Misadventures in customer service

Yesterday I had to get the battery replaced on my Accord. Simple procedure, right? You walk in to the store, specify the type of battery, and they put it on. The whole procedure should take 25 minutes assuming the operation is somewhat operation. Well it is not safe to assume anything when dealing with car repairs, particularly Sears.
I selected Sears because of the price and the length of the warranty coverage on the battery. They have a decent reputation so I called them up. They gave me a good quote and even suggested the best time to bring it in. If, they said, I came in around 4pm I could be in and out in a half an hour. Sounded good, so I took their advice.
I left work early and made the trek to the mall. The first scene upon opening the door should have sent a quick signal of apprehension. I didn't follow my initial instinct and, as a result, I spent the next 3 1/2 hours in waiting room purgatory. Back to the opening scene.....There was a group of 7-8 people around the sales counter. The desk was being manned by two young men, one was perpetually upbeat despite all of obvious failings at the hands of Sears and the other was a gangly, glass eyed fellow who seemed to have tuned out the critism hours earlier.
As I approached, the mood became clear. All of these people were wondering why it was taking 3-4 hours to get their batteries checked or their tires replaced. Some were irrate some kept their anger more hidden, but displeasure was the overriding theme. Neither sales associate would respond to questions regarding why it was taking twice as long as their quoted time. I didn't have anything to do that evening, and I needed the battery changed, so I opted to grin and bear it. I was given a 2-3 hour quote and I made my way to the waiting room.
Upon entering I was greeted by a chorus of women, howling at their misfortunes. Never underestimate the power wielded by women who have been thrown off their errand schedules by unforseen waits. I spent the next 45 minutes listening to them gripe, second guessing my decision to stay. I was alright, so long as they didn't exceed their quoted time.
Anyways, three hours roll by and we are at the three hour threshold. I approach the counter and inquire about the status of my car. He was so busy dealing with other people that it took a good 15 minutes to finally answer. He turned to me and said, "Youre in luck according to this the car is done." I had been watching my car languish in the parking lot the entire time and knew that it didn't make it to the garage. I had him second guess and sure enough I was right. Some person had put my information in the "done" been and had forgotten about it. I could have gone the entire night and nothing would have been done.
At this point my passive demenor hardened into a firm tone. I reminded him of my quote and demanded something be done. I had watched the garage from the lobby and knew that nothgin was going on back there. Finally a worker took my keys and pulled the car into the garage. 10 minutes later it was done and I had a new battery. The whole process took 20 minutes, just like the initial quote over the phone. What the "H" happened to Sears?
They are designed to only do a few things so the operation should be very streamlined. When you are repeating the same tasks you should be able to generate some great volume. That wasn't being done here. Just a bunch of kids unhappy to be working and not willing to take any responsibility.
I got home around 8:30pm, my journey had ended. My only solace was knowing that my car was alright and that I could look forward to reading a new Dan Brown book that I had bartered for with a woman in the waiting room. I hope my car never has anymore problems.