What's up with bad service lately?

My sister sent me a coupon code for free Safeway grocery delivery. Since grocery shopping always seems to be a HUGE ASS chore in our household, one that is often left for me to do in the wee hours of Tuesday morning (which I kinda like because there are no otheres around, and those that are are weird and fun to think stories up about, like the Foodmaxx cashier I call "crackhead" cause she acts like she's hopped up on something), I was keen to get my groceries delivered to my door.

I've made a new rule about not shopping at Safeway because I was walking out with a receipt totalling $120 bucks on average, but I tend to do a lot better when shopping online. There aren't really any impulse buys or creative meal plans I can come up with when I actually have to search for things or shop aisles by clicking "next" over and over. Food loses its thrill.

I managed to only spend roughly 70 bucks, which is the best I've done in a long time, with a small extra list of things to purchase at Foodmaxx because I knew I could get them cheaper there. AND I bought chicken breasts and pork tenderloin. How good is that? Amazing!

The delivery guy came and went. I was in my PJs and looking bag ladyish, so my husband dealt with him. Then I was let loose from my hovel (bedroom) to put the groceries away. After I was done, I looked at the receipt again.

Two things were missing:

• pork tenderloin that was supposed to cost way cheaper, but was listed at $12 something, and
• a lemon.

The lemon was expensive too for some reason.

So I had to send Safeway an e-mail telling them the delivery guy ran off with my pork and lemon and I wanted my money back. Even though not getting the items delivered is annoying, at least this Service Rep (or CR, as I've been calling them, or "Joel" as he's called himself) didn't respond to me with an idiotic, misspelled e-mail, although it was completely canned. How do I know? Because he used the word "assure" correctly, something most uncanned e-mail writers hardly get correct.

This morning I went to Foodmaxx to pick up the items from my small list I mentioned above. I walked out with about 7 bags of food items and spending almost 50 bucks. In my defense, most of the food items are for Mateo. Although I, myself, do enjoy a mean Ritz Bitz Cheese Cracker sandwich thing on occasion.

Remember that shirt I made?

Well, let me tell you this, Cafepress sucks big stanky monkey toes. And I don't mean the Mateo-kind.

Now let me tell you why. The quality of the shirt leaves a lot to be desired. I can forgive this since it's a toddler shirt, and who cares, said toddler will only be wearing it for so long. But what I can't forgive is ordering a 2T and receiving at 12 months shirt*, essentially making my child look like a belly-showing hustler, out to get some love.

*note my child is 17 months old, way past the 12 months stage.

At first, I actually thought the shirt was too big, since most 2Ts are too big for Mateo, and then when I looked at the tag and saw "12 months" on it, I was really perturbed because even it is does fit him okay, it's not going to for long.

I got onto Cafepress's web site and submitted my "I want a freaking replacement, like NOW, you losers who can't get things correct if a bat bit you in the neck." In the box, I stated I ordered a 2T and received a 12 months. Very soon after I received an e-mail from a CR telling me she was sorry the shirt didn't fit and that she wanted me to be happy and therefore as a lovely parting gift, I can keep the shirt because they ("they" being Cafepress) didn't want me to have to pay for shipping to return the shirt.

What the?

So I wrote back, thanking the CR, but also making it very clear that it wasn't my fault the shirt didn't fit, in fact, it was Cafepress's fault, and I had stated this in my original message to the company.

The CR wrote me back:

I do apologize that Cafepress sent you the incorrect size. However, you replacement order does contain the correct size that you order. You are scheduled to recieve your replacement order by July 23rd.

I hope this helps.

Suuuuure, that helps. Yeah, okay. So I have to wait forever to get a shirt I ordered over a two weeks ago.

The misused words and misspelled words are in bold. Apparently CRs are required to answer all email responses, without benefit of a form email. Why are CRs afraid of spellcheck?

Of course, when I got home with Mateo tonight, I had to put the shirt on him to test out the shirt's cuteness (very) and how cute Mateo looks wearing it (really). Getting the shirt made helped me realize some minor tweaks I need to make to the illustration, so I guess it wasn't all that bad, and even though it looks like a half shirt on Mateo, of course I'll make him wear it until his replacement shirt arrives.

Oh, but that's not all. Someone else bought a Grumpasaurus product, a mug, to be exact, which was received by this person yesterday. Cafepress did a fabulous job of shipping, and the handle of the mug arrived broken in three pieces. When this person emailed Cafepress about the mug being broken, she got the exact same response I got by the exact same person. Well, except for the shirt not fitting part.

Zazzle, here I come.

