A Consumer’s Day From Hell!!!

Today I am going to do something that I haven’t done in a while. I am going to bitch about a couple things. Why am I going to do it here, in my blog? Because, bitching about it anywhere else won’t do a damn thing. And, yes, I know bitching about it here won’t do anything either. But, it’s my blog, and I can bitch here if I want to.

We all work hard for our money, right? And when we decide to purchase anything we expect to get what we are paying for, and to receive the best service from any establishment, right? Especially when we are going to be dropping a good chunk of cash on whatever we spend our money on, right?

I would have to say “YES!”  to all three of those questions. Well, yesterday was a “consumer’s day from hell” for me. It started when the wife and I went grocery shopping at Walmart® and ended when I took the family out to eat at Buffalo Wild Wings®.

Either the wife and at least one of our daughters, or the wife and I go grocery shopping every other week – on payday weekends. Because we are a family of five, we usually drop a good chunk of change on our food bill – typically around $600 per month, on average.

Since my entire family has been down here, we decided to purchase those reusable grocery bags…you know, so that we can be a little “green.” Well, I would have to say that was the worst choice that we have ever made. And yesterday I had had enough.

On numerous occasions, while going through the checkout, we provided our own bags for our groceries to go into. And, on numerous occasions, the cashier expected US to bag our own groceries. I mean, isn’t THAT part of what THEIR  job description is? Isn’t THAT part of what THEY get PAID for?

Nothing pisses me off more than when I am trying to get the bags set up and the cashier starts ringing everything up and starts setting MY groceries on the bag turntable, and then, when I am not bagging fast enough, to STOP ringing up what I am buying and just stand there WAITING for ME to get caught up.

Yesterday I had had enough!! I told the wife, while we were still in line, that we will NOT bring our own bags ANYMORE!! After all, WE  are the consumer, last I knew!! And that it is BULLSHIT that I not only have to pay for what I am purchasing, but also bag it too?

Needless to say, shortly thereafter, the wife told the cashier that we were out of bags (even though we still had like three more left) and that SHE would have to start bagging. This must have pissed her off a bit because she just started putting anything in bags. I mean, are you really that stupid that you think it’s acceptable to put dishsoap in with bread? COME ON!! Get a fricken clue, you idiot!

From now on, when we go shopping at “the Walmart,” the cashiers are going to do their jobs and bag our groceries into those little plastic bags that they provide. Even though they are always wasteful in doing that too.

Onto the dinner consumption…

I was so excited when I heard that there was a “B-dubs” opening here in Asheville. It is definitely the BEST place to go for wings! So, I decided to take the family there last night for dinner.

Now, mind you, I am not one to really complain about the service that I receive at restaurant establishment. I let my tips reflect the service. I mean, really, what better way to tell the server “you were great!,” or “you were a shitty server”?

When I take the family out to eat I expect to spend upwards of $100. After all, it is a family of five! When I feel that the service is exceptional, I usually tip the server about 20% or more. If I feel that the service was average, I usually tip about 10-15%. However, if I feel the service was bad, the server is lucky to get 5%.

Now, let me take you through the service we received last night:

Everything started out alright, the server took our drink orders; the wife and daughters all got sodas, and I ordered a beer. The server asked if I “wanted the tall one, it would only be about $0.30 more.” so I said “yes”. She then asked me if I “wanted a glass of water to go with it?” To this I declined because I didn’t need a glass of water. Well, when she brought our drinks, she brought me a glass of water, and the beer was a tall glass of draft beer (I was expecting one of those tall, 22oz bottles of beer). I though that is was no big deal, a little misunderstanding, and chalked it up as such.

Then, the server comes over and asks if we are ready to order. The wife said that she was not ready, but the server begins to take orders from our daughters. BIG MISTAKE!! The wife was instantly pissed, and I don’t blame her, because now she felt rushed to order. …Strike ONE! (tip just went from 20% down to 10-15%)

So, we place our order for wings and the wife decides to order some fries to go with them. She asks what the difference is between the two sizes, regular and basket, and the server tells her that the regular is about 1lb of fries and the basket is about 3lbs. Because there is five of us, we order the basket. I guess that the 3lbs is not actually 3lbs of fries, it’s 3lbs total (including the weight of the container). There might have been enough fries there for two people, but not enough there for five! …Strike TWO! (tip just dropped to a possible 5%)

Then comes the kicker…we are finishing up, getting ready to leave when our server and another server collide and a 24oz draft beer gets dumped on my 14-year-old daughter! I mean she was SOAKED! She was covered from her breasts to her knees, and it didn’t look like there was a dry spot on her. …Strike THREE…YER OUT! (there will be NO tip for this server tonight!)

Now, I know that accidents happen. But, having been a server before (many, many moons ago) I know that when a server is carrying a tray of something, and they are coming up behind someone else, proper protocol if for that server to announce “behind you” so that the other person knows that there is someone there. Our server did not do this, and the other server backed up, collided with our server, and the contents of the tray went falling (with the beer going all on my daughter).

And get this…the server still had the nerve to actually bring us our bill! She’s got bigger balls than me, and I got some big one’s (tmi, I know, sorry ).

Well, I went to the front and requested to speak with a manager. I introduced her to my 14-year-old, beer soaked, daughter, and proceeded to inform her of the horrible service we received. After I get done she asks me, “What would you like me to do for you?” To which I responded, “I want YOU to tell me what YOU can do for ME.”

I was waiting for the “magic” words to come out of her mouth, and they did. She proceeded to tell me, “I can’t do much, but I do have a little pull. I could buy your dinner.” That, my friends, was all I needed to hear. As soon as she said that I instantly gave her the bill and said, “that will be fine, thank you.”

Let me break this one down for you…our bill was about $67. If the service would have been good to exceptional, the total that I would have paid would have been $80. If the service would have stayed average (if all she would have done was pissed off the wife) the total I would have paid would have been $73. If the beer would not have been spilled on my daughter, I would have paid $70. However, because my daughter got her first beer bath (at the age of 14, mind you), I left paying a total of $0.

The moral of these stories…when I spend my hard-earned money (according to some people, my hardly-earned money…lol), I expect to get great service. Period! Especially when I am going to be spending close to, or more than, $100.

Oh yeah…and…don’t piss me off when I am trying to spend my money in your establishment!