The customer is not always right

I am a veteran of retail, ten years in fact. Retail is often like a battle to balance the demands of the customers with the company needs and rules. As we all know "the customer is always right."

Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year, used to be one of the most dreaded days of my life. Fighting the crowds to get a parking spot, then trying to put on a happy face as a zillion customers complain that we are out of a certain product or the lines are too long. Seriously it is freaking black Friday people, the lines are going to be long and the cheap items are only going to last so long, you should have gotten up with the crazies and been here at 6:00am and climb under the gate to get to the cheap good stuff. After hearing this excuse 20,000 times, I would tell people that we didn't have magical Keebler elves in the backroom whipping up lotion but if they knew where we could hire them please give them one of our applications. That was always good for a chuckle out of some husband who couldn't figure out a clever way to get out of shopping on Black Friday.

I have many war stories.

The time this woman demanded that I damage a $100 gift set because we were out of that particular lotion but it was in the gift set. She actually took it out of the gift set and brought it up to the cash wrap thinking that we would sell it to her, we didn't. We put the lotion back and sold it to some unsuspecting husband who didn't know better.

Then there was the lady who after finding out we discontinued her favorite fragrance told every single person in line that lotion land was horrible and that we always "discontinue my favorite fragrance!" Okay, first it isn't like you lost out on a kidney, it is only lotion. Second, if you purchased more of the product perhaps the lotion gods would have spared you. I still think it is funny that people think that we do this to them because we know that "cotton-sweet pea-bubble-wonderment" is your favorite fragrance. The lotion land lotion trackers do not have a camera in your bathroom to see that oh my goodness let discontinue Carol's favorite lotion she is due for some disappointment. Seriously move on people.

Another one of my favorites was the time that a woman (again why is it always a woman, notice I never have any irrational man stories about being out of lotion) took out the inners of a gift set (again leave the inners of gift sets alone people) and saw that the geniuses at home office left the price tag on one of the items of the set of three trial sizes on it. She actually thought that the tiny baskets they were sitting in were actually fifteen dollars and the three cello wrapped trial sizes (which individually retailed at five dollars) were in fact only five dollars. When I proceeded to explain to her that she was mistaken she played the "I want to talk to your manager" card. Well honey, I was the only manager on duty and told her no. She then said fine I'll go to mall customer service and handed me her bag.

Here is the thing, mall customer service has nothing to do with the stores in a mall other than to direct you where the nearest Hot Topic is so that you can get your 13 year old obsessed teenage daughter her "I love Edward Cullen" t-shirt. The crazy "I want three products for the price of one lady" came back after discovering this and said wanted the lotion land customer service number. Okay, if you threaten to call customer service most of the time the person at the store will give in because the customer service people are usually never people who have even set foot on a sales floor let alone dealt with "I want three products for the price of one lady." Customer service 99.9% sides with the customer, no matter how silly the customer behaves. I gave because in the long run, it wasn't my money I was losing and I wasn't going to take the fall because some person back at lotion land headquarters couldn't figure out that it is probably not a good idea to leave an extra tag on something in a gift set you want to sell for $15.00 and that tag be cheaper than the gift set.

Yet, even with the silliest of silly women there are still happy memories. The time I lost my mind and sang a version of silver bells describing lotion and the wonderment of lotion land. Another was when I was so brazen to tell a man that waiting in line that to buy just one bottle of lotion was a waste of his time and mine so why not just buy three more (this particular story was also in front of my boss and my boss' boss). The man agreed and bought more, delighting the district manager and giving a relieving breath to my actual boss as she did not have to fire me because of some irrational guy because guys are not irrational usually in lotion land.

One more fun story was when the people in the line would not make one orderly line and so I told the ladies at the cash wrap not to ring up anyone else. I announced to the customers "unless you get into one line no one else will be rung up. Please just leave your shopping baskets on the floor, we'll put all the stuff back." Five minutes later they were all in the line.

I am telling all these stories not to just describe my experience in retail or to even relive my lotion land days. Black Friday was just simply a battle to defend your company and employees from the wrath of the customer. Yet never in my life would I imagine a situation where someone who die because the customers thought that they were right.

This black Friday a man from Queens New York died because a crowd at a Long Island Wal-Mart trampled him to death because they wanted a TV for $400 and they were mad that the store did not open right at 5:00am. As the story goes, the Wal-Mart did not open in time so the customers took it upon themselves to push open the doors, probably thinking "I am the customer so I will do what I want." Also in the may lay an eight month pregnant woman was hurt as were four other people. I cannot believe that people, the day after we said thanks, are so greedy and selfish that a man has to die so that you can get a TV at a discount. Here is the link if you want to hear the story http://www.yahoo.com/s/994444.

After seeing this report I wonder about this man's family, he was only 34. He died because someone couldn't wait another five minutes. He died because customers have some ridiculous notion that they call all the shots all the time. Yes in this new economy you have a lot of pull, but nothing in Wal-Mart is worth a human life. The customer is always right, or first, or the total customer experience is never worth an injury let alone a death. Somewhere along the way the customer being right has mutated in the customer does not have to follow basic rules of law and order.


All of these stories, my funny ones of customers being ridiculous to the unfortunate event of today, highlights that once again the true spirit of this series of Holidays has been lost. Its lost because everything comes down to dollars but not a lot of common sense.

By the way honey we are becoming Lutherans...