You can view my model wearing the Grumpasaurus shirt here (grumpy model) and here (not so grumpy model).

This just bugs! (updated)

Last winter I was asked to make a carnival flyer for work. So I did. Here it is.




Then today I was looking at Cool Mom Picks and came across something on the internet that is completely unique and original and not stolen from any other person or company, however, might possibly be printed by another company, but after the many comments I've received, no one's addressed that part of my post and has turned it into a gigantic slam fest on my behalf. But that's okay! Because I can take it. I could so do the thing I found on Cool Mom Picks, which only I would know (and the 60 or so friends of a certain person) based on the example above where I used the exact same font and similar banner courtesy of Illustrator, that it makes me crazy that I don't have my own side business where all I do is slap some one's name on a banner I didn't even create using a font I didn't make.*

Okay, okay, while I have aspirations of learning typography, I can't make fonts either. I download them free.

I mean, look at my cute shirts I just made - three different designs this week alone and I have so many others brewing in my head it makes me nuts there aren't more hours in the day. ...

Alright, I've had my wah-wah session.

Anyone want to front me some money so I can get some samples made FROM MY OWN CREATIONS so I can post them on a web site and wait for people to order them so then I can order them from another company BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE ROOM FOR A PRINTING PRESS OR SILK SCREEN MACHINE (or the money for either) in my condo?*

I might be slow in getting things done, but I'm not stupid. Game on.

*blog post adjusted by author of said blog because why give someone free publicity? Which is partly why I never actually named anyone or any web site beside Cool Mom Picks, which is a great web site, by the way. Ah, but I was found regardless. Nothing is sacred. Not even Twitter.

Another company on my list.

DHL.

DHL sucks.

DHL leaves packages just about anywhere except with the person they should be delivering too.

Yesterday I kept checking the status of delivery on my AC Adapter. At 12:06pm DHL updated their site saying it was delivered and a C Chan signed for it. There isn't a C Chan on my floor, however, there is one on the 8th floor. Instead of trying to figure out of she (she being 'C Chan') signed for my package and had it, or calling the admin on that floor to see if he had it because she didn't know who I was and decided to dump my package on him, I convinced myself that my package was now with the mail hub in Fremont and I wouldn't get it until Monday.

It's funny how we can convince ourselves of things so we don't have to be disappointed.

Since yesterday was the day before the 4th, I decided to leave early because my husband was leaving early. Early for me means a whopping 15 minutes early (in case my boss is reading this...).

My husband called me to say he was coming over to my desk at about 3:10pm.

At about 3:11pm, the admin from the 8th floor showed up at my desk and handed me my two packages (one holding a power cord, the other holding the actual adapter).

"You just made my weekend!" I yelled. "I knew they got delivered, but I didn't know who had them!"

"Oh...they just left them in the hallway downstairs," he told me.

"Thank you for bringing them to me!!!" I yelled some more, clutching my packages to my chest.

He looked at me like I lost it.

"Well I'm glad I made your weekend," he said as he walked away.

I grabbed my stuff and met my husband as he was walking towards my desk.

"Look what I have!! They left them downstairs!!!"

My husband grumbled about how stupid DHL is, which they are, and we left.

Now that the joy of actually get my packages has diminished, and I got to post a million pictures of Mateo and make a Grumpasaurus t-shirt last night, this morning I'm feeling rather perturbed with DHL and their delivery practices.

Why do they not care if packages actually get to the correct person? The address label clearly stated 11th floor. Not 8th floor. My name and phone number were on the label as well. I've hated DHL for some time now, and now I'm hating them even more. And I hate Dell for using DHL as their shipper.

Dell. DHL. Devils. Demons. Die!

Okay, okay. It's DELL.

I'm as mad as a box of frogs! I could spit! Wait, let me just go ahead and do that, and then I'll be right back....

Okay.

I received my answer to my questions from yesterday.

1. There aren't any parts available, and so it's going to take longer to get me my adapter.

Hmmm. That's odd. Okay. Fine. Whatever. Single word comments equate immense anger.

2. My AC Adapter is not under warranty - any longer. And it would be a separate warranty from my laptop. Of course it would be. Why not.

So it looks like I'll be in the suckiest club in town until I decide to get rid of my laptop.

I think I'll go purchase myself a new AC Adapter right now. That way, when one of the two dies, I'll have one at the ready. Then I'll just order another one. And so on and so forth.

I'll be making t-shirts soon about being a member of the suckiest club in town known as being a DELL laptop owner. If you want one, send your orders in.

(Ingenious way of making revenue so I can keep paying my membership dues, huh?)

