out how to get out of the seat first.

[cello_mum]

I may have a potential solution to the twins wriggling onto the table from the 3 point harness. My, very wriggly, daughter learned how to turn around in her stroller and stand up while I was pushing it. Since it is a lovely stroller except for the lousy 3 point harness system I decided to find a solution. We bought an around the chest harness, the type sold with a "leash" for walking with your child, and clipped to the sides of the 3 point harness. It completely solved our problem and only cost $10 (Canadian) or so.

Here is something similar to what I'm talking about but ours has attachments that allow you to clip the sides of the harness to something else (like a highchair!)

http://www.toysrus.ca/product/index.jsp?productId=2853281&cp=2582954.2582966.2582966&parentPage=family

[Shawna]

I bought a cell phone from Bell Canada, which was shipped by Bell Mobility to my home address. Of course, they could only deliver it during office hours. It could also be picked up way on the outskirts of town... during office hours. Since I had an office job it was going to be difficult to get so I tried to get them to send it to me at work. They... sent another one to my home. I called them and asked again for it to be redirected to my work. They sent another one, this time to my work. It was followed by another one that had gotten back to them and then sent out to me again at work. Neither of them had the headphone that was supposed to be included so I called and they sent another one out. It arrrived, guess what? Without the headphone either. I had to send two of the three back, which I did, of course. And then I got charged for 3 phones, and was listed with 3 phone numbers. It took 4 months to get it all straightened out and for the three hundred (300!!!) dollars worth of extra charges to my home phone bill to be adjusted. Plus I ended up going to a Bell store to get the headset and they credited my bill.

The most annoying thing was every time I had to call to try to get anything done I had to call both Bell and Bell Mobility multiple times (because it was a Bell promotion and billed via Bell, so Bell Mobility said it was their responsibility, but Bell Mobility handles all the cell phone stuff and were the ones to actually send things to me so Bell said I had to talk to Bell Mobility. Gah!)

[sinda]

I ditched non-stick for pre-seasoned Lodge Cast Iron pans (self-serving Christmas present for my husband) and am kicking myself for not doing so earlier. They brown beautifully, they cook evenly, they are easy to maintain - I LOVE them. And, as someone else mentioned, they are cheap! Cheap, better, and non-toxic. What is not to love?

[Katrina]

No terrible stories about calling customer service... but I used to WORK for a call center. Have been called every name in the book, up to and including racist bitch. That, because I refused to waive a late fee for the fifth month in a row.

As far as pots and pans go, I bought a set at Ross (do you have those? like TJ Maxx? rejects that don't get sold at a regular store, for cheap?) a few years ago and they're still functional. AND the whole set of, like, six pieces was only $40.

Good luck!

PS, the kids are just too cute. :)

[h]

Worst customer service experience? United Airlines, hands-down. They charged me $900 to change a reservation when I miscarried on the way to the airport and ended up in the hospital hemorrhaging rather than on my scheduled flight. They also still owe me $1000 for my infant son's ticket (same trip), which was supposed to match the fare basis on my ticket, but didn't.

[Carrie (in MN)]

We like the Cuisinart and our one cast iron gets a lot of use too.

Customer service:

Target - I bought a toaster there which promptly broke. Took it back within the required time with the receipt. But, not in the original box - result was I could only exchange it for the exact same toaster. Which I did, keeping the box so that when it broke I could then return it in its box for a full refund.

My credit union, which for YEARS would credit both car payments to one car, leaving the other unpaid until they would try to ding me for a late fee the next month, I would call and fix it. Lather*rinse*repeat.

By the way, whoever was bashing Dell above - amen, sister. My husband worked there until laid off in one of those please the stockholders deals and they treat their employees like crap, their products are crap and their customer service is indeed wretched.

[sarah]

I like the farberware ones recommended by cooksillustrated. They have a nice heavy bottom, and cook things well, and are nicely priced. I usually get them at bed bath and beyond.

[TJ]

I'm only gonna weigh in on the pan issue, since to address the customer service thing would cause even *more* of my keyboard keys to wear off...

I read somewhere that you're not supposed to use nonstick if you have birds. That was the clincher for me. Teflon can kill? Short-term? Nuh-uh. I tossed it all, particularly since I had been a devotee of the cheesy stuff you buy at the grocery store and figured it was disposable.

I second the cast iron recommendation above; if it stops doing its nonstick thing, just rub with oil/lard and reseason in a low oven for a bit.

As an alternative, I use Matfer Bourgeat steel pans - again, season well and I'd put them up against any product DuPont has to offer. They're relatively cheap, and kind of ugly, but in a commercial/serious kitchen kind of way. Love.

[Eli]

Awesome Non-stick pan: Emeril
Worst Customer Service: Lowes and HP

Love your photo proof of everything!

[unexplained]

My mom ordered Murder She Wrote or Matlock or something like that on DVD from Amazon for my 94-year-old grandmother for Christmas, but it was on back-order. While it was on back-order, my grandmother passed away, and Amazon wouldn't let my mom cancel the order!

[YarMatey]

Calphalon or Rachel Ray, but consider anodized vs nonstick. My pots and pans are stainless steel (purchased by my mom in 1970 and still in excellent shape, outlasted the company), except my skillets, and I recently got an anodized one and *drool*.

