Category: Rant

Don’t block any driveways other than your own

Warning, rant alert.

I hate when people block my driveway and/or my mailbox. I don’t like not being able to come and go as I need. And the mailman won’t leave mail if the box is blocked. My husband’s friend used to block it every time he came over, even after he was asked nicely not to. I bought a sign to put up saying cars blocking the mailbox would be towed last year, just for hubby’s friend. Yep, that’s how much I hate it. I think everyone should follow one rule - don’t block any driveways other than your own.

When I looked out the door a little while ago, guess what I saw? Not the road, because my entire property line along the street is blocked. My next door neighbor apparently is having a tree taken down. Rather than park in front of his house or on the other side of the street, the five trucks from the tree removal company have decided to park in front of my house. They could’ve at least left me a space so I could get out of the driveway. I mean I know my truck is huge but even if I could give it diet pills there’s no way I could get it out. I had to fight off the urge to be a witch and go out and get in my truck and make them stop working to move their truck. How mature, right!

Am I the only one who thinks it’s wrong for their driveway and mailbox to be blocked?

Feb 21, 2009 | 0 comments | View Post

Lump it Leapfrog!

I ordered a Thomas computer game directly from Leapfrog for CJ. The game was $14.99. I ordered it on Monday and paid almost $16 more to ship it second day. I asked if it would definitely be delivered before Christmas and I was promised that I’d made the cutoff and it would. It wasn’t. I was disappointed, and angry, that my brother got CJ the Clicksmart computer for Christmas and had no games to play with it. The game finally arrived the day after Christmas. How anti climactic.

I called Leapfrog on Monday morning. I explained what had happened to the young man with the heavy accent and he asked me what I wanted. I asked him if they would please credit me the difference between the ground shipping and the rush second day shipping I had paid for. Having worked in a call center for more then ten years I do consider this a reasonable request. It’s also my experience that any company that values that customer and wants to keep them as a customer would agree to the offer or try to find a mutually agreeable one. He had me hold for a few minutes. When he came back onto the phone he told me he was willing to offer me 10% off of my next purchase. I actually laughed out loud. I explained to him that I felt his offer of what would amount to about $1.00-$1.49 was unacceptable. He said that was all he could do. I told him I didn’t plan on placing a second order with them since my first order didn’t get to me on time. I asked if there was a supervisor and he said no. At that point my husband’s head turned halfway around, something like the Exorcist, because I was starting to yell. So, I told the Leapfrog rep that I would be putting my complaint in writing and hung up after he said good bye.

I have written my letter and will be mailing it tomorrow. I have also unsubscribed myself from the two newsletters I was receiving, not that they’ll notice. It won’t change the fact my son didn’t have his game but it’s something I feel I need to do.

Jan 08, 2009 | 2 comments | View Post

Nasty customer service rep at Target today

Two days after Thanksgiving I ran into Target to pick up a couple of things for the birthday cake we were having to celebrate TJ’s thirteenth birthday. While I was walking through the store I noticed the Sex And The City movie and DVD sets on sale for under $9. I’d wanted to see the movie since it was in the theater so I bought it. Or so I thought. I got home and discovered that I’d bought one of the season boxes. On my way to pick up the cake I passed another Target so I took a moment so I could exchange it but they were out of stock. I called the Target I bought the DVD set and they were out of the movie as well. They told me to hang on to my receipt and the ad and I’d be able to exchange the box set for the movie. They suggested I not return it because then I wouldn’t be able to get the sale price. That made sense to me.

I have called both Targets every day since, only to be told the movie was out of stock. Today I was told that one of the stores had gotten a couple in so off I went. I gave the woman behind the exchange counter the box set, my receipt and the ad. I explained why I wanted to exchange and she told me to go get the movie. When I returned she put it all into the register and asked me for another $11. I again explained the situation and she said that the movie I was exchanging had been on sale and the one I wanted wasn’t on sale. I showed her the ad and explained what I’d been told and she started getting loud and raising her voice to me. Another woman behind the counter overheard what was going on and came to my rescue and told the other rep to make it right. I don’t mind the first woman questioning it but I do mind her attitude. I think that woman needs a bit of an attitude adjustment or some customer service training.There was just no need to be loud and rude.

