So the other day Superman and I hauled the kids to RONA to buy a screen door. We had some questions and so I went to the Doors and Windows "project manager" to ask some questions. She told me if I had general questions she could help me, but if it was expertise I was after she couldn't help. Say wha-? Since I wasn't sure which category she was gonna think my questions fell under, I asked, and she was right; she was no help. She didn't offer to find someone to help, she didn't get off her chair to help us find out what we were looking for, to pick the right door, pull one out, or anything. I also asked her about awnings. She told me they didn't sell any but I could make one.
"I can?"
" Yes. There's some plastic sheeting stuff you can use. You know what I mean?"
" No idea what you're talking about."
" Oh yeah, it's like stuff you use to make a pagoda."
"O-kay? Still no clue. How do I do it?"
" You'll have to talk to the guys in lumber. They can help you figure out how to build it."
" Ah. And where do I find this stuff exactly?"
"Oh, at the end of the isle. I didn't know either until a customer told me."
I give up. I'd have more luck pulling a tooth from a crocodile than getting her to help me. It was so strange I wondered if her butt was literally glued to her chair. I ended up going to customer service, after we fumbled our way through deciding which one was for us and poor Superman fighting with it to get on the cart (I was holding the Beast and then totally not thinking, I wandered off to find a screen to replace in our window leaving him to fend for himself), and told them I had just had a really bad customer service experience over in doors. The girl asked if I wanted to fill out a comment card and if perhaps I wanted to talk to the manager. At first I wasn't going to bother but I'm glad I changed my mind. I very nicely reiterated what had just transpired. In the meantime Superman came back inside and told me "well, I got the door in the van, but we'll have to leave the kids here." lol! So the manager offered to have it delivered (reg. 75 bucks) for free. I said ok. But then he wasn't sure he could do it that night. Superman would have just come back himself, but he had to go to work. I figured we could just come back the next day and pick it up, and told the manager half jokingly, instead I'll take a 75 gift card. He said "ok", and he got me the door delivered too! YAY! (Afterwards I realized I should have just asked for a free installation instead. Oh well.)
I've had a lot of luck with stuff like this though. I recently got our cable (72 channels or something) for 10 bucks a month (it's usually 50 or 60 bucks I think). I've gotten free meals, extra add-ons to purchases, and even got an 800 dollar refund from a stupid cruise thing that was kind of a scam who normally refuse refunds. I've even gotten money back for other people. And to top it off, people are still nice to me. They want me to come back! You know, people complain about stuff all the time and sometimes they get what they want, but they do it in a way that no one ever wants to deal with them again.
I think I've finally found my talent in life! HAHA! (I should have been an advocacy lawyer I think.) Is anyone else like this?
And are you guys finding this hard to read? I dig that the template works with my blog title, but I'm having a hard time reading this. Although, it is late and I've had my contacts in for waaaay too long. So is it like that for everyone or am I just getting too darn old?
Oh! I have to tell this story. It relates to getting old....
I was talking to Bean
"You too” she said.
“Me? Do I? Really?”
“Yup. Really”
“Really, I do??” I ask again, disbelieving.
“ Well, no," she said. "But you have a lot of hair. BIG, looooong hairs. It looks like you’re growing a moustache. Hello professor,” she says to me. Punk. I would have howled with laughter if she said that to anyone else. Hello professor? The kid's five. She's not supposed to be so clever.
