What?! A Salesman with Integrity?! In this Economy?!

Business: Owens Corning Basement Finishing System/Frank Zanti
Location: Leesburg, VA, 703.932.5014
Date of incident: August 26, 2006

Quick Hit
Frank Zanti (frankzanti@adelphia.net), an Owens Corning Basement Finishing System salesman, drove all the way from Leesburg, Virginia to our Beltsville home to give us an estimate on new Owens Corning replacement walls and ceilings, but when it came time for brass tacks, he readily admitted that he didn't need to sell us anything!

The Run-up
Admittedly, Frank's base of operation is far beyond the purview of Beltsville Vicinity Shoppers, the blog, but technically he was peddling his wares in our jurisdiction, if you will, and his integrity in this matter was so refreshing that I just felt compelled to shout it from the rooftop. We connected with the OC people about three weeks ago at the Howard County Fair. They had an elaborate camper-like display set up to show off their very cool, very elegant wall-panel and ceiling systems. My wife filled out a contact card for the nice gentleman manning the place, and a few days later they called to set up today's home evaluation and demonstration. And Frank was right on time, in more ways than just chronologically.

The Beef
None whatsoever. I mean, we've been called on by sales-folk for every home application, from one of those high-powered circulating-water vacuum cleaners (which we purchased and love, by the way), to replacement vinyl windows (which at $40K we did not purchase), and from kitchen and bathroom remodeling (what a nightmare that was), to closet system installation (best investment we ever made here). And Frank, well, frankly speaking, had the most refreshing disposition, not displaying even a modicum of disappointment or chagrin in today's no-sale. He took his time to evaluate our situation thoroughly, and commented several times, "What a nice space you've got here!" (which I initially assumed was merely to soften us up for the close, but which turned out to be his earnest sentiment). Frank even voluntarily removed his shoes when he came in the front door, made it a point to speak to all my three children--on the way in and out--and was genuinely engaging during his visit.

Epilogue
Frank admitted that the OC system ain't cheap, but it comes with a life-time, one-time-transferable guarantee, and it looks absolutely beautiful. But I just had to publicly congratulate Frank on his unruffled manner and his refreshing candor, especially considering the high cost of gas (for him to drive all the way here), the current downturn in home sales, and, subsequently, sales of all the complementary stuff that people invest in along with a home purchase...like walls and ceilings.

I don't know what kind of experiences others have had with OC (actually, that's not exactly true, 'cause in the interest of balanced reporting I read this), but our experience with Frank seems to bode well, even though we're not, you know, buying what he's selling this time around.

Even Detailer Can't Completely Rub Out Royal Glass Rift

Business: Royal Auto Glass
Location: 10711 Baltimore Blvd (Rte. 1) Beltsville, MD 20705
Date of incident: August 4, 2006

Quick Hit
In the process of replacing her windshield, Royal Glass makes a pigsty of a customer's new car, then pays for a majestic detailing job, but loses a customer in the end anyway.

The Run-up
Congratulations to Judy, longtime (17 years) Beltsville resident, for being the first "outsider" to Vent Her Spleen on the Beltsville Vicinity Shoppers blog! Unfortunately for Royal Auto Glass, it's one with mixed results (with an endorsement thrown in for American Detail, also in Beltsville). I guess I needed to find a neutral-thumb icon for this one, but hopefully the dueling pair (and the go-stop competing headline colors) at the top of this page relate Judy's ambivalence about the situation she relates. (By the way, Judy, we had a pretty good vacation, except for the part where I caught a cold somewhere between Busch Gardens Germany and the Market Square in Colonial Williamsburg, thank you for asking.)

The Beef
Judy writes: "I recently had my windshield replaced at Royal Auto Glass on Route 1 in Beltsville, and everything was fine until I took possession of my car and left. I started looking around the interior of my SUV. It was FILTHY! There were hand prints all over my console, dashboard and the inside window frame. My passenger seat had black 'something' all over it. The thresholds were all scratched and dirty, and there was a stain on the floor of the passenger side. The car was only three months old, so I knew I didn't do this, and I had not had anyone in the passenger seat yet."

Let me just interrupt Judy for one moment here to make an observation. From her description of the scene, it sounds like a Beltsville CSI technician's dream "crime" scene, replete with prints, mystery debris, microscopic scratches, various and sundry filth, and, oh yes, the requisite stain. Maybe a latex-gloved forensic specialist could’ve exposed exactly "who dunnit" for Judy.

Ok, back to Judy's account: "I drove back around the block and informed Tony of Royal Auto Glass. He told me to pull into the garage. When I did, I could see why they didn't catch this mess. The lighting in there is horrible; you can't see anything! Tony looked around the shop for about 15 minutes for something to clean my car with. Finally, he told me to talk to Dennis at American Detail (10606-C Baltimore Ave., Beltsville). He said to 'tell him Tony sent you,' and he will take care of it.

"Thank heaven for American Detail Shop; they cleaned the whole front interior of my car and made it look like new! They even got the stain out of my carpet. So American Detail has a new customer, because once a month I am taking my car to them for a wash and detail.

"On the other hand, Royal Auto Glass has lost a customer."

Epilogue
Judy originally submitted this article with the intention of labeling it with a decidedly down-turned thumb. But from a customer-service perspective—since that's what this site is really all about—to their credit Judy said that Royal Glass did pay for American Detail to clean up the mess, and that they (Royal Auto Glass) did not give her "too much trouble." She characterized that as good customer service. But the whole incident has left Judy's confidence in the well-known glass repair chain in shards.

Her main issue, she writes, "is that they were in my car (and other cars) with dirty hands and clothes when there was a restroom right there in the shop. They could have at least washed their hands between cars and could have put some type of covering on the seats. That's what they do at the dealership I take my car to.

"And the lighting was horrible. You couldn't see if they made a mess or not until you came out into the sunlight."

I don't know whether you know it, Judy, but that whole what-happened-in-the-dark-but-was-eventually-brought-to-light thing...that's biblical!

Judy's saga raises a few unsettling questions that may be worth pondering:

• Why would it take so long to find something to clean up in an auto-shop setting, where clean-up should be an integral part of standard operating procedure?
• And speaking of SOP, why isn't it common practice at Royal to cover car seats when doing a job?
• And last but not least, in three months why hadn't Judy allowed anyone to ride in the passenger seat of her new SUV?! What's up with that, Judy?

I know, I know. Harsh, but somebody's gotta ask the tough questions!

Automobile glass replacement is one of those services that we typically never think about, that is until that rock bouncing down 495 from the rear of a poorly-covered hauler pops us square in the windshield. At least now we have a little bit more to go on before we simply take it to the closest place to home to be repaired.

Thanks again, Judy, for sharing. And if you have not done so already, I suggest completing the customer satisfaction survey on Royal's Web site. I know they take customer service very seriously there, because the intro to the survey says, "...we take customer service very seriously." They provide ample space for detailed feedback, and even ask, "Would you use Royal Glass again or recommend us to your friends and family?" Feel free to drop in the link to your write-up here on Beltsville Shopper (http://beltsvilleshopper.blogspot.com) to save yourself some typing on their site. As is our standard practice, we contacted Royal prior to publication of your expose to give them an opportunity to chime in before publication, but they evidently chose not to respond.