Dec 10, 2008 | 9 comments | View Post

What if this happened to you?

Would you be upset if someone in your family decided to celebrate something and everyone else in the family knew about it but you? I would be, and I am.

Earlier this week brother 1 (oldest of the three, all younger than me) invited brother 3 (Navy brother, new Dad, the youngest of the 3) out to dinner. When brother 3 asked if his wife (new mother to my niece, the most beautiful baby girl ever) was invited he was told “anyone else that wants to go goes Dutch treat”. (It’s very tacky to only invite half of a couple when the couple hasn’t seen each other in months, has no money and just had a new baby, but that’s not my problem.) All members of my family ended up going to this dinner except for me, RB and CJ. The dinner had been mentioned to RB but since RB has been out of work for more than a month now we weren’t about to waste our money on a crappy Chinese buffet. At the end of their meal brother 1 had the staff bring out something representing a cake or something and all of the staff sang happy birthday to my Mom.

We were never told anyone was planning on recognizing my Mom’s birthday. I think it’s wrong and hurtful that we weren’t told and that we had to find out after the fact. We might not have gone because of money but it would have been nice to be included and given the opportunity to decide for ourselves.

How would you feel if this happened to you?

Oct 26, 2008 | 9 comments | View Post

Get your mitts off of the remote and do something

There’s something ugly brewing in my house and it isn’t coffee or tea. It’s a big old pot of whoopass that I’m going to pour on RB soon. Actually, I have about twelve pots brewing simultaneously, this is only one for one problem. RB’s been home for two solid weeks now, in case you didn’t know. Before the work ran out there was a nice balance to the tv viewing here. I’d watch my soaps in the afternoon before he got home. At night we’d watch something together or if he was doing something else I’d watch some of my regular shows. When I come home in the afternoon he’s usually watching tv, which is what he continues to do. I’ve got two weeks of some shows and several episodes of some soaps just piling up because he won’t give up the remote. I finally said something about it today and he looked at me like I had ten heads. He needs to get up off of that couch and get out there and find work and when he is home he could do stuff here. He could paint our bedroom. He could paint the boys’ bedroom. He could caulk around the new window. He could gather up the chair cushions from the backyard and put them in the shed (we don’t have patio furniture covers). I’ve been finding myself getting aggravated more and more lately, I know it’s because of money and things but I can’t seem to make it stop. Suggestions?

Oct 02, 2008 | 0 comments | View Post

Mr McFeely they ain’t.

This afternoon I had a surprise visitor. The visitor was the UPS man. Technically I shouldn’t call it a surprise, since I was told the box was coming. But in fairness, I did not believe the box would ever arrive. Are you wondering what was in the box that was delivered? Sure you are. Well I’ll tell you. It was the coffee. I finally got my damned coffee, almost four months late. Definitely not a speedy delivery. They should have sent it with Mr McFeely from Mr Rogers neighborhood. I can’t even believe it’s here. Thanks to any stumblers and diggers that helped me get this straightened out.

Oct 16, 2007 | 0 comments | View Post

This email made me laugh

I received this email today from someone at the coffee company. It made me laugh. Maybe they found out my post was stumbled upon, or that it got dugg. Maybe not. Please post your opinion on if I should drink the coffee if the beans do arrive. I have copied and pasted the email below, exactly as I received it.

“Hi, my name John I’m new in this business. I readied your mail and checked on your order# 46059. I don’t know much about coffee, but I do know about customer service. So I understand that you did not get your order, so I will ship your order today, you should be received in 2 or 3 day. Sorry for the trouble, the reason for the trouble is they don’t have anybody working here at this time, they use to have lady working here name Linda, but now she gone, I don’t know what happen, but they do need some help with the customer service, I just help out only 3 hrs a day, until their find someone. So one again so sorry and your coffee will be to your address A.S.A.P Have a wonderful day…….John”

Oct 10, 2007 | 2 comments | View Post

Nearing the end of the coffee chronicle

Two days ago I sent the following email to the coffee company. This problem began over three months ago when I ordered coffee from California Coffee Roasters and never received my order. At the two and a half month mark the ceo responded to my letter from a month before and promised in a voicemail he was resending my order. I never received the coffee and they will not answer my phone call or email, so I sent this email to them two days ago.
At this point it is clear the company is not going to send me the coffee I ordered or return my money. I would really appreciate it if everyone that reads this shares it with others. I don’t want to see other people treated this way and ripped off. Digg what I’m saying? I hope people that don’t even read my blog stumble upon this information so they know too. The email below is the last one I wrote, sent yesterday.

