* (KANYE WEST'S 'HOMECOMING') Tonight ` bullied to breaking point. It's not funny. (CLICKS TONGUE) They've been harassed, threatened and abused. Yeah, we were pretty scared. This could be the worst case of customer relations we've come across. Are you feeling threatened by him? Plus ` are you planning a roadie this Easter? What did you think of the drive? Beautiful. Loved it. Toll roads can help you avoid lengthy delays. But if you don't read the fine print, they can take a toll on your pocket. No one is going to stand there and read half an hour's worth of terms and conditions. Potentially. And the perils of living in the back of beyond. Pit Stop's not here. The nearest Hoyts Cinema is in Christchurch. The nearest Glassons is in Nelson. Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. Copyright Able 2018 Welcome to the show. We lead tonight with an outrageous case of bullying. This might be stating the obvious, but threats and intimidation are not good for customer relations. Unfortunately that's been lost on an Auckland roofing company, whose bully boy tactics over a disputed invoice have driven a customer and his secretary to breaking point. And a warning ` some of the language is very offensive. Here's Hannah. In some ways, because they were so bad, we kind of had a bit of a laugh about them. But it's not funny. (SOLEMN MUSIC) It's not funny for you, is it? Are you feeling threatened by him? (SOBS QUIETLY) Take a moment. Take a moment. Have a sip of water. That might help. Monique is struggling because of messages like this. Just the aggressive nature of this guy. And aggressive and vile texts. He doesn't know me. I'm just... And it's just disgusting, some of his, um, messages. The 'he' Monique is talking about is this guy, Sam Spence. His company, Compass Roofing, did some work for Martin, who's also a roofing contractor, and he's Monique's boss. The job just didn't go well from start to finish. When things turned sour, the texts began. Yeah, we were pretty scared ` pretty scared with some of the threats. Martin had organised Sam's company to do the job because Martin only does roof repairs and the job was a brand-new roof. Martin became concerned over some of the work on the roof; he says he had to buy extra materials because of that. So, with the roof partly finished, he pulled the plug on Compass. My email simply said that we didn't want to continue with Sam's guys. He and Monique were surprised, then, to get a progress invoice email for around $3000 ` just 400 shy of the full estimate for labour. He'd actually written at the bottom, 'If there's an issue paying, 'I'm happy to come round to the site address or your address.' And I thought, 'Oh, not used to getting emails like that.' So you felt threatened? Yeah. Why didn't you, in those early stages, get back to him with some kind of offer, some kind of compromise? Because we'd never been put in this situation before, we kind of put the brakes on and felt like, 'We're just gonna wait, get the job finished.' The invoice was due on the 27th, and Martin and Monique were working out how to respond to it, given the problems they had, when, on the 28th, they got this from Sam Spence. Not exactly a gentle reminder. Just threatening. Um,... and I don't know if it's true or I just` I don't know. Then a warning message was left by one of Sam's staff. Same night, this from Sam. There were several payment requests from Compass Roofing which were professional and not abusive. Are there any more? But from Sam Spence they also got... Abusive texts, sexual innuendo and a lot of other just really unsavoury, disgusting stuff. There were further threats,... sexual references... and rampant homophobia. What he was trying to achieve by calling me a homosexual ` is that gonna get your money paid? Threatening to have sex with my secretary ` is that gonna get your money paid? Um, I don't think so. For Monique, who is, after all, just doing her job, this has been very tough. I don't think anybody should get texts like that, you know? These were very personal to you. Yeah, I have cried sometimes, and I just want it to stop. Yeah. I just` I usually like my job. (LAUGHS) We asked Sam Spence about his behaviour. Remember the effect Sam's messages had? Are you feeling threatened by him? (SOBS QUIETLY) And the issues Martin had with the workmanship... Finally, to the contested invoice. Yes, they should've contested the invoice in writing right from the start. But... We felt intimidated and just felt that any response we made to him would only escalate the situation. Compass Roofing has since told us they weren't aware of Sam Spence's alleged conduct. They don't condone any such behaviour, and they're investigating it. They also totally refute all allegations about the roofing job. So Martin is now just keeping busy. The invoice remains unpaid. Martin's made a written offer, which was rejected, and Sam Spence has now taken the issue to the Disputes Tribunal. What do you wanna say to Sam? We don't really wish his company any harm or anything like that. We're not out to make life difficult for him. But he's certainly making life difficult for other people. And I think if people are aware of that, then, you