Why does my laptop manufacturer (who I'm "this" close to naming) hate me?

Today would be the third business day in the 2-3 business days I should have expected my new replacement AC Adapter. Excited at the prospect of receiving the adapter today, I spent a couple hours last night on my laptop, using only the battery power.

Curious as to when my adapter was shipping, I decided to look up the order on the company's web site.

A couple of things very wrong with what I saw:

1. Order was placed on 7/2. Um, that's today. I was told it was placed on Sunday, June 29th.
2. Ship date: 7/9. That's next week. That's TWO weeks after I first contacted the company. And, since we're all geniuses here, that's definitely WAY longer than 2-3 days. Way longer. WAAAYYYY LONGER!!
3. I'm being billed, or at least the web site is indicating I am. As far as I know, my laptop is under warranty. Unless I'm not understanding things, and that may very well be the case cause I never looked into it nor did I ask, charging me for a defective adapter goes against my warranty.

So instead of just sitting idly by and waiting for my adapter and bill to come to me, I decided it was time to pick up the phone and call the company.

I called the general customer service number. A very loud automated voice yelled at me that if I knew my party's extension, I could enter it now. Otherwise I was to say "Espanol" to talk to someone in Spanish (I know enough Spanish to get that, comes with living with my husband). Since I didn't do anything, I was then asked to choose one of three options, none of which fit my situation, which was just wanting to talk to someone about my issue. After a prompt here and a prompt there, I punched in my order number and waited.

Some lady got on the phone and babbled on about something not working correctly and she needed to ask me two questions about the reason why I was calling. Both of which I answered "no" to.

Then she said, "Since that is the case, I ask that you call back in three hours so you can be directed to the correct person to speak to."

Was I surprised? Not really. Was I mad? Sorta. Did I let her know that? No.

"Okay," I said. Like the loser my laptop manufacturer has deemed me, I had no fight left and I hung up.

Since calling didn't work, I immediately went back to my pal Surmukh and gave him a piece of my mind. While talking to people seems to work quicker and better (that's if they'll talk to you and not tell you to call back in three hours), I prefer to do my stern talking-to in the written format. Gives you time to ponder your thoughts and sound smarter than maybe you really are.

It's been a few hours and my pal has yet to write me back. I'm starting to feel less of a customer and more of a bother.

When your kid's face is bright red, that means he's overheated.

Mateo has been slightly sick since this weekend; mostly he has an annoying phlegmy cough, but he did have a slight fever Monday night. By yesterday he was fine, just still had the cough, which won't go away for a couple of weeks.

My husband dropped him off at daycare, and he, being the bigger worry wort of the two of us, called around 2pm to see how Mateo was doing. He was told by one of the daycare ladies that he wasn't doing too well and that he didn't want to eat. At the moment he was sleeping, and had been sleeping for two hours. There was mention of him not acting the same either. Especially outside. My husband was worried and felt Mateo was taking a "turn for the worse." I decided I should probably leave a bit early to go get him, just in case something was wrong with him.

I walked into the daycare room, and Mateo was being sat down at the little toddler table, with a bottle thrust into his hands. From the door I could see Mateo's face was bright red. From past experience, we realized that Mateo doesn't do so well outside in the heat. Yesterday went as high at the 90's or maybe a little more. Today may go to the 100's. The first thing I thought was: He's overheated and that's the only thing that's wrong with him.

The lady who was in charge of him that day told me her spiel about how he wasn't eating, and this and that and on and on, and I listened, all the while thinking, he's too hot, HE'S TOO FREAKING HOT!!!! Then she said, "...and it's not the heat." Like she read my mind.

Hello? It's not? We're in a heatwave! Who let's their small children, who can only communicate on a basic level of grunts, nos, thats and points, outside to run around and overheat? My kid overheats by just laying on his side for too long when sleeping!

I like to give the ladies at daycare the benefit of the doubt, so I just left and packed Mateo into our car, turned the AC up full blast and got him home. When we went inside our condo, I took his shoes and socks off, and then his shirt. Then I turned the AC on. After about 10 minutes of being cooled off, the color of Mateo's face turned his normal shade of swarthiness, and he devoured a banana I fed him. I waited a bit after the banana, then started getting his dinner together. He pretty much pigged out like he hadn't eaten for days.

There was nothing wrong with my child except TOO MUCH HEAT!

Today I wrote on his paper that he can't go outside today or tomorrow, and then told the morning lady the same thing. She agreed that it's not good for the little ones to go outside, and said she'd make sure everyone knew. She also said the older ladies "don't think" when it comes to stuff like that.