Wednesday 10/03/07
Hello Mr. Bock.
It has been two days since I attempted to contact your business by phone and email.
I suspect I won’t receive any communication back, but welcome the chance to have my hunch proven wrong.
I have obtained advice from my bank on this matter.
They are aware I have made numerous good faith efforts to resolve this with your company directly, and that I have the pile of correspondence reflecting my attempts to contact you directly regarding resolution. I also had the forethought to save your voicemail saying you were reshipping the order.
You have broken your promise and this has gone on long enough.
I work very hard for my income. No customer deserves this sort of treatment.
Your company has proven itself unwilling to communicate with me to bring this to a resolution.
My bank has given me paperwork to complete. When turned in the bank will begin an investigation so I may be credited back for product I never received yet paid for.
They have also advised me to contact the Better Business Bureau in TX and CA, as well as the FTC and DMA.
I will go to the bank tomorrow afternoon at 3pm unless I receive good reason not to before then.
Sincerely,
Valerie

Oct 04, 2007 | 0 comments | View Post

That lousy mouse and coffee continued

I have a Compaq Presario computer that was given to me about two years ago. Tonight as I was in the middle of writing the mouse died. I was actually in the middle of copying and pasting, to be specific. Fortunately I had picked up a trackball a while back and had never installed it. When it got here I didn’t have the chance. Then my youngest son took and hid the Turbo Mouse’s ball from the imac and we thought we were going to have to put the new trackball on there. But we found that, thankfully. So the new trackball sat in its box until tonight. After the mouse died, I turned off the computer and installed the new one. Then I turned the computer back on and made sure the mouse was configured the way I like it. That left me with the task of rewriting everything I’d been ready to paste. Fortunately that’s done and I am now heading for the kitchen for some mashed potatoes.

On another note, this is the email I sent to CA Coffee yesterday.

Monday 10/01/07
Dear Mr. Patrick Bock,
I received a voicemail from you on 08/30/07 timestamped 10:37am est.
Your voicemail said you weren’t aware of my attempts at communication, yet I had attached them to my email. They are all below this email.
Your voicemail indicated you had received my letter, didn’t know why communication stopped and that you were resending me the missing order.
Now when I heard your voicemail I thought that was the professional appropriate way to handle the situation.
I know it takes some time to make the coffee and more time to ship it so I figured it’d take up to two weeks until I received it.
It has been one month now since you left your message and I have received no coffee and no refund.
I cannot speak for what happened to the first order, as your voicemail stated UPS said they had left it outside on the porch.
Look in your records and you will see I have ordered numerous times. I’m not a new customer trying to rip you off.
I have been home now since August recovering from major surgery and nothing has been delivered from your company by any carrier.
It has been three months since I originally placed my order.
Please advise the status of the replacement (including tracking number) immediately
or I will be contacting my bank about getting my money back and beginning my free advertising campaign.
I have also left a message for you regarding this situation on the machine at 877-543-1110.
Sincerely,
Valerie

Oct 02, 2007 | 1 comment | View Post

The coffee conundrum

As I was making a pot of coffee earlier this morning, I realized I’d need more beans soon. I’d been gipped yet again by California Coffee. In our last chapter of this continuing adventure, we were thinking coffee was in fact going to be sent out. That was on 08/30/07. It has now been almost 2 weeks and I still don’t have any coffee. I’m going to wait until the end of the week to be sure before I write my next letter to their president. One thing is for sure - I will never give them another cent of my money.

Sep 13, 2007 | 0 comments | View Post

Tiny bubbles and more on the coffee saga

Today the only stuff I have noticed going through the wound vac tube seems to be bubbles. Now the vac has been making its farting noises since it was put back on yesterday. I looked for a leak and couldn’t find one. Which leaves me wondering where this bubbly stuff originates - in me or just outside the wound. I have a hard time picturing bubbly stuff floating through me.