Ok, so my customer service issue, though frustrating and drawn out, is not really bad, because they TRIED to be really nice and helpful. I ordered pants for my sister from Old Navy (dot) com in a petite size for Christmas the weekend after Thanksgiving. I received regular size. Called, explained, sent those back (they conscientiously include a prepaid return shipping label in case of error, yours or theirs), they sent new ones. Regular size. Called, explained, sent them back, received the new ones. Regular size. Repeated this seven times total. Each time the CSR assured me that the previous person had indicated (in all caps, in italics, with multiple exclamation points, etc) the need for PETITE, not REGULAR. They, of course, comped the pants, sent me more pants free of charge, sent me a gift card, put me in contact with the Vice President of Online sales for the Old Navy, Banana Republic et al conglomerate (I have his direct line number now hee hee) and it all came to a head while he and I were on a conference call with the product warehouse supervisor while he SHUT DOWN THE AUTOMATED PACKAGING SYSTEM during CHRISTMAS SHIPPING and traveled SEVERAL MILES OF CONVEYOR-EY MACHINERY in a golf cart to the bin where these pants supposedly were. This warehouse supervisor had to hand inspect this system. Turns out? Labeled wrong (or stocked wrong) and this bin that was supposed to be where these pants were was filled with regular instead of petite. No petite pants ANYWHERE. They did not have them. Of course, I may have saved them lots of money in: return shipping, customer service intervention, and dissatisfied customers, but I felt awesome to know I shut down this huge corporate thing just for 2 freakin pairs of pants. As I said, the people were great, and I would have died of shame if I were the one who caused this mess by mislabeling or mis-stocking the bins, and having to shut the whole thing down, delaying all shipments. They went above and beyond, I think, but why'd it have to come to that.

[bethany actually]

Go cheapish for nonstick. Those pans aren't intended to last forever, so you don't want to spend a ton of money on them. When the surface of one gets scratched up, throw it out and buy another.

FYI, when a nonstick pan heats above 650F it can release toxic fumes. So, uh, you might want to forbid Steve to use any more nonstick pans. ;-)

[Karly]

The Cuisinart stainless steel pots and pans are the way to go! I absolutely love them and have no problems with things sticking to them. My 80 year old grandmother who had used her same set of pots and pans for TWO HUNDRED YEARS (give or take) ordered a set of these pans after trying my big skillet that somehow got taken to and left at her house.

I think you can get a good sized set for around $150.

[Christine]

We are mean and just make our kids stand on a regular chair once they figure out how to get out of a booster chair.

Customer service...how about from the other end? Two months ago I saw a newish client to our clinic. He was told, repeatedly, that he would be seeing me. However, he still seemed somehow shocked that I was not the clinic owner. He kept asking to see her, I kept explaining she was in surgery. Reschedule? No....he just needs to talk to her for a minute. It's fine if I actually handle his dog. Can he go into surgery? No. What if he wears a face mask? NO. His dog needed some blood drawn, and he physically pushed. me. out. of. the. way. Took the syringe from my hand and started trying to draw the blood himself. At which point I walked out and sent a tech in to draw the blood. Two months later he sends a fraud investigator after us, as, indeed, I am not the clinic owner. The fraud investigator determines pretty quickly that there was not any actual fraud, seeing as how we have different names, and beyond being female, we don't look alike. He demands his money back anyway.

In the end, he gets it back. Along with the message that he is not welcome back at our clinic. EVER.

[RIMary]

We went with the Stokke too, which also has a harness.

I love that I can slide it right up to the end of the table and everyone can eat and dump their plates and bang their silverware together.

BUT I hate, hate, hate (did I mention hate) the harness part. While there are 2 straps that come across the legs and straps that come up and over the shoulders, there is only one point where the 4 pieces meet. Which, for my kids at least, meant that, unless I had the shoulder straps tightened WAY down, they could slip off the shoulder straps and then just stand up in the chair. (Picture a car seat harness, but without that nifty clippy thing that goes across the chest.) If the harness had that clippy thing, it would be perfect.

[Gina]

Cheap and durable: get thee a cast iron skillet. When properly "seasoned" will work for everything - even eggs. Only caveat is that it can't go in the dishwasher - but although I am a dishwasher devotee, I don't mind cleaning the cast iron - very quick.

Also - very useful for knocking sense in to the husband (kidding).

[Melissa H]

I think this advice has already been given but according to a chef I know, buy cheap teflon and replace at first damage. I got a great non stick pan cheap at Ross (do you have Ross, they sell housewares as well as clothes). Also, cast iron is a nice alternative....

[Deanna]

When I worked as an office manager I had to call the WMATA (DC Metro) "help" line and Blue Cross for employee benefit related matters on at least a weekly basis. I was, no joke, on anti-anxiety pills by the time I quit a year and a half later.

This also reminds me of a past post of yours that I committed to memory because my husband and I say this to each other all the time. You wrote as an aside "Dear Sir: You call this cantaloupe fresh? How dare you. Love, Julia." We're really random people but that just cracked us up.