Maybe it’s just me but have customer service and common courtesy gone to pot lately? I’m usually tight-lipped about such frustrations and rarely say anything the majority of the time. Until lately.
Case Study #1
McDonald’s. Not my favorite place in the world but it’s definitely one of Hadley’s. During a snowstorm and one of Jamie’s late nights, I had to get out of the house and was simply shocked Haddie suggested it since she only does that ten times a day.
I don’t like their food so decided to try their new Asian Salad (bleh…hate pre-packaged) and ordered Haddie a Happy Meal with chicken nuggets. A nice kid was helping me but it was a second man who rudely shoved it in my direction, which provoked the following discussion.
“Is there sauce in there?”
“No, you didn’t ask for it.”
“Well, you didn’t ask me if I wanted any. And you didn’t even give me the chance.”
“Well, it’s a little late for that. What are you saying–you want sauce now?”
“Yes.”
And I then proceeded to bawl him out for being so unbelievably lazy and rude. Do you wanna know the best of it? He was the manager.
Case Study #2
JoAnn’s. As many of you know, fabric stores are my worst nemesis but they were having a sale on sucker-making kits and I made an exception for the sake of making them for Haddie’s party. When I arrived at the checkout, there were two cashiers and only two people in front of me. So tell me why it took 20 minutes to get through?
Because of incompetence, folks. Because one of the cashiers was having a customer issue and a manager came to help. Problem was the other available cashier stopped for about 10 minutes to eavesdrop. Oh, and did I mention my kids were screaming?
The other cashier ( you know, the one who wasn’t doing anything) called for backup and do you know who she decided to help first? An employee who was standing at the back of the line. Fuming, I took the high road of all us crazy Christians by asking What Would Jesus Do and said nothing.
Case Study #3
I said something. A lot of something (evil am I). I had to make a quick stop into one final store to buy little Bode a winter jacket and when I arrived at the checkout, once again there were two cashiers and about 10 people waiting in a single line and then dispatching to whatever cashier became available.
Again, I waited. Again, the children screamed. And though frustrated, I was doing just fine until people started forming a second line and cutting in front after I’d already been waiting for some time. Call me crazy but I thought we all learned anti-line-cutting etiquette back in kindergarten.
This time, I loudly queried what the order of the procession was and man, did I stir up the cutter-inners (their official title, I’m sure). In the end, nothing was rectified because they stubbornly remained in place as my children screamed for 15 minutes longer than was requisite.
And the next time this happens? Believe me, I’ll ask myself that same question: What Would Jesus Do. Only my future response will be more along the lines of smiting them and calling them to repentance. After all, isn’t that what all those WWJD stickers are all about?…
I'm a Canadian-born mom of two, former Denver Post columnist, family travel writer, editor of MileHighMamas.com and 9News contributor. Expert on all things Utah, Denver, family and travel. Lover of laughter and life. Happily married to a man obsessed with growing The Great Pumpkin. 