Hello and welcome! An introduction for you: I'm a mom, wife, friend, animal-lover, and lacrosse parent who also happens to write, edit and manage a publishing company for a living. So why not start a blog, I thought? And here ya go...

September 30, 2009

Customer Service: It DOES Exist


How unfortunate that good customer service these days is so rare, that when you come across it, you're surprised. But I've had a couple instances here lately that make me want to give my over crappy customer service cynicism (say that five times fast) a rest.

You might be familiar with Five Guys Burgers & Fries. It's a chain of franchised restaurants that's blanketed a fair amount of the country, serving up--you guessed it--burgers and fries. Plus other stuff you would expect to find in a burger and fry kind of place. One finally showed up not far from my home and having heard rave reviews about the burgers (and fries), my son and I stopped in for lunch one day. You order at the counter, receive an empty cup for your beverage that you fill on your own and then seat yourself and wait for your order number to be called. At the beverage station was a sign posted that read a little something like this (I'm paraphrasing because I'm going off my memory, which is poor at best, but you'll get the point):

Dear Customer. Thank you for your business. We want to be sure you know how much we appreciate you coming to eat with us today. You are the most important aspect of our success and we do not ever forget it. We are here to serve you and want you to have a great meal with great service. We do not believe that you are doing us a favor by eating here. Rather, we receive the benefit because you choose to dine here. We thank you for that. If there is anything that you need to make your visit here better, please do not hesitate to ask and we will do everything possible to make it happen. And please come again soon.

The food was outstanding and the service we received very much embodied the sentiments expressed in that sign. What a surprise in the days of restaurants and stores who more often treat customers like it's an imposition to serve them. My biggest beef is saying Thank you to a store employee and getting You're Welcome as a response. The answer should be: "No, thank you." Since, after all, if I and my fellow customer brethren weren't spending money at the locale, the employee and all his brethren would be job searching.

Another great example of the elusive customer service happened today. I was in the Anniston/Oxford area of Alabama yesterday for work purposes (because God knows I wouldn't have been there for the sheer enjoyment of the town) and was scheduled to stay overnight at the Comfort Suites, my usual hotel of choice there because they're in a great location, clean, smoke-free with great rates and complimentary breakfast. About 6:00, minor emergencies dictated I return home to Atlanta instead of staying over. I called to cancel the reservation and was told by the kind receptionist that the cancellation policy states a 4:00 cut off or you get billed regardless. She could not make an exception for me--emergency or no--but suggested I call a manager today. I did just that and learned that the manager had already heard of the situation and had called the hotel owner on my behalf to explain I was a good, regular customer and needed an exception this one time. The owner agreed and I was not charged for a stay I did not actually complete.

How refreshing to be appreciated for loyalty and monetary contribution to the business. The receptionist was nice, the manager went above and beyond, and they've earned my business for all future stays, no doubt.

If you ever have a need to stay in Oxford, Alabama (for the Talladega race, perhaps?), the Comfort Suites is your best choice of hotel when you want to stay somewhere who knows how to treat its customers. And besides that, the cookies they make most nights are to die for.

September 24, 2009

The Adventures of the Morning Commute


Every morning's drive to Chase's school is a lesson in how to drive and how not to drive for my son. Naturally, we have no choice but to head out during the high traffic time when everyone else is also hitting the road to go to work or school. Plus, you've got the moving obstacles stopping at every school bus stop with flashing lights that few seem to understand (flashing yellow means you can continue past them cautiously; only flashing red means you need to stop). It's hectic, and there's nothing you can do about it.

I personally have an unfortunate amount of left hand turns on my route from home to school. One light in particular is a true test of patience for all involved: the traffic is so backed up in all directions, each light change finds a multitude of cars blocking the intersection in a desperate attempt to not have to wait one more cycle of light changes. Which means the alternate flow can't move anywhere until halfway through their green light, which allows about two cars to squeak through before the light changes again and the dance starts anew. We are all familiar, right?

The sketchiest part of the drive is a T that I encounter each morning. Like a breath of fresh air, the traffic as you approach the T greets me about 20 car lengths out. About 80 percent of the cars approaching the T (a 1-way stop, not a 3-way) need to go left, including myself. There's those damn lefts again. And from all three directions, the traffic flow is very heavy with a healthy dose of buses sprinkled about thanks to four schools in the proximity. So those of us approaching from the stem side of the T with the stop sign must rely on the courtesy and generosity of the drivers cruising the top side of the T to allow us schmoes to get out. And when turning left, we need the generosity and kindness of two souls to help us get out. Now you're asking a bit much. Particularly at 7:45 a.m.

And it's at this intersection that the ratio of considerate drivers to inconsiderate drivers is abundantly clear. In case you couldn't guess, we're severely lacking on the considerate side. Here's how it operates in a perfect world: Driver #1 is in a car approaching from the right and wishing to turn left onto the street I'm on. So he's forced to stop and wait for a break in the onslaught of vehicles approaching from the opposite direction. Fortunately (for him), lots of these cars are turning right onto my street. So we have one coming along, planning a right hand turn onto my street; this is Driver #2. As long as Driver #2 is a nice, observant driver who sees Driver #1 needing to go left, he slows down to create enough of a gap to allow this. Now ideally, Driver #1 would have observed Driver #3 (that'd be me) sitting at this same intersection with her signal flashing a need to go left and when he gets his go-ahead from Driver #2, he would first allow #3 to hop out, he'd then turn left in front of the still-patiently-waiting #2 and all is right with the world. Make sense? Clear as mud? You'd get it perfectly if you could see the intersection. My main point here is that it's rare that Drivers #1 and 2 both get this or are in the kindhearted mood to allow it.

