what takes time and money: noting the amounts of each correction and basing
the refund delivery method on the amount.  yesh, it's silly to spend $.37 (+
labor and materials) for a $.02 refund, but maybe the only alternative right
now is to create dichotomies that require even more time and labor - or keep
the money (see john hall below).  your mailed refund is a function of bulk.
in jax we're on the verge of firing at&t cable for horrible customer service
and over-charging.  what will probably happen: if the amount of overage per
customer is significant (say $30 or more) the refund will go directly to the
customer.  If it's less, the combined total amount will go to the city as
lump sum settlement.
in your case, maybe all the customers could vote on line where they'd like
their lump sum to go.  of courese, they'd have to be notified by mail first.
:-)
-----Original Message-----
From: fork-admin@xent.com [mailto:fork-admin@xent.com]On Behalf Of John
Hall
Sent: Monday, October 07, 2002 5:02 PM
To: Fork@xent.com
Subject: RE: The absurdities of life.
They are legally required to do that.  I got a similar check because an
insurance company didn't pay a claim quickly enough.  It might have been
$.02.
Although they spent lots more than $.33 to mail you the check, the
alternative seems to be to keep the money.  Do you really want companies
to have a financial incentive to over-bill you 'just a bit' so they
could keep it?  For a company with millions of customers, $.33/customer
starts adding up.
> From: fork-admin@xent.com [mailto:fork-admin@xent.com] On Behalf Of
> bitbitch@magnesium.net
> So I get a check from Pac Bell today (SBC as they're called now).
> Turns out, they went to the trouble of printing out, signing, sealing
> and stamping a check just to refund me for a whole $0.33.
>
> They easily spent more than this just getting the materials together.
> Why the hell do companies bother to do this crap?  I mean, isn't there
> a bottom line in terms of cost effectiveness?  I don't think I missed
> the .33, but I sure as hell would have appreciated lower rates in lieu
> of being returned pennies.
>
> I'm truly stuck on this though.  I don't know whether to frame the
> check, burn it, or cash it in.  Maybe I should find a way to return to
> sender, so they have to spend -more- money on giving me my .33 dues.
>
>
> Does .33 even buy anything anymore?  Funny bit of it, is I couldn't
> even make a phone call these days.
>
> *boggled*
> BB.
>
> --
> Best regards,
>  bitbitch                          mailto:bitbitch@magnesium.net