JellyBelly, the Bad Customer Service Crusader

I've been lying pretty low since Friday. The funeral was very, very difficult for both myself and Mr. JB. In retrospect we should've taken the afternoon off. Then again, doing a fun math activity with my class was a good distraction. If we didn't go back to work I would've spent the entire afternoon crying and moping.

I made more soup for my neighbour's wife and daughter and we ended up spending most of the evening with them. I do have say that V seems quite relieved that the funeral is over. The bulk of the care taking duties fell to her while J was sick and it was definitely taking it's toll on her, physically and mentally. It was nice to have some supper together and reminisce about our memories of J.

So yesterday I knew that I had to get my Peak +7 blood work done. I got up early (as usual) and went to an 8am yoga class, which was being led by someone new (yes, one of my New Year's resolutions). I didn't find out that the teacher on the schedule wasn't going to be there until I was dressed and ready to go. I'm so glad that I did since the class was great! I got a good workout and it was nice to experience a new teacher.

After class I went to S.tarbucks for a banana chocolate V.ivanno smoothie (it is so delicious! You must run and get one!). I also had a book in my bag since the last time I went to the lab on a Saturday I had to wait for an hour and a half. When I got to the lab the woman at the desk had a hand-written sign that said, "No numbers will be given out until at least two hours from now." I was quite confused so I went into the hallway and called Mr. JB. He was equally confused. I went back into the lab and asked for the phone number since I didn't want to return in vain two hours later.

As I was driving home I got more and more upset. I have waited for extended periods of time at the lab since it is one of the few public labs that is open on the weekends in my city. I'm prepared to wait. Heck I even had a book and a drink! The second I walked in the door I got the customer service number for the lab and I told them what had happened and lo and behold the receptionist was breaking the rules! There is no way that they can refuse patients since they are a public lab! Apparently the doctor that runs the walk-in clinic that is in the same building as the lab said that they couldn't take anymore patients.

Huh?

So the very nice woman told me that she was going to call the lab location and get to the bottom of the situation. I figure that the woman that put up the sign got in trouble. When I returned (with Mr. JB in tow, we were going to run errands after I got my blood drawn) the line was quite short and my wait was barely half an hour. Mr. JB and I figure that she turned away quite a few people that didn't know that they were being wronged. I also put the customer service number in my cell phone's memory just in case this happens again. Honestly, the nerve!

A few years ago I had a tangle with one our local grocery stores. I found that the customer service at this particular store was getting worse and worse and I just couldn't take it any more. I decided to send a letter to the head office of said grocery store and we went back and forth for about a month trying to figure out how to keep me as a customer. The store is so bad that a friend of mine that is an employee of the grocery store's parent company doesn't even shop there! Anyhow, the store's customer service didn't get any better so I just boycotted it and I proceeded to tell anyone and everyone that I know how much they sucked.

So yesterday while I was at the drug store a woman was asking if there was this particular grocery store in the neighbourhood. Of course, I piped up and said, "Yes, it's just down the street, but their customer service sucks, so I wouldn't go there if I were you." She looked pretty shocked, but I didn't want yet another nice person to go in there an be mistreated!

The way that I look at it is that I'm a nice person. I also worked retail and various customer service positions and I always prided myself in trying to please the customer. Being a teacher also forces me to be nice to even the craziest parents. Regardless of how I'm really feeling I have to be diplomatic and polite. I do not tolerate bad customer service. I believe that I work hard to earn my money and people that don't treat their customers well don't deserve my patronage.

So there.

Last night while I was napping on the couch (I haven't been feeling 100% and I've basically spent all weekend resting) Mr. JB had quite the long conversation with my fertile best friend. She told Mr. JB that his sister-in-law (who got married two months after us) had a miscarriage in December. She also made the comment that she was "milking the situation." I got quite upset by her comment. I know that her SIL has been TTC for at least two years and I figured that they were also having issues since they've been married for as long as we have. My fertile best friend who is so understanding of my IF just doesn't understand the pain of having a miscarriage. I know that if it were me that I would be having an equally difficult time. It also doesn't help that her SIL's husband is across the country working at the O.lympics. She's all alone and dealing with a miscarriage. How horrible is that????? I know that I don't usually cry on her shoulder over my barrenness, but if I had a miscarriage I would hope that I could have as long as I wanted to mourn for my baby.

Argh.

I have to go back to being social. My fertile bf's husband and another buddy of Mr. JB's are watching the S.uperbowl on the fancy new TV. I personally cannot stand American football, but I do have to admit that watching the game in HD is pretty cool!