My goodness. Heads will roll if my kid goes outside today. And I'll know. Bright red face = Mateo went outside. And they'll get theirs. Oh yes.

Walmart

I'm starting to dislike Walmart. And no, not for all the reasons most people do - I happen to love saving some money on things, so if people are unfortunate enough to make the decision to apply for a job at Walmart, then I simply can't feel sorry for them if they aren't being paid well or getting good health care. But that's a whole thing in and of itself.

This is why I'm starting to dislike Walmart:

More often than not, when I get home and unpack my bags full of Walmart goodies, it'll dawn on me that something is missing. Not only has this happened to me, but it's happened to my husband as well, and he's one of those people who hates Walmart for the humanitarian / bad business ethics reasons, so you can imagine how that goes when he realizes something is missing from his purchases. This is the man who gets mad at inanimate objects for falling when he touches him. It doesn't go over so well.

I went yesterday and bought a bunch of stuff, one item in particular for Mateo because he's just starting to get used to eating solid foods vs. pureed slop: Sweet Potato Puffs. YUM!

He's already tried the fruity puffs and likes those, so I thought it would be good to get a veggie one.

For a few different reasons, I didn't completely unpack all the bags when I got home, and it wasn't until 2:30ish that I finished unpacking and realized his puffs were missing. Maybe I already put them away and just forgot, I thought. I checked, couldn't find them. Maybe they rolled out of the bag in the car, I thought. When I left to go pick him up from daycare, I checked, couldn't find them.

Grrrrrrr....Darn Walmart. Got me again.

Now the thing I don't get it this: In my case, the lady must have put the single container of puffs in its own bag, which makes no sense because 1. it's as light as a cotton ball (hello - they're PUFFS) and 2. they're in a container where they can't easily be crushed. But I'm assuming that's what she did, and since they use that crazy spinner bag thing, and each cashier does their own thing (in this case, she handed me some bags and pointed to others - apparently I missed the bag with a single container of light as cotton ball PUFFS. I just incorrectly assume I'm getting all my items.

And what about the little 80-year old Filipino lady who comes up to my waist that stops customers as they exit? Why didn't she, as she glanced quickly at my receipt and never once at my bags, and then swipe a green pen line on my receipt, tell me that I'm missing an item? If these ancient door checkers are there to eliminate theft, then how come they can't also take inventory of what's in my bags and compare to my receipt for me? They're stopping me as it is, even though they have no legal right to, and if I was a crazed thief, I could easily push her down and the other guy who stands around forcing shopping carts and umbrella bags on people, and run out the doors, screaming like a wild animal all the while. But yes, they are stopping me. So do me a favor and ensure I've received all the items I just paid for. I know, like that will ever happen.

So maybe it's a ploy of Walmart's and part of their training program. If one cashier "forgets" to bag an item or "forgets" to give a bag to a customer, just imagine the savings for them. I'm sure the item gets restocked and repurchased by someone else. From our past experiences of calling immediately after arriving home (five minute trip home) and realizing something was missing, they really don't seem to care. When I worked retail, I remember feeling like a horrible cashier when I forgot to give someone something, so much so that I would make a real attempt to chase them down and give them their bag or item. And if that was impossible, I would tell others and the manager on duty, so if that person called about it, others would know. And I wasn't being paid the greatest nor was I receiving wonderful health care, if any.

So I'll just add that to the evil doings of Walmart. But I'll still shop there cause I like saving money. And maybe next time I will keep walking out the door and ignore the small security people.

Trying to be accomodating

Today I have a doctor appointment at 4:50pm. I scheduled a grocery delivery between 10am and noon. This morning my doctor calls and wants me to come in early - between 9am and 10am. I said I couldn't because of the grocery delivery. A bit later the phone rings, and it's the doctor's office again, asking me to come in at 1:30pm. I said I could do that, no problem. A bit later the phone rings, and it's the Safeway guy telling me he's going to be late and won't be there until after 1pm. I told him I won't be here because of a doctor appointment. He said he's got two routes to deliver. I said I won't be here. He asked when I was leaving. I said 12:45pm. He said he could probably make it. I said okay.

So now I don't know if we're getting any groceries this week, and I've pretty much decided to never change plans the day of because they always get screwed up. I could have gone to the doctor in the morning if I had known the Safeway guy wasn't going to show up on time, and now that I changed my appointment so I will be earlier than scheduled and here when my grocery delivery is to show up, now I might not get my groceries.

I told my husband we'll just eat all the food we have in the house and then start on the cat food. In other words, I'm not going to the store.