know, they've got that choice. It'll just save you a lot of grief if he doesn't change the way he negotiates and deals with people. Wow. I can't even begin to imagine what it'd be like to be on the tail end of that kind of communication. Not good. No. Our advice ` if you get an invoice and you're not happy, dispute it in writing immediately. This case is set to go before the Disputes Tribunal. We will let you know the outcome. Coming up after the break ` are you planning on hitting the road this Easter? We reveal a money trap that could take a toll on your pocket. What did you think of the drive? Beautiful. Loved it. It was a brilliant roadie, but a late payment fee has got this guy really hosed off. I'm not after a refund. I just feel the administration charge is excessive. And loyalty rewards aren't always rewarding. Well, I think they should treat us like the rest of the country. * Welcome back. Congestion, gridlock, delays ` they're part and parcel of hitting the road on a public holiday. It's a horrible Kiwi tradition, isn't it? No one likes the frustration and boredom that comes with traffic jams, which is why New Zealand's four toll roads are so popular. But a word of warning ` delaying payment, even by a day, can take a toll on your pocket. Here's Anna. (LYNYRD SKYNYRD'S 'SWEET HOME ALABAMA') The winding roads heading north out of Auckland. Green fields, forests and a glimpse of the sea. It's an engineering feat, this northern gateway ` a tunnel cutting through the mountain and cutting down the travel time. And it's cheap ` just a couple of bucks to enjoy the smooth speeding highway out of town. Had you been up that way before? No. Never ever. What'd you think of the drive? Beautiful. Loved it. But for Wellingtonian John Byrne, it was also the most expensive piece of road he's ever driven on. $25, I think, is excessive, bearing in mind that it was gonna be both ways. John and his family were off to a wedding up north and hired a rental car for the drive from Auckland. Oh, the wedding was absolutely fantastic up in Mangawhai. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Cracker weather, time away ` it was a great trip. But when John got home, he was in for a surprise ` two notices for the toll road he'd used, and with it, two hefty administration fees from the rental car company. He asked for an explanation. They came back and said, 'Well, you signed the agreement.' And I don't deny that I signed the agreement. But I told them that I believe that the toll was` the administration charge per toll was excessive. Now, John admits that he did see the toll charge signs ` you can't miss them ` but he never thought he'd been stung $50 in extra charges by the rental car company, GO Rentals. I believed that, uh, it would come back to the rental company and they would just debit my Visa account for it. GO Rentals isn't the only company charging an administration fee. We checked out all the big rental car companies in New Zealand, and most of them do charge one; they just don't say what it is. We did find one company charging $60 per toll notice. So what does GO Rentals have to say about its $25 fee? It's the driver's responsibility to look after the toll fees. If the driver either forgets or chooses not to pay the toll, then that's a problem that we don't have to sort out. So the process that we need to go through to deal with that and also keep the customer in the loop. So we did some calculations based on GO Rental's charge of $25 per toll notice. The time it took us to pay the toll online ` 75 seconds. That's equivalent to an hourly rate of $1200 in admin charges. One of our staff members actually takes up to an hour to process a toll administration, so it's not as simple as just jumping online and making a payment. There's a number of steps that they need to go through` Talk me through those steps. What are the sorts of things they have to do? It starts with collecting mail. Unfortunately it's a paper-based system, so it starts with collecting the mail, and that goes right through to keeping the customer in the loop, transferring liability. We can't accept liability on behalf of the customer, so there's a bunch of correspondence that we need to go through and processing at our end to handle the situation. Now, John could have avoided the charge if he'd paid online within five days. All he needed was the licence plate number. And GO Rentals says there's no secret here. The T's & C's are sent to every customer when they make their booking. The reality is that, um, there's a possibility customers might choose not to look through the terms and conditions, and that, I guess, is their choice. GO Rentals' agreement is nine pages long, which doesn't seem too onerous. But how long does it take to read? Let's find out. (READS) 'GO Rentals' terms and conditions. The rental contract comprises...' You see, John's gripe is that the company should have said something about the whopper charge when they found out he was heading up north. They said I'll probably go through a toll gate somewhere up there near Warkworth. And what did you say to that? I said OK, you know? But there was no discussion about a $25 administration fee per toll. There are companies that don't charge for the toll, but most do. After all, time is money. No kidding. '...genuine and reasonable pre-estimation of loss or damage.' 