No Sausage, please!

Okay, today’s post is a bit of a rant.

I don’t like to fuss over the cost of my food, but I think what happened last week was “highway” robbery, or more fittingly, “drive-thru” robbery. I was at a restaurant chain, which will remain unnamed (the Golden Arches) and I was overcharged. Yes, overcharged because their “machine” doesn’t allow them to adjust any prices. I ordered a sausage “golden arches” muffin with egg, but without the sausage. I asked the person who took my order not to charge me for the sausage. She said that it can’t be done because the machine doesn’t allow her to do so. She will have to charge me the full price. Since I was in the drive-thru, and I was aware that folks were behind me, I allowed her to charge me the full price.

What she should have done: ring up the price for an egg, a muffin, and the cheese separately.

I know it is possible because this courtesy was extended to me in the past

Lesson for me: The next time I want to order anything other than coffee, find a parking space, walk into Yellow Arches, and place a face-to face order.

Have a happy Sunday, everyone!

Credit: Google images

An Act of Honesty and Integrity

If you were to ask me to share my recent encounter that showed the goodness of the human soul, I would share this heart-warming story with you…

On Monday, April 4, I left my school right after dismissal to pick up a bale of 400 grocery bags at the neighborhood Publix grocery store for an Earth Day project. I took my phone, driver’s license, and debit card with me – no handbag. While I was waiting for the manager to bring the bags from the stockroom, I decided to buy a mango key lime pie and get $75 cash back with my purchase. When I received my cash, I wrapped the receipt around it and placed it in my pocket. As I was putting the money in my pocket, I said to the cashier, “my pocket is too shallow for cash”, but proceeded to do so anyway.

On my way back to school, I called the office for a dolly to transport the bags to my classroom. I arrived in the front of the school, only to find that there was no dolly, so I went to the office to see what was happening. As I was speaking with my colleague, I reached into my pocket and…guess what? There was no money! I retraced my steps to the car, looked around, but no cash. How was I feeling? Disappointed. I knew that my pocket was too shallow for cash, yet I did not pay attention that fact.

I decided to call Publix because in my heart I felt that if someone found the money, he or she will turn it in. Here is how part of the conversation went:

Me: “Hi, this is Elaine. I just picked up some grocery bags at your store.”

Cashier: “Yes, I remember you.”

Me: “Do you recall that I told you that my pocket is too shallow for cash I got when I bought the key lime pie?”

Cashier: “Yes, I remember. I have your money. A customer turned it in.”

Me: “I am so happy. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I will be there soon.”

When I hung up the phone, I gave thanks for the person who returned my money and drove back to Publix with smiles on my face and gratitude in my heart.

The person who found my cash could have kept it for himself, but he chose to return it to the store. He demonstrated his honesty and integrity in a very tangible way. What a model of good citizenship!  His actions warmed my heart and reiterated that I am truly blessed. Although I couldn’t give him a tangible reward, I know that he will be rewarded for his act of care and love. I am grateful for this gentleman who showed us the goodness of his soul.

In the Back

In one of Dan’s posts, he talked about asking the sales girl  in the clothing department to “check in the back” for an item he wanted. Well, Dan got me thinking about the times I’ve also asked the sales person to check in the back for me…here is success story.

A few months ago, I went shopping for new shoes. Well, I didn’t really leave my home with the intention of buying shoes, but many women will agree with me that if you go to the department store, you MUST visit the shoe department. In my case, without fail, the shoes ALWAYS beckon me over, and being a very obedient lover of shoes, I ALWAYS comply. What can I do? I have very little resistance…sighing here, just thinking that I ought to cultivate some discipline.

So, obedient me walked around and walked around until I spotted a pair of shoes that called to me by name, “Elaine, Elaine, come and try me”. Of course, I rushed over and tried them on. They were perfect for me to wear to work! To top it off, they were on sale. My lucky day, won’t you agree? As I was trying them on, the sales person came over to me and we started chatting about the “bargain” for such a nice brand of shoes and in our conversation, she said, “we sometimes have Clarks on sale too”. Well, shoe lovers know that Clarks are great shoes for folks who stand almost all day and my ears just perked up and triggered a question.

