I had two unusual shopping experiences today
Julia got a present that did not quite match what she needed. So we took it to a big box electronics store to exchange it for a larger model.
The man behind the service counter (whom we shall call Frack, for lack of a better name) saw us, and basically ignored us. The man running the cash register (let's call him Frick, for lack of a better name) saw us, and told the guy behind the service counter, who said, "It will be a few minutes because I am updating this program." Frick says, "Should I call a manager?" Frack says, "No...it will just be a few minutes."
There are now three of us in line.
Frick has a customer who is needing a receipt with a rebate. But he has run out of register paper, halfway through printing the receipt. Instead of getting a new roll, he goes to the next register and takes that tape. He loads that, but can not reprint the receipt. So he goes to the computer to run if off the website. Now there are four people in the checkout line, two in the service line because one guy got mad and left.
Meanwhile, another manager comes to work a register since the line is getting longer and finds out...he has no paper in his machine. So he takes Frick's paper. Frick now takes paper from the machine behind the counter.
Another manager has arrived to help Julia, because Frack can't authorize a return.....which if he had called a manager at the start like Frick suggested, would have gone a long way to getting the process moving. But this manager can not log in to the computer. Ever effort to enter Julia's name comes up with the message, "Unrecognized character." So they go to another computer. Same problem. He tells Julia to come behind the service counter and enter the information. Same problem. Different computer. Same problem.
The phone is ringing constantly. "Customer service, you have a call waiting. Tech, you have a customer waiting," keeps blaring over the intercom system.
The lights are flashing on the phone, it's jangling, the lines are long, Frick is out of pennies for change and has been taking them out of his own pocket, the phone keeps ringing and Frick turns around, hits all the buttons, looks at no one in particular and mutters, "There."
And there is silence. For about three seconds, then the phone lines start lighting up again.
Another employee arrives on the scene. She says, to no one in particular. "I am helping a customer looking for a drive. Someone please answer his questions." The only people are Frick running the register, and the man helping Julia and me, because Frack has run away.
She picks up the ringing phone, looks for some paper to write notes, finds a used sheet, scribbles out the first note, writes on it and says to me, "I took care of the first one, this guy needs help with a question. I have another customer waiting." And she leaves.
Finally Julia manages to access their website on her phone, registers for an account, gets the item returned, and manages to order the replacement......which will arrive Monday.
Forty five minutes in the store. Jackie thought we got lost.
The next stop was 10 minutes away...Irv's Luggage.
Julia's suitcase broke. She needed another one. Irv's is a huge warehouse seller of suitcases and is located in Morton Grove, or someplace. She had called them last Saturday and they had one in stock she was interested in and were holding it for her.
We walked into Irv's, were greeted by two sales people, they took her name, went in the back, pulled out the suitcase, and within 5 minutes we were walking out the door with a $300 suitcase that cost her $125.
Now, who do you think I will do business with again?
And by the way, neither item was available locally, which means we had to take the buying trip on the road.
When we checked out at the first place, there was a big red button that said, "That was easy" when you hit it. I hit it. The guy waiting on Julia looked at us and said, " Not today. Today it isn't."
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