Good Customer Service

Around this time last year, my BBFUD*, Melissa, called me and left a voicemail (which, by the way, I still have) where she was shrieking into my ear that Sunny 100 was already playing Christmas music. We expressed our displeasure about this untimely expression of Christmas cheer for weeks afterwards. This year, it was my turn to leave the shrieking voicemail. When I got into my car on Monday morning to head to class, I naturally turned my radio on. It was on Sunny 100 from the night before and the next thing I know, Jingle Bell Hop is playing though my speakers. Talk about irate. I couldn't believe that my favorite radio station was doing this to me. So, in true Theresa form, I wrote an email.

Dear Alan,

I am going to go ahead and say that I love Sunny 100. Even more so now that Boomer doesn't really exist and Sunny 100's music has become even better than before. I stay tuned in, except when I am listening to you on Rooster in the mornings. However, starting Christmas music on NOVEMBER 10TH, a full 18 days before Thanksgiving, is ridiculous. By the time that Christmas actually gets here, you are sick of the music even if you don't start it until the first of December. I am ok with it starting Thanksgiving weekend, but you have to admit that two and a half weeks before we even get to the turkey is a little crazy. I just can't take it.

Sorry to complain. But again, it's just too much.

Thanks,
Theresa Garcia

Alan Quinn is the Program Director. I had also just done a spot with him on Rooster 106.1 for a Halloween Special, so I felt like I could tell him what I thought. The next morning when I turned my radio on, I thought my email had worked. However, the 80's ballad I thought I was hearing turned into a weird 80's Christmas song. I promptly turned my radio to another station.

I am just not ready for Christmas music yet. I am sorry, but I can't bring myself to listen to it when Thanksgiving hasn't even arrived. It's too much for me.

I had stopped thinking about the silliness of Christmas music playing a full two weeks before Thanksgiving until this morning. I am sitting in my office, working away when I look over at my phone and see that I have missed a call. I have a new voicemail. The voicemail is from Jennifer Newman, the Marketing Director at Clear Channel Radio. Clear Channel owns Sunny 100 and Roster 106.1, among other stations. Jennifer says that she got my email and would like to talk to me when I get the chance. I laughed a little and called her back. A very pleasant sounding woman answers the phone. "Hello, this is Jennifer", the voice says. "Hello! This is Theresa Garcia", I reply. After a minute or so of "So glad you called!" and "Thank you for calling me back!", Jennifer sets out to explain why Sunny 100 had decided to start playing Christmas music so early. She said that because of the economy and heaviness in the air, they had decided to start spreading joy a little earlier this year. She noted that it had taken her a day or two to adjust to the fa-la-la-la-la's so early as well, but that she was now in the groove. I laughed and said that while I appreciated the reasoning behind the Christmas music playing 18 days before Thanksgiving, I wouldn't be listening quite yet. She understood and said that she looked forward to me listening when I was ready. Haha.

I thought the conversation was over, but Jennifer went on to say that she read my blog! How awesome is that! She wanted to talk about my political posts, which of course I was more than happy to indulge her in.

I have to say, even though I will not be listening to Sunny 100 (or Mix 95.7) until after Thanksgiving, Clear Channel Radio has exceptional customer service. I was not really expecting a response of any kind, much less a phone call from the Marketing Director. Kudos to Jennifer for her personal touch and kind words. No explanation was really needed and she went the extra mile. Thank you for that!

*For those of you who are unclear about the definition of BFFUD, it means Best Friends Forever Until Death. Ben Garcia came up with this term for his relationship with our sister, Sarah Ann. I have since stolen the term and made it my own.