'Customer Service'.

Remember the idiom, that "the customer is always right"? In an economy nowadays, where consumer spending has been curtailed - it would seem to me that a retailer should examine this premise more closely than ever before.

I was at a warehouse type store yesterday and bought a bottle of Pinot Grigio, while checking out - I had accidentally left it there. After my hour drive home, I called and spoke to the store manager - who said all I needed to do was to go to the local store of this chain with my receipt and they would be happy to make right, she further made me feel human by telling me that "this happens all the time"!

Time, I figured was of the essence - so I headed out this morning. I was first faced with an employee in "Customer Service' who said she was sure they didn't do this kind of thing. Who made a call to the manager - who asked her to call the other store's manger *with whom I'd spoken*... once she had done that - she called the store manager back and he came down to tell me that they don't like doing things like this - but would honor it.

I KNOW I should've been all 'grateful' but I just couldn't help myself. I told the manager that as a frequent customer of their store - I did appreciate their helping me out, but at the same time, I questioned just why he had to let me know that they 'don't like to do things like this' - what they did was the 'right thing' to do for a customer - and I really didn't care that he wasn't happy about it. I told him that he would've been much better off just telling me that they'd make good and leaving it at that - I would've left feeling like a valued customer - rather than a mistake maker who was being helped out against their better judgement.

I think I'm growing up - but who am I turning into?