Customer service = business.

So, I am not someone who whines and complains about customer service very often. I worked in retail for a few years and understand that certain factors and situations are beyond a manager or employee’s control. I am tolertant of most situations…however….

Two intersting things happened this weekend that have left me frustrated and wondering what is happening to the future of customer service.

1. Yesterday we went to Meijer to do a bit of grocery shopping. They were having some great sales and we ended up spending $50 and saving over $90! One of the items that we purchased were pizza crusts (the kind that come in a pouch and you add your own toppings to before baking). Brad noticed that they were buy one get one free so we got two packages. While checking out, I happened to notice that they did not ring up buy one get one free. The cashier had an odd look on her face and paused for a second. I started to say, ‘oh, I’m sorry - I thought those were buy one get one free’ The cashier responded that for some reason they were not ringing up on sale and that she was instructed to only adjust the price if the customer noticed and requested the sale price. I was shocked. Luckily, I noticed that they did not ring up correctly or I would have paid an extra $4.00. I think I am going to call customer service next week and relay my concerns.

2. I had a coupon for a free Thomas the Train (up to $12.99) at Toys R Us that I found through another blog. The coupon is all over the Internet as a ton of people have linked to it on their blogs. I know there have been a few of these over the past month and I haven’t had an opportunity to use one until today (this one expires tomorrow). A has a Thomas set that she enjoys playing with so I thought it might be a fun and free treat to get her a new train. Anyway, while we were heading to my Aunt Kathy’s house today we stopped at the Castleton Toys R Us location. A was very excited and picked out Rosie - the pink train. We happily walked to the front of the store and A handed the train and coupon to the cashier with a huge grin on her face. The cashier started to scan the train only to say ‘oh, I’m sorry, there was an error with this coupon and we aren’t honoring them. We do have these $10 off of $50 coupons that you can use’. Seriously. So, we put the train back (I’m sure they expected me to just pay for it) and I told A that we’d see if Barnes & Noble had it. Of course it appears as though it might be a Toys R Us exclusive. Ugh.

I got home this evening and called the customer service number. Again, the customer service representative noted that the coupon was legitimate but that there was an error and that they were not honoring them. I voiced my concerns with their customer service and that I understand that errors happen but that I don’t think they are handling this situation very well. She basically said she was sorry and didn’t offer to do anything else. It was/is so frusturating. While we don’t shop at Toys R Us all of the time we do shop there, especially at Christmas. I can honestly say that I will no longer be giving them any of my business. I know this is a strong statement but, seriously, take some responsability and offer some customer service.

I’ll be searching eBay for Rosie.

And I’m still annoyed, hence the blog post.

Saturday mornings.

I love Saturday mornings. We get up pretty early and I use the first few hours in the day to get things done. I’ve already worked a few loads of laundry, cleaned up the living room a bit, and organized a few piles/drawers/etc. I am one of those people that can get more done from 7-10 am then any other time during the day. My feet basically hit the ground and start moving. b - not so much. He needs his time to wake up and start his day before he can be at his most productive state. I think Addison is going to be more like b than me. She goes to daycare three days a week but on Tuesdays she is home with her Daddy all day. When she was a newborn, she was home with him almost every day and they developed their own schedule.

Whether her traits were learned or she actually inherited them from b, I’m not sure. Either way, she needs her few minutes to wake up before she can carry on a conversation, be social, or even just listen to reason. I’m learning how much time she needs to wake up on the days that she goes to daycare (can’t wake her up too early as she hangs on my leg and whines, can’t wake her up too late as she is hard to get motivated). She certainly isn’t the worst that I have seen but she isn’t like me, either.

According to b, his sister, Amy, needs her time in the morning, too. When I asked him how long it took before Amy ‘out-grew’ this trait he said 18 or so years. Wow.

And maybe there is hope for the next kid.

Not all ice is created equal.

I think I’ve mentioned before my love of all frozen treats. Popcicles, slushies, snow cones - I really enjoy each of them. However, my absolute favorite is most often referred to as the Hawaiian Ice. This is not just any ordinary snow cone. No, the ice is shaved and provides a much finer consistency. Most places that sell shaved ice also offer a wide selection of flavorings. My personal favorite combination is french vanilla, watermelon, and black cherry. I could easily eat 2-3 of these in one setting.

We have a shaved ice stand in Fishers that opens each summer. b and I have already been there several times this year. My punch card (buy 10, get 1 free) is full as my brother-in-law and sister-in-law let us collect their stamps. The stand is owned and operated by two college students that use the proceeds to pay for their college education so I also feel compelled to help with their education.

Last time we went I asked b if he thought we could convert our downstairs bathroom into a shaved ice stand.

So what if my teeth fall out, I could use the profits to buy myself a new set.

And maybe I’ll stop by (again) after work tomorrow.

A light in the attic.

Recently I have been trying to refine my coupon shopping skills. I suppose I could never truly be a coupon shopper as I tend to rely on certain brands - for example, I exclusively buy Pampers as the other diapers never worked as well with Addison.  Anyway, after finding the blog Money Saving Mom a few months ago (it was linked from a friend’s blog) I learned that many coupons can be used on the trial/travel size of the respective product. This doesn’t always work as I have noticed that some coupons list a minimum size. Still, I am learning that the majority of them work.

