From APM, American Public Media, and WNYC.

This is Freakonomics Radio on Marketplace.

Here's the host of Marketplace, High Rizdall.

Time now for a little Freakonomics radio, that moment every couple of weeks where we talk to Stephen Dumbner,

the co-author of the books and the blog of the same name. It is the hidden side of everything. Dumbner, how are you?

Thank you for holding. Stephen Dumbner is currently assisting other radio hosts.

All right, first one.

You're all ready to dive in.

All right, all right, come on.

Hello, Kai.

Yes, I am sorry for that inconvenience. I really do appreciate your patience. How can I help you today?

Well, one, you can answer the dog on phone when I call. But what? What's your stick this week?

Well, Kai, as you may have guessed, our topic today is about customer service.

How we are treated when we have some kind of, you know, redoing.

Well, you give a lousy customer service. Can we just say that right up front?

I am working on it. Thanks for the feedback.

I appreciate that.

We started by asking our blog readers about their experiences with customer service good or bad, mostly bad.

Here's Eric Jones, a guy who found himself in one of those ridiculously long lines at the phone company.

And remembering my life as a hippie in the 60s, I decided that the right way to do this,

instead of throwing the phone display through the store window, was to simply lay down on the floor.

And I did that, and I was astonished how well it worked.

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