I received a voicemail from the ceo of the online coffee store I wrote about last month (posted 07/19/07). His voicemail said he’d received my letter and didn’t know why noone ever got back to me. His message went on to say that UPS had delivered it but someone must have taken it. (FYI - I have never had anything UPS delivered taken off of my porch.) He concluded the message by telling me he was sending my order back out.
Good follow through on my letter. Let’s wait and see what happens.

Aug 30, 2007 | 0 comments | View Post

California Coffee

The following is the correspondence between myself and California Coffee Roasters. It’s concerning an order I made that I have never received. The top email is the one just sent. Every email concerning the problem was included in that email, just by replying all each time I wrote about the situation. The bottom line is I want my coffee or my money back.

Mr. Patrick Bock

California Coffee Roasters
111 B Poindexter Ave, Moorpark, CA

Dear Mr. Bock,

Good morning!

Your coffee is delicious.

I have been a satisfied customer of your company for some time.

I have bought all of my coffee from you through your website, 3 bags or so at a time.

I have recommended your product to others.

Well, it’s been over a month since I placed my last order. I still haven’t received coffee. Your company still has my payment.

I will be contacting my bank and contesting the charge.

I have sent 5 emails about this situation.

Your company answered my first email that reported the problem within 2 business days, which was fine.

All of my other emails have gone unanswered. I find that unacceptable.

I have worked in sales and service for over 15 years (11 of them in mail order)

and find your lack of responsiveness surprising and unprofessional.

How can a company hope to remain in business or have business continue to flourish if it refuses to answer communication?

Your company’s customer service is among the worst I’ve ever experienced.

I may not be your biggest customer, but I can bet you have a lot of customers just like me.

For your sake as well as theirs, let’s hope they’re not being treated as I was.

I will now spend my money with one of your competitors.

I have found that companies enjoy receiving some free advertising and pr.

I will happily post of my experience in any appropriate venue, forum, board or website I can find.

Sincerely,

Valerie

—–Original Message—–
From: Valerie []
Sent: Friday, July 06, 2007 7:33 PM
To: ’sales@freshcoffee.net’
Subject: RE: help with order 46059

Soon it will have been a month. No coffee and we’re out $27.68.

Sadly, it has become clear this issue is not important to your company.

Perhaps it is time to look for a company that values their customers enough to follow up on communication.

What a shame.

Valerie

—–Original Message—–
From: Valerie []
Sent: Wednesday, July 04, 2007 10:29 AM
To: ‘Linda’
Subject: RE: [Fwd: help with order 46059]

Please let me know what’s happening with this.

It’s been weeks since I ordered, and one week since I emailed you and haven’t received a response.

Thank you.

—–Original Message—–
From: Valerie []
Sent: Tuesday, June 26, 2007 4:18 PM
To: ‘Linda’
Subject: RE: [Fwd: help with order 46059]

Hi Linda.

Yes that is my correct address, as well as correct phone.

I can’t imagine what happened, I’ve always gotten my coffee without a problem before.

Please let me know.

Thanks.

Valerie

—–Original Message—–
From: Linda [mailto:rosanky1@att.net]
Sent: Tuesday, June 26, 2007 8:27 AM
To: Valerie
Subject: Re: [Fwd: help with order 46059]

This is Linda from California Coffee Roasters. I am sorry about you not receiving your coffee. Did we have your correct address on the shipment?

Ship To

VALERIE

Tracking No.:

1Z021F6Y0348360762

BRICK

NJ 08723

US

1732#######

Please let me know if the information is correct and we will put a tracer on the package. If unable to locate, we will re-do your order.

Thank you. Linda - rosanky1@att.net

California Coffee Roasters

—–Original Message—–
From: Valerie []
Sent: Sunday, June 24, 2007 12:38 PM
To: ’sales@freshcoffee.net’
Subject: help with order 46059

I have ordered from your company before and have not had any problems.

I placed an order on 06/12/07 and I still haven’t received it.

My payment of $27.68 has been processed and cleared my bank on 06/14/07.

