Every time I go to buy gasoline, I get yelled at by the gas attendant lady.
Apparently, she does not like the fact that I pre-pay when I use cash. Every station is different when it comes to cash, so I just always pre-pay.
The last time she was so mad she was literally shaking. I was worried for a moment that I was sending her into an anxiety attack.
"YOU DON'T HAVE TO PRE-PAY YOU KNOW! she yelled.
"I know, thank you." I said smiling.
"THEN WHY DO YOU DO IT?" she yelled.
"Because I prefer to?" I said, feeling a bit stumped by the question.
She rolled her eyes, gave me a big, "Hummphhh!" and snatched my money.
"Thank you." I said.
My kindness was killing her. Hopefully not literally.
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Then at a home improvement store the other day, I ran into the most lackadaisical employee ever. I must have had a sign on my forehead asking who the most lazy person in the store was that day.
I bought a small grill and the wheel came off, twice, as I was wheeling it away.
A woman behind the customer service desk saw it since there was a loud crashing sound and everyone turned to look at me. She said that she would call someone to help. While waiting, another employee thought I was in line so he asked if I needed help. Nice I thought.
I told him the wheel fell off and that someone was coming and he said with a wave of his arm, "Oh those are 100 dollar grills."
He came over to me and said "I could look aallll day to see if there is a better one and they'd all be the same." "They don't hold up to the kind of rolling we do with them." "It's a poor design."
"So you're saying they're cheap?" I asked.
"They are on the lower end, yes." he said.
"Well, whether it's a 100 dollar grill or a 1000 dollar grill, I expect the wheel not to fall off before I get to the car." I said.
And rather than say, "You're right - let me check to see if there is a better one. It should only take 5 minutes of my life that is not mine right now anyway because I represent a company that is paying me to assist its customers." he says...
"Look, the other one is probably just as loose" as he bends down and struggles to take off the wheel.
He's pulling and pulling and then says, "Well, that one does seem to be a little tighter....er, uh..."
So I say, "Then don't you think there are others that are just as tight on both sides??"
and then he says the killer ---wait for it---
"YOU'RE A WOMAN, YOU COULD SPEND $300.00 ON A PAIR OF SHOES."
Me, *blink, blink* "What does that mean??" I ask.
Him, *gulp, gulp*
Is it just me or do you find yourself in wierd situations like these??
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***Before my career as a mother took off with 5 kids, I had a career as a corporate trainer and Director of PR and customer relations. So when it comes to customer service, I feel that I have a pretty good idea of what is exceptional or at the very least, what is decent. I am still somewhat surprised when I run into situations like these, with people that are old enough to know better. Good customer service is hard to come by I guess.
Sometimes I feel like going back into training...
Remind me to tell you the story of the parking lot attendant in Portland...I thought I was going to get beat up...she was scary.***