Anyway, I started thinking that while I don’t use the particular brand that is featured on a coupon it doesn’t mean that someone else wouldn’t use it. So, lately when I am at Target (which is at least twice a week) I make a stop in the travel/trial size aisle and see what coupons I can use. I have gotten a ton of things for free (shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, soap, detergent, etc) as most of the items cost less than a $1.00 and my coupons are usually for $1.00. My company is currently taking donations to help the flood victims in southern Indiana and I am sure that these free items will come in handy.

The best part is that I haven’t spent any money and I still have been able to donate quite a few items.

I encourage you to see how you can use your spare coupons to help others.

And, sometimes (not often), I do have a light on in my attic.

Moments.

b and I will celebrate our 7th wedding anniversary on Monday. It is shaping up to be a very busy day with an ultrasound, blood work, doctor’s appointment, followed by Addison’s last dance class. I hope that in the chaos of the day that we don’t forget to stop and take the moment to celebrate our accomplishment.

In a few short years I will have be either dating or married to b longer than the short years that I was by myself. He is an amazing father, partner, and friend. He is strong and handles almost any situation with ease.

Even in our short seven years of marriage we have shared so many significant moments.

He is my one and only and I adore him.

And I can’t wait to share the next 100 years (or more) with him.

One shoe, two shoes.

This weekend I completed an organization project. We have lived in our house for almost 3 1/2 years now and I still don’t feel like we have ever been truly organized. And so, with little projects, I am trying to change this.

I received a label maker for Christmas from my parents. I have been eager to start using it but I kept forgetting to get the 6 AAA batteries needed to power the device. So, Friday night we picked up batteries (CVS rechargeable w/ a coupon - for another post) and Saturday morning I got started on my project.

I basically took a plastic shoe organizer and labeled each of the pockets with a storage category (outdoor, first aid, batteries, tools, etc). It is hanging on the back of the door to our laundry room. It is perfect for items that we need to grab quickly when coming in/out of the garage - basically a well-organized ‘junk drawer’. I put the more dangerous items (insect repellent) towards the top and the more Addy-friendly items (outlet covers) towards the bottom.

I will post a picture later - I keep getting an error message. ugh.

And I’m proud (I’m such a dork) of my completed project.

A trip in review.

Each time I get home from the grocery store I feel compelled to review my entire list of purchases with b. This drives him crazy. I think he’d rather explore the newly filled cabinets himself, searching for the next perfect snack. Granted, since I don’t buy a lot of junk food or things with artificial ingredients, b’s available snack list is quite small. Anyway, so each time I go to the store (which is 1-2 times a month at the most) we go through the whole scene. I review, b moans and groans, I keep reviewing, he whines more, and so on. I also like to emphasize how purchasing each item on sale, combined with a coupon, saves us a ton of money.I

Perhaps I shouldn’t do this. No, I’m ok with driving him crazy…get a twisted enjoyment out of it, actually. Interestingly enough, my sister does the same thing. I don’t think there is hope of either one of us stopping.

And I just caught b eating another Pudding Pop (but he brought me one, too)!

Pudding Pops = Delicious.

Tonight, while shopping at Kroger (it had been 3 weeks and all cabinets were bare) I spotted the JELL-O Pudding Pops and decided to buy a box. It was an easy decision - they were on sale and have added calcium!

They are delicious. I chose the chocolate and vanilla swirl tonight for my after dinner treat. Vanilla is truly my favorite but I’m saving those for last. b is enjoying his chocolate one as I keep asking him if he loves them as much as I do.

And I’m going to resist eating another one, although I might have one for breakfast.

Stats.

It is interesting what stats help define a person during his or her various stages of life.

As babies we are defined by our stats at birth. 6 lbs, 12 oz.

As toddlers and children we are defined by what growth percentile we are in. I was rarely on the charts.

As college bound high schoolers we are defined by our GPA, SAT scores, future major, and what college we will attend. 3.75 GPA, I honestly can’t recall my exact SAT scores - I took the test several times and was never quite satisfied, Marketing and Management, Olivet Nazarene University.

In this exact moment of my life I am, in many ways, defined by numbers. Lots and lots of numbers.

31 - Weeks (as of tomorrow) that I am pregnant.

29 - Week in which, in retrospect, I became ill with Addison.

33 - Week in which I was admitted to the hospital with Addison.

34 - Week in which I delivered Addison.

8/1/08 - My due date, gestationally, for Baby Boy Zurcher.

7/21/08 - My adjusted due date for delivery at 38 weeks.

7/3/08 - My anticipated last date in the office.

6/16/08-6/23/08 - Week in which in this pregnancy that I delivered Addison (I refuse to calculate the actual date as I fully believe I won’t need to know).

120/81 - Blood pressure in left arm this evening.

120/78 - Blood pressure in right arm this evening.

1,001 - Things I need to get done before said Baby Boy Zurcher arrives.

And I’m working towards a 4.0/100% on this assignment.

Shrek. Shriek.

Addison has a tattoo of Shrek on her arm that she found in her bag of string cheese. It has been there for several days - at least a week.

Did I mention that she is a flower girl on Saturday?

I’ve scrubbed her arm during each bath and Shrek won’t budge. Do you think the tattoo will take away from the white dress and the wreath of baby daisies on her head?

And I’d better Google removing temporary tattoos. Soon.