Without hesitation, I asked the sales lady, “Do you happen to have any Clarks on sale”? To my delight, she said that they did have a few pairs. She then added a “but”, “but you may not like them”. I was curious as to why I won’t like them and asked her for the reason. The shoes came with shoe laces! Well, I tie shoe laces for others several times a day, it won’t hurt to tie my own 🙂  I asked her to take me over to the Clarks with shoe laces that I might not like and she said she’ll have to bring them to me. Why? The reason she gave me: They were “in the back”. Although I was puzzled as to why the shoes were in the back, I didn’t ask inquire. I know when to zip my lips. You and I know that she could easily go to the back and return with a “sincere” apology.

My Shoe Angel must have been with me that day because the sales lady came back with a lovely pair of Clarks that was at a clearance price for $9.99. The original price was $80.00. What a bargain!  The shoes were perfect for me; the second pair of perfection for the day. With shoes secured in hand, I asked the burning question. “Why do you have these Clarks in the back room”? Her response stunned me. “The customers don’t take care of the shoes, so we keep them in the back”. Hmmm…that didn’t make sense at all, at least to me. If the customers don’t see the shoes, how would they buy them? I didn’t say any of this out loud; I was thrilled with my two pairs of shoes.

Do you have any “in the back” experiences?

An exercise in patience!

Aaaaaarrrrrrgggg! My PC has been sitting at a well-known retail store that has a tech department. Do you really want to know how long? Since November 11. I took it in because they called me to follow up on some work they did over a little year ago, which never really got resolved. They found viruses. I have antivirus, but I guess those pesky creatures  knocked out my security and slipped in. What happened to  the original issue with the PC? They can’t figure it out!

I dropped off a letter last Saturday detailing how many times I’ve called the store  for the current situation and what happened last year. No response. I called on Tuesday and told the manager that if don’t hear from him by 10 PM that evening, I would send my letter to the CEO. He did call back before 10 PM with a somewhat favorable response. He promised to call with an update yesterday. He didn’t. He didn’t call today either!

I’m going to exercise a little more patience. I’ll wait. Or, maybe I won’t. Short post tonight. I’m using my iPad and I don’t like using it for blog posts.

Delightful and Delectable Dinner at Dolores

What? Did I get the name right? Are you kidding? This was my reaction when my daughter told me that we will be going to a restaurant called Dolores but you can call me Lolita. What an unusual name for a restaurant. Today’s writing prompt is about service – the most dreadful or wonderful service you’ve ever had as a customer.

In March of this year, my daughters and I had a beautiful dining experience at Dolores.  Our reservation was at 6:00 PM and we were just a tad late, but that didn’t keep us from getting seated immediately. Initially, we chose to sit inside the restaurant but then the manager suggested that we sit outside. He placed us at table on the terrace that gave us a lovely view of the bustle of the city in the evening. We sat amidst potted palms and bouganvilla flowers which added such a pleasant ambiance.

Our sever arrived promptly and treated us as if were the only guests in the busy restaurant. He gave us his undivided attention as he patiently answered our questions about the menu. His suggestions for us that evening were delightful and delectable.

As the evening wore on, the weather changed – it got cooler. John, the manager approached us with a warm smile and offered us three red, cozy blankets. Wow! We’ve never had blankets at a restaurant. At first, we thought it would look silly, but we threw our inhibitions out and snuggled up to enjoy the experience.

When the dessert menu arrived, the choice was easy. It was a unanimous decision to try the “Double or Nothing”. We were in dessert heaven!

The hospitality team at Dolores but you can call me Lolita in Miami certainly knows how to serve their guests. This restaurant is a gem!