48 Hours

Service Please! (14x1)

Air date: Sep 21, 2000

America may be moving toward becoming a service economy. But just how good is the service customers get these days? As part of an investigation of growing consumer dissatisfaction in America, 48 Hours goes behind the scenes of some old-fashioned service providers, such as moving, restaurant and telephone companies, and investigates some new, high tech operations. The Price May Be Right: Priceline has become one of the most recognized names on the Internet, thanks largely to an ad campaign featuring the rather unique singing style of William Shatner. 48 Hours Correspondent Erin Moriarty reports on whether this Web discounter is living up to customer expectations. Best Buy? Read Fine Print: When you shop at some Best Buy stores, you may hear an aggressive sales pitch for something you may not even want - not a toy or an appliance or a computer, but a Best Buy performance service plan, a kind of an extended warranty. Sorry Wrong Number: Correspondent Steve Hartman reports on just what type of assistance is served up these days by directory assistance.