Good customer service... and then not

If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times... customer service is dead.

And then all of sudden something happens to renew my faith in humanity.  That was today.  My first day of Spring Break.  A free day set aside especially to finish a task or two at home.  First up, getting my bike fixed.  It's been six years since we moved to Texas and more than six years since I've ridden my bike.  I've wanted to ride it... but my dear hubby just never got around to putting air in the tires and not attaching the front tire to the frame since it was removed for the move.  And, uh, I never got around to it, either.

But today was the big day.  Off we headed to the local bike shop.  In the bike went and the guy behind the desk told me it would be $80 for a "tune up".  Seeing the look on my face, he took the bike from me and hoisted it up onto his rack, attached the front tire and then gave the tires a good spin. 

"Looks good," he told me.  He tested the brakes, he put air in the tires and he handed the bike back to me.  "I just saved you $80."  I smiled big.  I offered to pay him something but he simply said, "Nope.  When you get a flat, bring it back."  I said I would and then I headed off to WalMart to pick up a few things we needed.

Customer service continued at WalMart.  But it was not GOOD customer service.  I guess my luck had run out.

I needed to return a light fixture that Rick had bought but I didn't have the receipt.  No problem, I thought, WalMart doesn't need them.  And off to "customer service" I went.  I wonder why they call it customer service....

I returned the light and was asked for my driver's license.  Can't return anything to WalMart without your license.  Why, I have no idea, though.  But I opened my wallet to present my driver's license anyway.

Not there.  Shoot.  I changed purses this morning.  My license must still be in the other purse.  I knew the customer service deputy would understand.

He didn't.

I told him that my license was in the car.  He made me go get it.  I knew it wasn't in the car but Rick was.  I decided to slip him Rick's license.  He probably wouldn't look at the picture anyway.

He did.

He would not take the light back WITHOUT my license nor WITH Rick's license.  "What if that man comes in here and says he wasn't really here?"  Say what?????  The customer service dude continued to explain that if someone ever checked the tapes then they would see me and not him.  Say what?????  Like Rick (or anyone) would ever come in to WalMart and insist that I had been there instead.  Jeesh.

Mr. Customer Service insisted that if I was to return the light using Rick's license, I would need to produce Rick.  I said I could, but since he was handicapped, Mr. Customer Service would need to come to my car.  Because Mr. Kahle was in it.  Mr. C.S. said he'd come.  Yes, I was shocked.  Yes, he came.  Yes, we walked together out to our car where Rick was sleeping.

Kudos to Rick for being asleep when we got there (he always sleeps when I go into a store... he knows I never come out in "just a few minutes") and kudos to the big bandage he was sporting on his hand from the letter opener cut he'd given himself earlier this morning.  And kudos to Rick for being groggy when we got there and looking like a truck had hit him.  Mr. Customer Service was satisfied.

Light was returned.  Store credit was given.  Shopping trip continued.  Rick's nap was resumed.  And my faith in customer service was restored.  And yet, not.
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