26 minutes and 22 seconds to read it. We do our absolute level best to cover off the key important factors out of the terms and conditions as part of our process. Sure, but if there's a discussion that he's going on a toll road,... Yes. ...should there not be another discussion, 'You should be aware there's a charge'? And at that stage, the customer will be provided the information for the toll roads. But that doesn't state $25 each way. 'You're facing an extra $50. Please make sure you pay this toll in advance.' Correct. That's covered in the terms and conditions. Which you're expecting the person to remember when they turn up at the desk, right? Cos no one's gonna stand there and read half an hour's worth of terms and conditions. Potentially. GO Rentals' agreement shows John did sign on the dotted line right here. The fine print underneath says John therefore acknowledges he's aware of the rental contract's clause about tolls and fees. I think they should verbally tell you, 'Look, if you get a toll charge, it's gonna be $25.' And perhaps it might be an idea for them to get you to sign those particular portions of the agreement. John can't avoid the fee now. If he wants to pay the toll direct, GO Rentals will still charge him $50 just to put the bill in his name. I'm not after a refund at all, because I signed that agreement. But I just feel that, uh, the administration charge is excessive. But it looks like both John and GO Rentals have learnt something out of this. We're going to take this opportunity to look at how we can, uh, better educate our customers at the time of signing. So I think it's something we need to take a good look at, and that's something we'd definitely like to do based on the back of Mr Byrne's feedback. So, well done to GO Rentals for listening. But all New Zealand companies, listen up ` fine print. Are you reading the fine print? Oh, very, very rarely. Who's got time for fine print? No one has time. All right. Coming up after the break ` if you live in the back blocks, loyalty is not always rewarding. It took me a long time to work out what Skullcandy was. Corporate generosity backfires badly. Pit Stop's not here. The nearest Hoyts is in Christchurch. The nearest Glassons is in Nelson. And can you taste the difference between quality and cheap chocolates? Happy Easter to you and yours. Thank you very much. (RHYTHMIC CHANTING) If you are Maori and 18 or over, the time has come again to make an important choice. Do you want to be enrolled on the General Roll or the Maori Roll? This choice affects who you can vote for to represent you and your area in Parliament. Either way, you'll still be able to vote for any party you like when there's an election. You don't get to choose again for another six years, so let's think about it now. If you're not sure what it's all about, talk it over with your whanau and friends. You'll receive some info in the mail next week. Now is your time to choose. Mau tonu e kowhiri. * Welcome back. Ever dreamed of escaping the rat race? Yes, I have. And as a provincial man, I can tell you there are many, many, many good reasons to escape city life. There's more affordable housing, less congested roads, cheaper living costs, better people. Oh-ho-ho. I could go on and on and on. And you did. Most of that is true, but cashing in on corporate reward schemes can be problematic. (UPBEAT POP MUSIC) Mary Tucker's mail stopped being delivered years ago. Well, Haydn, we just don't have a letterbox. So if you want to know how we get our mail, um, you're probably just gonna have to come with me. Like the rest of Waimangaroa,... It's a short walk. ...they get a box at the shop that closed years ago too. And recently, one piece of mail left Mary confused and, for a rare moment, speechless. It was her Fistful of Rewards from Vodafone. Took me a long time to work out what Skullcandy was. Mary was perplexed. Barkers'. I've never heard of them. Could be a kennel for dogs. They had special offers from a bunch of big retailers, cafes, gyms. See me running round in my Spandex at the gym. (LAUGHS) She didn't understand some. Columbus Coffee ` never heard of them. But it didn't matter, cos they all had one thing in common. They're not here. Pit Stop's not here. The nearest Hoyts Cinema is in Christchurch. That's five and a half hours' drive away. The nearest Glassons is in Nelson. And as for the Vodafone Warriors, well... It says something about a magshop.co... Mary was interested in the magazines. So I presume you have to have a computer. But her computer's boxed ` well, in a box collecting dust. We're not electronically inclined. Mary Tucker's world has no Wi-Fi. Even her cell phone cover is different. I keep the instructions taped to the telephone. If I had to use it, I'd need to read the instructions first. (LAUGHS) 'Activate an SOS message.' I'd just lean out the window and yell. So she was left feeling unrewarded by Vodafone's reward program. Well, why not give us a discount on our phone bill? She ended up filing her reward vouchers. I threw them in the bin. These ones she got from a friend. I said to him, 'You'll get them back.' He said, 'Well, what for? They're useless to me too!' And that should have been the end of that. But it wasn't. I decided years ago that there was no point getting so upset about things if you didn't do something about it. NARRATES: 'Your rewards packet is worthless to us.' Mary Tucker wrote to Vodafone. 