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10.12.2006


a note on customer service

I don't care who you are. This is America. Sure, we have our own royalty avec les celebrities, reality TV actors, musicians and so on. But part of the American-charm is being able to scratch and claw your way to these A-lists. It's really a level playing field, as long as you're talented, good-looking and have the right connections. I don't bow to said A-listers, B-listers and any other person pretending to be more important than those around them. So, under Christ, I think everyone is equal and deserves the same amount of respect and attention.

Walnut Creekians do not agree with my theory (nor does most of the world, but I don't care). My mom was making her purchases at david m. brian and was at the front of the line. She got the counter only for the clerk to look behind her and then quickly say to her fellow sales associate, "Maggie, can you please help this lady? I am going to ring-up Mrs. Madden." For those of you who don't live around here, John Madden and family are our "locals" and apparently you can run into them frequently. Mrs. Madden brushed past my mother in a huff and, nose in air, made her purchases ahead of my mom. Needless to say, she was deeply embarrassed and made to feel like she was nothing in comparison to Mrs. Friggin' John Madden. What kills me is the two-part faux pas: that the sales associate put her in front of my mom and that Mrs. Madden had no problem with it - nay, expected it.

The sales associate might as well have said "Lady, you're not important to me, nor this company, but the wife of a famous guy, is. I don't care if you make your purchases or not. All that matters is that I serve someone I deem higher-up the food chain than you, even though it's not likely that there's anything in it for me and I'm certain that Mrs. Madden will forget who I am 20 seconds after leaving the counter. Either way, move aside and make room for someone more important."

Justin's good friend, Ryan, started a blog to note and complain of service faux pas and I think it's a brilliant way of sharing which companies are doing what to the real people of this country. Venting does make you feel better.

4 Comments:

At 10/12/2006 8:59 PM, Blogger Jesse and Melissa Left a note...

I honestly don't know how some companies stay in business with their customer service. Whatever, I'm a take my business elsewhere kind of guy. Screw WaMu.

 
At 10/13/2006 9:44 AM, Anonymous Anonymous Left a note...

I had several people in the Verizon store I worked in in Walnut Creek (note: same town where Marla's Mom experienced the Madden issue) when they didn't get their way explain why they should get their way by saying, "Do you know how much money I make? I probably make more in a week then you do in a year!" True or not, what does that have to do with the credit they want on their bill or the fact they want to return a bluetooth headset they tried to use for 4 months, and were too stupid to figure out? You could make the, "Do you know how much money I pay monthly to Verizon?" and crappy as it may be, that would hold water. But if anything stating your income as a level of importance in society has not only no bearing, but if anything in my mind states you can afford not to worry about the supposed incorrect overage or bad choice in headset purchase.

Phew...now I remember why I left that job. I'm going to go for a walk now and calm down.

 
At 10/13/2006 10:11 AM, Blogger Jesse and Melissa Left a note...

You should tell you mom to write a nasty letter to corporate office, then maybe they will send her some free stuff.

 
At 10/13/2006 10:16 AM, Blogger Jeff H Left a note...

Your mom should have dumped her items on top of Mrs. Madden's on the counter, and said matter-of-factly: "Since you're famous and I'm not, I'm sure you won't buying my items for me."

 

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