The Salesgirl and The Waiter

I am so glad I have two "clerk" stories to tell you tonight.  I hate to always just talk about bad service because it makes me sound like a person that nobody can please, and that is not true at all.  I am very easy to please.  Just give me good service.  We demand it from our employees.  Our clerks will walk out into the parking lot to your car if they see you need help. 

After lunch with Phylly at TGI Friday's, I decided I needed to quit procrastinating and go buy a new carpet vacuum.  I have always been a Sears Kenmore Canister/Carpet Vac lover, but somebody at Kenmore that obviously never had used a vacuum in his/her life, decided to CHANGE the model I love, and when they did, they ruined it.  I had researched this several months ago, and I knew about the change, but I thought since I was at the mall already, I would go look at the Progressive vacuums at Sears one more time, and maybe by some miracle they would be changed BACK to the way they used to be.

I walked over to the vacuums and started talking to the vacuums.  I noticed two girls doing something on the other side of the aisle, so I started speaking to them.  They ignored me.  I asked if they worked there.  Yes, they did, but someone else would have to help me.  So I looked for "someone else" and sure enough, she was walking toward me.  She was a nice looking lady with a lot of hair.  She wore a strange purse/back pack sort of thing wrapped all around her body.  She was 40ish I would say.  I told her how I USED to love this Progressive vacuum and that I didn't like the way they changed it.  She took it down off display and was going to SHOW me that I was wrong.  She started to pull the wand out of the handle, but she couldn't figure out how to do it.  She pulled and she pushed and she moved the buttons all around.  I took it from her and showed her how to take it apart.  She kept telling me how she knew all about this vacuum and how wonderful it was.  I handed it back to her.  I told her I didn't like the way they permanently attached the little round brush to the end of the hand part of the wand.  She said she would SHOW me that you could remove it.  She pushed and pulled and fiddled with the buttons.  AGAIN, I took it from her and showed her how to do it.  Oh, yes, she knew all about this vacuum, and it was the top of the line.  I handed it back to her again.  Then I explained that it was too big to slide the wand in between the frig and the wall or in between the washer and dryer.  She said she would SHOW me that she could do it.  VERY WEIRD.  She puts the little skinny thing on that you do edges with and tells me that you just use it.  I took it from her again.  I turned around and tried to put it between a box and the wall and, of course, it would not go in at all because of the remodeling of the handheld part made to hold the little round brush.  She couldn't believe it, and she FINALLY saw what I was telling her from the first minute we met. 

By that time, I figured out I knew WAY MORE than that girl ever would about that vacuum.  I decided to ask her about UPRIGHT models.  Oh, yes, she knew all about them too.  She even had a Hoover Windtunnel.  Okay, I said, show me that one.  Well, to make a loooooooooong story short -- I had to show her how that one worked too, and then the Kenmore and then the Oreck.  It was unbelievable.  After I demoed all those models to her, I finally decided to buy the Hoover.  I asked her if she had bags for it.  This is what she said:

It takes a Y bag, but we don't have any Y bags.  We only have Y/Z bags, but you can use the Y/Z bags with it. 

I tell her I want to buy some bags for it.  We walk over to the vac bags hanging on the wall.  I am watching her every move.  She reaches up and chooses a package of TWO Y/Z bags and tells me I need them.  I can see hanging RIGHT NEXT TO THE Y/Z bags that there is a package of Y bags.  I say to her, "Aren't those Y bags right there?"  She looks and she sees them.  THEN she says, "Yes, those are Y bags but you want these Y/Z bags."  I ask her why.  She says there are 2 Y/Z's in the box.  I point out that there are 3 Y bags in a box.  "Oh", she says.  Then she says, "Well, you don't want those because these are better because they filter up to 97.5% of allergens."  I pick up the Y bags and written plainly on the front it says, "Filters 97.5% of allergens".  I show it to her and point out that it is also several dollars cheaper and has one more bag.  She finally gives up.