Seriously that is what my parents (well my mom and step dad) told me when they decided to join Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Hampton. At 16 I wanted no part in it simply because I was not asked to go to the classes where they learned about Martin Luther or about the church itself. I had gone to church regularly as a young girl until the age of 11 when my parents (mom and dad this time) got a divorce. At 11 it is really hard when you believe in your whole heart that Jesus loves you and died for your sins to go through something like that. What sin at 11 could you possibly have committed to make your parents' marriage fall apart that couldn't be healed by Jesus I remember praying each night for them to get over it and get back together. When it didn't happen I was also devastated when my mom moved me out of the church family I had know since I was three because she was having a religious crisis herself.

My heart was broken and it took many years to face what hurt that was. I had to accept that even when you love God with all your heart that life is not perfect and that the tests come at any time. I felt alone and abandoned because in one year my entire life changed.

I always felt welcomed at Gloria Dei even though I questioned their beliefs, the pastors encouraged it. I made peace with my mother to attend the baccalaureate at Gloria Dei, kneeling in my white high school graduation gown still doubting if I even believed in this stuff. As the years went by I went once in awhile, usually Easter for my mom, and the question was never asked- when are you going to join. They, the pastors, just hugged me and sent me on my way.

When I was getting married, I knew that there was no getting out of a church wedding, it was the one thing my mother asked for. Plus the church is simply beautiful, but I still felt guilty as I was saying my vows to my new husband that I was being hypocritical to ask for God's blessing in my marriage and life but I was unwilling to admit that he was apart of my daily life.

When the first AJ came along things changed. I suddenly remembered my childhood in a church, singing silly songs, feeling like a family. I wanted that feeling of safety and warmth for my child, but I didn't want to it without Big Papi. He wasn't ready.

We got AJ baptized and then I became pregnant with AJ version 2.0 and I knew that enough was enough I needed to be apart of a church community. Big Papi agreed.

Yesterday, James and I were accepted as full members at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church. I cried and was nervous that some how this church family, something I so desperately wanted, was going to find out that I was a fraud and not want me or my children. But every member that was at that service came to me and welcomed my husband, my children, and myself.

I don't want to be one of those Christians that only talks about her love of her lord and savior. Yesterday, however, when I was promising to renounce sin I felt something come over me and I know that God had welcomed his child back home.

The Caveman Went Voting Today

I wish I had something profound to say about the election of our new president Barack Obama- but instead my thoughts are towards the many African Americans who stood in line with me to vote today. Thinking about the past, the horrors of slavery, the oppression of Jim Crow, the movement to end segregation has all lead to this moment. We have now made an enormous historically significant choice with our president today and I am really proud to be an American.

The caveman joined me in the election line today this morning in the pitch black of six in the morning and waited in the line for an hour while mommy voted for his president as well. This was the first national election where I not only thought of my own needs as a citizen of the great country but the needs of my children as well. I realize that AJ is only two and will not remember that he stood in line to make history. In fact when people asked him who he was voting for he said "mommy and daddy." But one day my son will understand that voting is important, not just for national office but our local governments as well. The best way I know to ensure that my children understand the important role they play in their government is to lead by example, vote every time and get involved.

I hope that every election will have the turnout of this one, but I doubt it because just like the strong patriotism show after 9-11 slipped away so will voter apathy return. Unless Obama can keep the values of his candidacy, of allowing the smallest voice to speak, then we will return to the environment where the average citizen will believe that they can do nothing. These past 18 months have proven that Yes We Can! We as the people of the US can say we want change, now we have to hold our representatives' feet to the fire.

AJ's first halloween and we survived

So Halloween with a two year old caveman is very exciting. First the costume selection became dramatic as I picked out the most adorable monkey costume for AJ. He refused to wear it, screaming the whole time- we took it back to Target. It really is a shame because it was so cute and really inexpensive considering I saw a similar costume in a catalogue for $30.00. So I went to Babies R Us and found a sweatsuit that had a skeleton design on it that I knew would work because I was basically tricking the caveman into wearing a costume. Also discovered at Babies R Us the most adorable little kitten outfit for Addison- yes I am a mother that dresses her children to match the various holidays.

Because crazy grandma was going to be out of town for Halloween, Big Papi and I decided to take the children to his mom's neighborhood. This would be better than trying to trick or treat in our neighborhood because it is manly old people who do not participate in trick or treat activities.

So we set out around six in the evening with AJ, Big Papi, and Titi Shannon (Big Papi's sister). I started to worry because sometimes AJ isn't sure about strangers, so the first house I held my breath- but there was candy involved and I underestimated the power the sugary substance has over my child. AJ proudly said "trick or treat" and put his candy in the bag. We made him say thank you. Towards the end of the evening AJ would skip the trick or treat greeting and just reach in the candy bowl and look for the lollipops- I guess those are his favorite.

We stayed out for an hour and AJ got more and more bold with the candy givers and seemed to be having a good time. In fact the only problems with the evening were the bigger kids who wanted to run over my child to get to the candy, seriously where are parents these days, and the stupid grown ups who thought it would be fun to scare a two year old with a chain saw- we stayed away from that house. Seriously why would you do that to kids, just give them the candy without scaring the life out of them.

The best houses were the ones who realized that my caveman is a little guy and didn't try any funny business. I only had to yell at one candy giver outer who dressed in a costume that made him look like a giant, was about to attack AJ by reminding him in real life Big Papi is way bigger than he is and that I am mean mommy! He just laughed at me and then Big Papi got closer and the guy shut up. I wouldn't want to take on a 6'7 big guy either. After all the walking we headed back to grandma's house for pizza- and we let AJ have one well deserved dum dum lollipop.