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11700. wonkers2 - 10/16/2004 4:52:40 AM Actually, it costs $3 now. The chablis isn't too bad, but the red is hardly drinkable. 11701. Magoseph - 10/18/2004 7:32:11 PM Hello, where is our friend Mac today? I'm raking leaves and I’m thinking how nice it would be if I could start a garden, as Ms. No did over the weekend. 11702. Ms. No - 10/18/2004 7:47:10 PM Great weekend, got lots done and I've been thinking of my garden all day. I can't wait for the gardenias to bloom. Mr. C who owns the property next to mine is a good ol' boy from Tennessee and was quite pleased with the southern flavor of my planting. I've no idea if gardenias and hydrangeas are common everywhere, but they remind me so much of my grandmother and the Carolinas that I just had to plant them. It's a bit dry here in California for hydrangeas, but that's what the garden hose is for.
Celebrated my nephew's 4th birthday last night although today is the actual day. He helped with the garden and played with Billie on Saturday which thrilled them both. I came into the living room where they were sitting on the couch together watching The Lion King and he looked up and said "Billie likes me. Look! Her tail wags when I pat her butt!"
The new neph is cute as a button. He's got the most intense focus and he was grinning and giggling last night. He's going to be another giant --- he's only seven weeks old and already wearing his 3-6 month clothes. 11703. Magoseph - 10/18/2004 9:31:49 PM It looks as you gave the happy parents some time off yesterday, Ms. No. 11704. Ms. No - 10/18/2004 9:36:44 PM Mostly it was everyone hanging out and doing home projects and cooking meals and watching baseball, passing the baby around, wrestling with dogs, playing board games. Quite a satisfying trip. 11705. Magoseph - 10/19/2004 7:45:29 PM We have very good news today--Flexy’s high-blood pressure is way down, as are his cholesterol readings. Now we're preparing him for his upcoming operation, mentally you understand and that is not an easy undertaking with him. 11706. Ms. No - 10/19/2004 7:46:59 PM Very good news, Mags! 11707. arkymalarky - 10/19/2004 11:50:41 PM Good luck on everything, Mags. 11708. Magoseph - 10/20/2004 12:14:24 AM Thank you, Ms. No and Arky. 11709. wonkers2 - 10/21/2004 1:17:09 PM Arky may be interested to know that The Cap'n was expelled last week from his local WalMart after an argument with the store manager over his attempt to exchange a $10.54 defective, knock-off made in China, pocket knife for a real made in USA $18.00 Schrade knife. The Cap'n foolishly has failed to keep his receipt for the Chinese WalMart knife. Although the store manager said she didn't doubt that the knife was purchased at her store she refused "because WalMart policy only allowed for exchanges not upgrades for returns without receipts." The Cap'n said he wanted to pay the difference for a real Schrade knife and didn't want another "toy Chinese knife." Tempers flared, The Cap'n raised his voice above the level allowed in WalMart, at some point referring to the manager as a "peanut brain" whereupon store security was called. When he said he wasn't ready to leave, the manager asked the security lady to call the local police. For about ten minutes the Cap'n, the store manager and the security lady had a little parade around the store. The Cap'n tired of this and left, much less of an aficianado of WalMart. The local police pulled up to the store entrance as he was getting into his car. He would be grateful if Arky would obtain an apology from WalMart heeadquarters. 11710. PsychProf - 10/21/2004 1:27:29 PM Surely you can understand how an irate person scares employees. These are just working people trying to make a living. 11711. alistairconnor - 10/21/2004 2:35:30 PM ... and an armed one at that. I can understand why they didn't want you to have a decent quality knife! 11712. PsychProf - 10/21/2004 2:58:53 PM I find some stuff funny in life, but not any of this. 11713. Magoseph - 10/21/2004 5:16:39 PM Well, I think it is undertandstable that the Cap'n is upset about the antics of the Chinese in cooperation with George Bush--everybody around here is talking about the new Wal-Mart and the negative effect it's having on the community. It ought to be enough that they manipulate their currency without any fear of retaliation through tariffs or complaints to the various world organizations. Apparently, they have adopted exchange regulations which fly in the face of procedures which have prevailed for many years in this area.
The way the manager handled this matter with the Cap'n suggests an arrogance which is inexcusable in the retail trade.
11714. Magoseph - 10/21/2004 5:21:31 PM Oops, that's a big one!
undertandstable=understandable 11715. PelleNilsson - 10/21/2004 5:46:26 PM One will never get anything done by confronting bureaucracy head-on. There are rules, regulations, documents to be filed and so on. Very few persons are prepared to bend the rules unless given a very good reason to do so. An intemperate, loud-mouthed customer does not count as a good reason. The key to success is to coopt the representative of the bureaucracy, to make her feel that your problem is her problem and that a win-win solution can be devised. In the case wonkers describes one feels that such a solution would have been eminently possible. On the other hand, if Wal-Mart is anything like similar establishments over here, one's temper is the first thing one loses upon entering. 11716. Ms. No - 10/21/2004 5:50:35 PM Not unlike dealing with Sears telephone customer service, I've found. 11717. judithathome - 10/21/2004 5:59:47 PM I can see both sides but surely there was a way to handle this other than calling the police.
Customer service should mean just that...if they knew it was their merchandise, a solution could have been reached that was satisfactory to both the store and the customer. I'm sure WalMart feels the bad will they created with one customer will not bother their bottom line at all since they have a strangle-hold on the public wherever they set up shop.
I've been a consumer for a long time and I have seen an abysmal drop in customer service across the board over the years. It used to be the customer was a prized entity but these days, it's more like they are doing you a favor by taking your money. They don't seem to care if you're pissed off because if they have what you want, they know you'll more than likely be back for it...their attitude is "Deal with it" and that's that. 11718. judithathome - 10/21/2004 6:02:46 PM Speaking of comsumers, just saw a blurb in my paper about the new Hello Kitty! Mastercard for kids ages 10 through 14...yes, get your paws on this little pink and white card and you can run up credit card debt just like mommy and daddy! 11719. PsychProf - 10/21/2004 6:02:49 PM Ms No...I only know one side here, and so do you. In any case, even if the customer is right, it is just plain scarie to deal with irate people...perhaps if we knew both sides, and what it is like to deal with that anger in that workplace, we might view the situation differently. And...I do not see where "losing one's temper" because one thinks one is right has justification.
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