The other day my cousin and her partner in NY called to say they'd love to come visit us for a few days around New Years. I'm quite excited about it since we only met one once for half a day back in the UK (where she's from originally) and that was in 1967. With little time left we don't have any extra beds for the guest bedroom. They were given away before we moved. We do however have one of those air beds (like on the infomercials) and a roll away cot. But I want to have proper beds for guests. So with that in mind I headed to the local Sleep Country store, renowned here for their jingly tv commercials and pleasant President spokeslady. Upon entering said establishment I was greeted cordially by a salesman and as cordially back I told him I wished to browse only. I had just made it to the second aisle of sleep sets as they're now known when from behind my back was once again this same salesman asking if I needed assistance and for what I might be interested in. It must have been the spirit of the Christmas Season because as my neck hairs and defense systems rose the better of my temper remained calm and I proceeded to carry on a pleasant conversation knowing full well that for this transgression he would in no way make a sleep set sale to me today or ever. Nor would Sleep Country as I beat a non-hasty retreat out of the store. And yes, I have already emailed the aforementioned pleasant spokeslady President of the company.
The charity of the season didn't last unfortunately as I was somewhat peckish and being of low blood sugar it doesn't take much to get what I have boiling. This pressure buildup was released somewhat nastily upon the staff of the adjacent McDonalds where I stood in line behind two other customers, none of whom had yet been served either while the staff proceeded to ignore any human life beyond the front counter. With that I left.
But wait there's more! A few days prior we received one of hundreds of Sears flyers, this one for electronics and again since we don't own a tv having left the others behind I ventured out to peruse their wares in the late evening. I was greeted by a youngish man of around 20. I then asked to see the Sharp LCD tv featured in the flyer for $799. He wasn't quite sure if they had it then glanced across and said he thought he saw it over on the display wall. When we got to it the price was marked on sale for $899 so I mentioned the discrepency. He said he hadn't seen the flyer so I replied "Well don't you have one"? and he said he did over by the register. "Well go take a look at it" I said, and so he did. All fine and dandy so far. Then I ask him what the pixel count is on this tv only to receive a blank stare. Offering even more information only gave me more blank stares until the point I told him pointedly "You don't know much about what you're selling do you?" and he sheepishly replied the affirmative. "How long have you been working here? I said. "About two weeks" he replied. So I let him off the hook but told him he should at least know what he's got on sale from the flyers and try to bone up on what he's selling. And with that I left..
Now if that's not bad enough when we moved here I opened a month to month dialup internet account with a little provider in the mall. Got an email last week that they were merging with another company directly across from their store in the mall. We've finally dug out all of our computers and with the intention of updating to DSL I headed down to their office to pay for the next month and upgrade to DSL with them. Up to the receptionist I go and tell her I already have a dialup account and wish to get highspeed. She tells me that all of their accounts are highspeed.. I questioned this again to her and said "are you sure?" "will my DSL modem work on the current plan I already have" she replied to the affirmative so I left walking down the mall thinking somethings not right. Not wanting to get home and go thru a lot of hassle setting things up not to work I turned right around and walked back to her but she was on the phone. The other girl who worked there came right up and I mentioned to her what the one girl had just told me and if it was true. Well of course it wasn't said this new girl and then I had to stand there once the first girl got off the phone so the other one could explain everything to her, meanwhile she's looking as bored and "let me outta here" as she possibly can..
It's not like jobs are abundant here, they aren't, but I've never encountered such awful service. You expected it back in Calgary where anyone can walk into any business and get a job instantly they're that desperate, but not here.
Anyways, that's my long rant o the day.. LOL whew I feel better
The charity of the season didn't last unfortunately as I was somewhat peckish and being of low blood sugar it doesn't take much to get what I have boiling. This pressure buildup was released somewhat nastily upon the staff of the adjacent McDonalds where I stood in line behind two other customers, none of whom had yet been served either while the staff proceeded to ignore any human life beyond the front counter. With that I left.
But wait there's more! A few days prior we received one of hundreds of Sears flyers, this one for electronics and again since we don't own a tv having left the others behind I ventured out to peruse their wares in the late evening. I was greeted by a youngish man of around 20. I then asked to see the Sharp LCD tv featured in the flyer for $799. He wasn't quite sure if they had it then glanced across and said he thought he saw it over on the display wall. When we got to it the price was marked on sale for $899 so I mentioned the discrepency. He said he hadn't seen the flyer so I replied "Well don't you have one"? and he said he did over by the register. "Well go take a look at it" I said, and so he did. All fine and dandy so far. Then I ask him what the pixel count is on this tv only to receive a blank stare. Offering even more information only gave me more blank stares until the point I told him pointedly "You don't know much about what you're selling do you?" and he sheepishly replied the affirmative. "How long have you been working here? I said. "About two weeks" he replied. So I let him off the hook but told him he should at least know what he's got on sale from the flyers and try to bone up on what he's selling. And with that I left..
Now if that's not bad enough when we moved here I opened a month to month dialup internet account with a little provider in the mall. Got an email last week that they were merging with another company directly across from their store in the mall. We've finally dug out all of our computers and with the intention of updating to DSL I headed down to their office to pay for the next month and upgrade to DSL with them. Up to the receptionist I go and tell her I already have a dialup account and wish to get highspeed. She tells me that all of their accounts are highspeed.. I questioned this again to her and said "are you sure?" "will my DSL modem work on the current plan I already have" she replied to the affirmative so I left walking down the mall thinking somethings not right. Not wanting to get home and go thru a lot of hassle setting things up not to work I turned right around and walked back to her but she was on the phone. The other girl who worked there came right up and I mentioned to her what the one girl had just told me and if it was true. Well of course it wasn't said this new girl and then I had to stand there once the first girl got off the phone so the other one could explain everything to her, meanwhile she's looking as bored and "let me outta here" as she possibly can..
It's not like jobs are abundant here, they aren't, but I've never encountered such awful service. You expected it back in Calgary where anyone can walk into any business and get a job instantly they're that desperate, but not here.
Anyways, that's my long rant o the day.. LOL whew I feel better