Then she tries to put my phone number and my name in the computer.  She messed that up over and over.  We had to keep starting all over.  Finally, she got the thing sold to me.  She said I could pick it up at the package pick-up door.  She took my receipt and started walking away with it.  I asked her where she was going.  She said she was going to the package pick-up dept to tell them I was coming.  I started to take my bags and go find the down escalator when I noticed her walking back to me.  She said again, I'm going to take this to package pick-up, but you can go there and get your vacuum.  Okay.  She walked away again, but turned around shortly and came back to me.  She said, "Here is your receipt.  Just take it to package pick-up".

Isn't it just UNbelievable?  These clerks are so poorly trained.  They don't know the product or the register or the routine.  I was very patient with the girl, because it was obvious she had some mental issues.  I wasn't in a hurry and I didn't insult her or rush her.  I felt really sorry for her though because she sure wasn't prepared to do that job.  I basically sold myself the vacuum.

So THAT was the salesgirl story. 

I came home with my new vacuum and hauled the big box into the house and sat it up against Jerry's desk and forgot about it.  I came back into my sewing room to fix my amoeba blouse per the other Joy's (I'll call her Joy2) comment.  I was finished with it and taking a picture for Joy2 when my doorbell rang.  It was Margaret!!!  I was so happy to see her.  She came over to inform me that Phylly was NOT my ONLY friend.  I said, "Good, come in and let's go out to dinner."  We fixed our faces -- I changed my shoes -- and we left with no idea at all where we were going to eat.  It was 5:00.  Margaret said she wanted to show me the house she and her husband built years ago that she had sold and would love to have back.  So we drove over to her old neighborhood, and I parked in front of her very lovely x-home.  I could certainly see why she missed it so much.  Then we walked across the street to talk to a good friend and x-neighbor of hers, Betty.  Then Betty's husband came out.  I think his name was Jay.  Both very nice people.  All four of us discussed restaurants, and one of them mentioned Longhorn.  AHAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!  THAT is where that darling Jerrod works that waited on us a couple weeks ago.  I decided that I wanted to go there, and Margaret didn't care where we went. 

We arrived and I asked for Jerrod to wait on us.  The girl wanted to know WHICH Jerrod.  "You mean there are TWO of them", I said.  The girl explained that one was a waiter and one was a bartender.  I chose the waiter, and sure 'nuf -- it was the same sweet Jerrod.  He remembered me or, at least, said he did.  He was just as nice and helpful and friendly.  Margaret said he was a flirt.  I did see him wink at her, and he practically sat in her lap when she offered him a seat next to her.  When we were done eating, Margaret had to visit the little girl's room.  While she was gone, another couple -- old like us -- came and sat at the booth right behind me.  Jerrod went over and introduced himself and started talking to them.  After a couple of minutes, I heard the lady in the booth say, "You sure are cute!" to Jerrod.  So, seeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.  It isn't just me.  He really is a great waiter.  Too bad they can't clone him to sell vacuums at Sears!

And THAT was the waiter story -- both in the same day! 

My soldier grandson whom I affectionately call "Boo Bear" texted me today to tell me he is coming home this Friday.  He knows how much I adore him and that I would be thrilled to know that.  He gets to stay for several weeks.  He said he is coming down to our home to stay for three days and go fishing with his Papa.  I told Jerry, and he was as excited as I am.  That is a real big thing for me to look forward to.  He is a wonderful, responsible, gorgeous 19-year old young man who makes wise choices in life and is very respectful to his elders.  This child gives me GREAT joy!  After John left for the Army, my daughter brought some boxes of his belongings over to put in my attic, and I hugged the boxes.  You get the idea.

Riiiiiiiiiiing, Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing --  Gotta grab the phone -- Be right back.

Okay.  It is an hour later.  I just heard from my daughter for the first time since last October.  She called to say that her son, John, (Boo Bear) has decided to get married while he is home.  His fiance' is still a Senior in High School.  Wow!  Things sure can change fast in a Grandma's world.  His girlfriend is as lovely as he is, so it is a good thing.  I can't imagine that they will still want to come to our house, but my daughter says he does.  WARNING!  Watch for my emotions to go through the roof.  John leaves from his short visit home to go to Alaska.  He is in Boston, MA right now.

I better get to bed.

Hugs, Joy