Better Numbers

It took awhile, but we're finally seeing better looking numbers around here.

A few months ago, the remote control on our Sleep Number bed went wonky. It still deflated and inflated the bed, which (most thankfully) still held air. But, the patented number on the dial started looking like a Chinese character. (And, we don't read Chinese!) The number, such as it was, would fade in and out. We replaced the batteries, not once but twice just to be sure. But, that didn't help. Eventually, the dial became completely undistinguishable.

In the scheme of our motorhome maladies, this was nothing. We had bigger issues to tackle at the time, such as our heat pump that was operating at half power and a refrigerator that went kaputt. With the bed under warranty until November, we put the Sleep Numberless project on our list of things to do in Kansas City. Shortly after our arrival, we went to work on getting a working remote.

The Sleep Number web site was of minimal help. It offered instructions on how to "reset" the remote. (That didn't work.) Apparently, this "numberless" problem is quite common. Select Comfort has spent tons of time and money building a brand around their unique "number" and their technology can't deliver the brand promise. Brilliant!

I called the Customer Service number and spoke to a customer service agent who I think was actually in the United States. She put a new remote in the mail, which arrived a few days later. We followed the instructions to "start up" the new remote. It still didn't work. The next call to Sleep Number Customer Service revealed that we'd been sent the wrong remote. The friendly tech set things up to ship the proper remote ASAP. I confirmed that the new remote would be sent to us here at the park, just as the first had been. A few days passed and we had no new remote. I tracked the package and discovered it was on a truck and scheduled for delivery...to our mail box in Livingston, Texas!

We thought this little project would be easier than the heat pump or the fridge. But, about this time we weren't so sure!

I called to alert Sleep Number about the problem. Another representative arranged to send another remote to us here at the park. I asked her to intercept the package on its way to our mailbox, and she assured me she would. The next day I checked the tracking number and, of course, the allegedly intercepted package was delivered in Livingston and is sitting in our mailbox!

Yesterday, a package arrived for us here at the park. We were delighted to find a remote that looks exactly like the one we have. We followed the startup instructions and within a minute we were back in business.

When our mail catches up with us next week, they'll be a remote in that package, too. We'll return the two "wrong" remotes to Sleep Number. With that "to-do" done, we'll move on to our next Kansas City project.

And, there are many!