Since almost everyone in this particular show is in it daily, everyone is familiar with the intersection and the steps that must be maneuvered for all to finally make the turn they need. So when it doesn't flow properly, I tend to blame it on inconsiderateness more than obliviousness.

So each morning I tell Chase the rules of driving: 1. Safety first. 2. Be a defensive driver because too many others out there aren't as concerned for your life (or their own) as they are getting somewhere fast. And 3. Be aware of what all is around you and be considerate of others. As often as you have the opportunity to help another driver, you will need the same sort of help yourself. And if the world were full of nothing but inconsiderate people only looking out for number one, it'd be a pretty miserable place to be...not to mention impossible for any of us to get anywhere.

September 21, 2009

Atlanta May Wash Away


It's raining again in Atlanta today. When you live in the south, it's either feast or famine where the rain is concerned. Either the rain clouds bypass us altogether as if we aren't on the map (sometimes I wonder if we are) and the entire area is so parched, there's no car washing, lawn watering, boating or slip-n-sliding to be had. Or we have a year like this year where it rains so much, new rivers are created every day (usually in my front yard). Today, some area schools are actually closed because of flooding; in the Midwest, around the great Mississippi, this probably isn't unheard of but here? We're far more familiar with the word "drought" than "flooding." One area--thankfully not mine--got over 10" of rain in the last 12 hours alone. And this is on the heels of a string of rain-soaked days. I'm pretty sure I hear the ground screaming "Uncle!" while Mother Nature screeches a high-pitched, hysterical laugh as she waves her Rain Wand a bit more.

I should just go back to bed.

September 14, 2009

Middle Schoolers: Shameless but Good Musical Taste


Last Friday, my son's middle school had a dance and because Chase hasn't yet reached the point of mortification-when-mom's-around, I volunteered to help out. I was manning the candy sales desk and learned a few things about today's middle schoolers. One, even at 11, 12 and 13 years old, kids still love candy the way Boston loves its Sox. Two, said-children will stoop to low levels to get their hands on it after realizing it requires $1
cash that they don't have. Here are a few ploys thrown my way:

"Could I have free skittles since I know Chase?"

"Could I have free Reece's because I look pretty today?"

"Could I have free M&M's and I'll pay you Monday?" (As if I'd be hanging out at the school Monday.)

"Could I have free Kit-Kat today and I'll pay you $1.50 on Monday?" (Tempting but still, I won't be loitering at the school Monday with a black trench coat on and a bunch of my Italian friends looking for kids to pay up or else.)

"Could I have a free Snickers? You're the prettiest mom here." (I'm flattered, really, but still, no.)

It was enlightening haggling with the sneaky creatures. But what was even more so was strolling into the gym later to watch the actual dance and hearing the music that was playing. Moments after I walked in, the speakers were flooded with none other than Michael Jackson's Thriller. The original version, not some doctored up techno version. And the place erupted. The kids went crazy and proceeded to sing every word of this 1983 hit. Good lord, I was 13 years old when this song was huge. And now my nearly-13 year old child is running around moon-walking (attempting to anyway--the boy needs help with his moves) and doing the up-on-your-toes move that MJ made popular. Next up? Journey's Don't Stop Believin'. Seriously? This came out in 1981. Again, the place went nuts. I was speechless. This wasn't some retro dance; there was no 80s theme. The kids even had the opportunity to provide requested songs leading up to the shin-dig. These were the tunes they wanted to hear. I have since learned that the Journey hit is the most downloaded song not released in the 21st century from the iTunes music store.

So apparently, at least parts of middle school are unchanged since I attended as a student. Kids still love candy, they're not above begging or giving shameless complements to get their hands on it, and their taste in music is amazingly good.

September 3, 2009

A Little Personal Space


Is personal space something you need to be taught? I thought a sense of others' personal space was one of those "you just know" types of things. Like you know you shouldn't pick your nose, you know you shouldn't insult your friends' kids, you know you shouldn't date a friends' ex, you know that So You Think You Can Dance is a better show than Dancing With the Stars, you know that Georgia Tech is a better school than UGA. You know...you just know these things.

But apparently not everyone does know the personal space rule. If you're one of them, let me clarify. If you're in public or around someone with whom you are not intimate, you should generally give them a good 3 foot radius. Don't stand any closer. You can come in and out of the circle if you have a legitimate reason to do so but if you're just loitering, being any closer to someone than this gets uncomfortable in a hurry. And if you're in, say, a store that typically necessitates a buggy/shopping cart, you also don't allow this cart into that radius.

Case in point: I'm standing in a checkout line at Target and it's gotten to be my turn. The cashier is scanning my few things and I feel something bump against my hip. I turn and the older lady behind me has her cart so close to my body, it finally came in contact with me. She is oblivious to this so I slide down a smidge and return my attention to the cashier. And it happens again. She moved her cart to fill the gap once again and a slight lean by me to reach the credit card swipe I was no longer in front of had me banging into her cart again. She does notice that and next thing I know, she has moved her cart (already empty of her items that have been placed on the belt) alongside of me so that she herself could encroach on my personal space. She sidled up until she was standing a half a foot away from me. I looked at her, stunned that she wasn't as uncomfortable being so close to me--a perfect stranger--as I was to be that close to her. In fact, I was stunned speechless, a rarity for me. Oh, I thought of lots of things to say. Like, "Are you hitting on me?" or "If you stand any closer, you can tell what I ate for lunch" or "I'm flattered but I prefer men" or "Shall we dance?"

In the end, I bit my tongue because my manners are ingrained enough that I know not to be rude to perfect strangers, even when they are out of line socially. I did, however, slide her my phone number and, with a wink, mouthed "Call me" as I walked away. Maybe she will.