OK, I know that I've been a lazy bastard on this so called blog of mine, that I thought I'd use to review movies I've seen. Frankly it got a bit boring for me as the films up for viewing were getting worse, then Batman came out and it was like, "why would i blog about this along with the other billion people?", so I didn't!
Films have had a tough job living up to that film since I saw him (of course I mean the Ledger Dude); the rest of the film sort of tried to catch up to him and just about hung on even if it was 30 mins too long. Anyway, nothing since has really made me want to review or write here so It's been rather barren, dear reader. Sorry.
So what made me want to write today?
I think I'm turning into a 'grumpy old man' but at only 45 - how can that be?
Now I'm not sure whether it's the culture here in Canada or I'm becoming less and less tolerant of things when they are not as they should be.
Here's the story:
I have a great 'spousal' medical coverage through my wife's job and so I get to get new glasses with a free eye test for pretty much nada from my piggy bank.
So i trundle off to a local 'glasses shop' (name withheld) and get my eyes tested - they are actually about the same and all is well.
I pick out a new pair of clear and a second pair of sunglasses. "Clear ones in a couple days and the sunglasses in a week", she says. Great, see you in a week I think.
A week goes by and I pop in to pick up my glasses - clear ones are 'in' but no sunglasses. "probably in tomorrow", she says.
I leave it 2 days and go in (you are probably wondering why I didn't call ahead, but my wife wanted to glasses shop too so I was already there.
The sunglasses are still not in. "Monday or Tuesday", she says.
Canadian summer has and is no way to be compared with anything summery this year so I say, "OK".
It's now Wednesday so I call ahead to see if they are in, the conversation with the very nice, but inept, man went like this:
Man: hello
Me: My name is XXXXXXX I am enquiring as to my sunglasses. Are they ready to be picked up?
Man: (after checking) We have the lens' in, we just have to fit them, probably tomorrow or Friday.
Me: Why the huge delay - I was told a week it's now 2 weeks?
Man: We just got them in today.
Me: I realise that but i was told a week, then another 2 days then another 2 days - it's now 2 weeks. A week later than i was expecting, so I'd just like to understand why?
Man: well they are big lens'.
Me: I know, i picked them. What does that have to do with how long it takes?
Man: well I had to send them to a special lab to get them made.
Me: I see. Could you not have told me that at any stage of these 2 weeks?
Man: Eh?
Me: Well my expectation was to wait for these glasses a week. I'm getting slightly frustrated that it's now 2 weeks. BUT, if i'd been told that these glasses were special/large etc and had to be sent somewhere special and it might take longer - maybe 2 weeks, I would be happy to wait and let you call me when they were in.
Man: You see they are special lens'.
Me: Yes i understand that now. My point is that my expectations were different to what was going to happen - do you see that my frustration at waiting a week longer for these glasses would be non-existent if I'd been told about how very special my glasses were/are?
Man: We'll try to get your glasses ready today.
At this point I gave up. My ',managing expectations' sermon was landing on stoney ground here.
I come across this almost everyday, people generally saying what or when they will do something with data that makes me happy at the time but is in no way aligned with what they will 'actually' do or when they will do it - or complete it.
Has no one here ever been trained about 'managing expectations'?? It really does solve almost every complaint before the complaint is ever made.....and it can go further by turning a potential complaint into a happy customer who might even (gasp!) recomend said service/shop/garage/glasses shop to their friends.
The rule is simple = "be Scotty". Remember the original Star Trek?
Kirk: I need those engines Scotty!
Scotty: They're going to take at least 10 hours Cap't, the dilythiam crystals need realigning.
Kirk: You have 8 hours Scotty.
Scotty: I'll do my best Cap't. but I canna work miracles here.
Scotty fixes the crystals in 6 hours and is commended time and time again.
Lesson learned - this was the 60's - we are now in the 21st fucking century and people still want to please people at the point of purchase by setting expectations that do not live up to reality, in the wrong direction.
Another quick story - my A/C went on the 'blink' last week - I called my garage who had only just finished work on the A/C - they said bring it in at 2pm. I took it in at 2pm for them to check and they said come back in 30 mins - I said I would grab a burger around the corner and be back at 2.30.
At 2.30 i returned to find no one had looked at it. They know my numbers - could they not have called and said, "take your time over your burger, we haven't got to your car yet." OR just told me 60 mins in the first place! As it was I wolfed down a burger, fries and a shake and then spent 30 mins sitting in their sterile waiting area.
Should I just accept this or should I try to point out this whenever it happens - if I do the latter I am told that I'm being grumpy. Is this being grumpy, dear reader?
Maybe I should just accept this as 'the way'.
Maybe others should just expect more 'grumpiness'.
grumpily yours,
drude