I checked the tracking number online and UPS website says delivered but we have not received it.

Please advise how to proceed on either getting my coffee or my money back.

Thank you.

Valerie

Jul 14, 2007 | 1 comment | View Post

Leave already

So one of the girls at work that I’ve been sitting while training with has a nasty habit of frequently saying the word retarded in a demaning way. Anyone who knows me knows this makes me very angry. So after the second time I nicely tell her I find it offensive and explain why. She was stunned and hemmed and hawed and tried to bullshit her way out of it.
So anyway. I found out earlier this week that this girl had applied for a job elsewhere. Well today she got a call that the job will be hers if she wants it but will take a couple of weeks to get paperwork done. Then if she’s going to take it she’ll give notice. Shortly after this she proceeded to start saying it again.
Why can’t people get that to use the word in any way other than factual is demeaning and ignorant? I don’t get mad at the word, I get mad at the way the word is used. Lesson. If something doesn’t make sense it is not retarded. Using the word in this way implies being retarded is bad. Which makes me think of my son, who is an innocent loving child and obviously not bad. Which makes me think that people view being retarded as bad. Which makes me pissed off as hell.
I now try to nicely explain to people what’s wrong with using the word in that way. If I can nicely educate someone who didn’t realize and they then understand, that’s great. I wish people in general would think before they speak. I wish people that can’t do that should just keep their mouth shut.
I hope she takes this job and starts really soon, because if I have to hear it sitting a foot away from her much longer I will end up slapping her (hence probably get myself fired).
End of todays rant.

Jul 14, 2006 | 0 comments | View Post

I’ve come a long way baby

So at one of the forums I visit I noticed someone was using the word retarded in that way that ignorant people do - incorrectly and negatively. I didn’t leave and I didn’t lose my temper. I posted asking her why people used the word in that way implying something bad.

She replied back she “don’t know why, it’s a habit and sorry did you want it deleted.”

Which lead me to this reply - “you don’t have to delete it on my account. People do have the right to free speech. But to put it right out there, since you asked, yes it does offend me. I posted the question to you because I notice you’ve written it several times since you joined, and I’d not noticed it much at all before then. I have spent the better part of six years wondering why people say it. I have a son with Down Syndrome and I can’t understand for the life of me why people imply retardation is bad, because that implies my son is. To retard means to slow. It does not mean stupid, bad, ignorant, or the many other things people seem to associate with it. I have evolved in the past couple of years. While hearing it still upsets me, it no longer makes me want to hurt people. Instead hearing it makes me want to educate the people that say it and wipe out their ignorance.”

She replied she was sorry and didn’t know what to say and left the forum.

So I’d say maybe this is the better way to handle it. -
Educate the ignorant. And if that doesn’t work maybe I’ll embarass them and let the whole world know how ignorant they are.

Dad, this is really different from how I reacted to the bowling alley situation a few years ago. Yes it did bring tears to my eye, but I felt better for staying calm and standing up for something.

Mar 04, 2006 | 0 comments | View Post

On getting busy

I’m fine except for the fact that my son (10 at the end of the month) is growing up. He’s invited 10 friends to the movies this weekend to celebrate his 10th birthday. He did include 3 girls. To him this just means he’s recognizing them as people, not cootie carriers. So a boy in his class found out he invited 3 girls and told him to get busy, which made my son ask him what that meant. When he heard the other boys answer he got mad because in his words “that’s disgusting”. He came home and told me what happened. When I asked him what get busy meant he said “well you know what you and Dad did after the honeymoon”. I asked what, he said “you know the s word, you do it in bed”. I said sleep?, literally biting my tongue so my jaw wouldn’t hit the floor. He said “no Mom, s-e-x”. So I told him I wanted to be sure as he grows up when there’s something important for him to know about he learn it from us, not other kids his age. I asked him what he thought sex was. He told me “it’s when the boy and the girl take off their shirts and are kissing an touching and stuff, and that it was absolutely vile” (his word). So he and I chatted that when he’s between 20-30 years old and getting married that he’ll feel differently and that it’s how married people express their closeness.
What the hell!!??!! My son is far too young for this. And I’m not dealing with it well, overprotective mother that I am.