'Were totally sick of competitions, vouchers that require us to own a computer, 'a phone that will text, or live in a major city.' It was an honest letter. 'Your marketing managers need to get real and design rewards that are fair.' 'You're not the only sinner, but this time you've finally ignited the wick.' Well, because it's not just Vodafone that do this sort of thing. Mary says posting it felt good. So little people can change big things. So we suggested subtly that maybe Vodafone wants to come down with us to Westport here and shout Mary a Vodafone rewards package ` Westport style. Well, respectfully, they didn't think that was such a grand idea. They instead preferred to send us a statement. So, with no Vodafone down here, it's up to me. So I grandly announce for the first time on New Zealand television the Fair Go Westport rewards package. Obviously the marketing needs some work. Vodafone offers discounted Tank juices. Apples. (WHIRRING) The West Coast equivalent is Gibby's juice bar. Power Pack's a real popular one. Run by Paul, it was Mary's first juice. She liked it. We all did. (STRAWS SUCKING) Very nice. Really nice. Oh, pretty good. There is no Barkers' in Westport, but there is Phil Wood Men's Wear. It's been around a while, like Phil himself, who's 85. My grandfather started in Westport in 1893. Alan got a belt. Yes, that's very good. Then we went for lunch. They didn't have a Columbus Coffee, but there is the Rainbow Cake Kitchen. They had their own rewards program. We had chicken rolls. $9.80. Westport has none of the bright lights and big shops in Vodafone's reward program. But it does have no parking meters and a Mitre 10 that's not mega but still pretty big. We go without a lot of things to live in Westport by choice. But, um, it should be fair for everybody. Mary Tucker simply wants the people with the marketing degrees in Auckland to remember one thing. Well, I think they should treat us like they treat the rest of the country. And with that, we'll get back to the pikelets. It's good journalism to always eat the baking. And at Mary's place, over the pikelets, she did suggest some solutions ` maybe some free rubbish bags, a hot commodity in Westport, or perhaps just a little wee credit on the account. Something simple is sometimes good, isn't it? I tell you what else you could do right now ` is chocolate. Goes a long way. A lot of chocolate around. The Easter egg-stravaganza is upon us. You can't miss it. There's a cracking selection of eggs and bunnies out there. But here's a question ` can you really taste the difference between budget and quality chocolate? Here's Anna. # I'm gooey in the middle, baby. Let me bake. # The Easter break's nearly upon us, and for many, it's the chance to crack into some chocolate. But can you tell the difference between one sweet treat and another? My mum always told me to stay away from strangers handing out sweets on the street. (LAUGHS) I promise I won't ask you to jump into a car. And it quickly turns out there's not a lot in it for most people. Are you a bit of an Easter egg fan? Oh, you know, on my good days. (LAUGHS) Oh, it's all the same. It's all the same? Yeah. Still, some of you have strong opinions about which one tastes the most like chocolate. Yeah, it's pretty much good. This is not so good. That's also good. You seem to sort of know what you're talking about. Mm, yeah. Definitely. The Old Gold has a whopping 49% cocoa solids. Which one has the most chocolate, do you think? You're right about that. How much chocolate would you expect to be in it? Something like this. 50 or more. These three ` Ferrero Rocher, Lindt and the classic Cadbury Dairy Milk were apparently pretty close when it came to taste, even if they weren't that close in cocoa solid content. Are those two the same? Do you spend much money on Easter eggs? Uh, yeah, a little bit for the family, kids, wife ` that kind of thing. So yeah. The Kinder Surprise had the lowest cocoa solids count at 14.5%. (LAUGHS) Of course, there's no 'try before you buy', so if it's chocolate you're after this Easter, just be sure to check the back of the pack first. Happy Easter to you and yours. Thank you very much. Thanks, guys. I can't believe I missed out on that taste test! That's no good. I don't discriminate. All chocolate is good chocolate. Bring it in. That's the show for tonight, but we are always keen to help right some wrongs. Our programme is all about your gripes and grumbles, so no matter how big or small, please do contact us. Feel free to send chocolate. (LAUGHS) You can get us on Facebook, or you can email us ` Or write to us ` Thanks for watching. We're off for the next couple of weeks. We've got Easter break, of course, and then the Commonwealth Games. So we'll be back in three weeks' time. Until then,... Both: ...po marie.