I didn’t cry, but I wanted to scream. And I really, really wanted to stamp my feet and maybe throw something – preferably a cellphone. Three hours at a Costco phone kiosk can have that effect on anyone.All I wanted was a new phone. My carrier offered me a free upgrade to a fancy-schmancy smartphone, so last Saturday I confidently headed out to Costco to pick it up.For tax purposes I wanted to separate my account from my husband’s. Matthew, the helpful cellphone salesman, assured me a quick call to customer service would take care of that. Of course, that was before we realized customer service for this particular provider had been outsourced to a country far, far away/Cindy Hval, SR Front Porch. More here.

• Also by Cindy: Swimming: An individual workout in a team setting

Question: Share your worst electronics customer service experience?