Last week I had words with an automotive customer service rep named Anne. The “run flat” tires on my car had proven to be a spectacular failure. Instead of enabling Mrs. Leaper to get home safely after a run-of-the-mill puncture, they fell apart—and I mean that literally—after only six of the fifty miles they were supposed to last. A tow truck took Mrs. Leaper and the car to the dealer’s lot. I was able to get Mrs. Leaper home from the dealership, but the car....