Monday, May 17, 2010

Drives Me Nuts!

It's a gray and rainy day. I didn't get much sleep. Got some bad news. Then a lady put me on hold. I was calling long distance, which admittedly doesn't mean much today, but geez...after a while I began to think she was putting me on "ignore" rather than "hold." She checked back, started to talk, then said, "Sorry, I need to put you on hold again." This happened three times.

Stuff like that drives me nuts! In fact, I have a whole list of things that tick me off:

1. Waiting in line while the clerk answers a phone call and takes care of THAT customer first. Hello? I made the trip, for why? To cool my heels?

2. The server's phrase "Are you still working on that?" Like eating is a job! If it is, the food wasn't very good, was it?

3. People who sprinkle when they tinkle and don't wipe the seat. I swear, some women must back up to toilets and raise their legs like dogs.

4. Unwarranted personal comments. I hate it when people look over your purchases and say, "On a diet, eh?" Or at the library, "Hoping to get a book published?" There's something so revealing and, ugh, intimate about knowing people are watching you and making judgments .

5. People who honk at you when they can clearly see that a.) you are from out of town and clueless or b.) you can't go anywhere. By the way, I'm now convinced that DC is the honking-est place in the world. Man, they love their horns here. I bet they teach horn-honking in drivers' ed.

6. People who chew with their mouths open. I was at brunch with a group of friends. One of the husbands joined us. He sat there and mushed his food around in his mouth like a human blender. Gross.

7. Men in suits who step in front of women, assuming that they (the guys) are businessmen and that any woman is just a bon-bon eating mom having a nice day out with friends. I was leaving Malice when just such a man walked right past me. He actually reached over me to present his claim ticket to the valet. The young man at the parking desk raced off to get Mr. Big his vehicle. After this happened, I spoke quietly to the two other valets who were working. "I'm not trying to be nasty or unkind, but please don't think a man in a suit is more important than I am," I said. The female valet smiled at me. "I agree, ma'am. And I'm the boss here. Believe me, I'll make sure THAT doesn't happen again."

Now that's the sort of thing I love! Someone with a great customer service attitude who cares about me! Someone with a sense of humor and a ready smile!

What ticks you off? (PS, I'm on the road, so if I don't comment right away, please chat without me!)

9 comments:

Mason Canyon said...

Sorry to hear you got bad news.

As for the post, I love it. You definitely have had my kind of days. As for #4, what I hate is when you're in the grocery store with your cart full and the person behind you comments something like "sure are buying alot" or "must have a big family to feed." I usually keep smile, bite my lip and say nothing. What is what to say is "did I ask you to pay for my cart?"

Hope you have a safe trip.

Mason
Thoughts in Progress

Camille Minichino said...

You touched on a lot of my favorites Joanna!

Being "under the weather" lately, I have some new ones -- people who assume something went wrong healthwise because I work too hard and now I should just slow down OR people who tell me how lucky I am because it could be so much worse. Hello??

Terri Thayer said...

The lady behind me honked when the fellow in front didn't move at the now green light. He glared at me!

I hope he realized a few minutes later when she honked at some unfortunate lost soul (was it you, Joanna?) that it wasn't me.

Betty Hechtman said...

Very funny post, Joanna.

I hope you have good weather for your trip.

Monica Ferris said...

I think the person first in line at a red light has a special responsibility to pay attention. I try not to honk too soon, and one time, as an experiment, I didn't honk at all, and the woman sat through the entire light! (I think, judging from the motions she was making up there, she was changing her baby's diaper!)

Joanna Campbell Slan said...

Mason, it's okay. No problem. I've already forgotten about it. I had a woman remark, "You having a party?" when I loaded up on chocolate. I said, "No, just a bad day!"

Joanna Campbell Slan said...

Camille, I get it. You don't need advice right now do you? We all give too much unwarranted advice...and I'm one of the worst offenders.

Joanna Campbell Slan said...

Terri, I try NOT to honk anymore ever, unless it's to help someone avoid an accident. We don't need people honking at us. We need a little tenderness.

Joanna Campbell Slan said...

Betty, we drove through 2 days of rain, but the sun is shining now! Love to all, esp. my blog sisters.