(OT) The Squeaky Wheel Gets The Grease

An Uplifting story

When I got my property tax bill for 2010 I was horrified to discover it was
more than three times above the year before. I called lots of people,
filled out lots of paperwork. In the end I still had to pay this outrageous
amount by the 15th. So I paid it. But meanwhile I'd been filing appeals.
That was about 6 months ago.

Fast foward to today. I got a letter in the mail saying the tax I paid was
wrong and I'm due a refund. Excellent! So I called and asked when I could
expect my check. She said, "Oh, it was in the same envelope. Sometimes the
checks stick to the side of the envelope." Yikes! I threw out the
envelope!

THE TRASH-MEN COMETH! (Really, they were just down the street.)

I sprinted to the end of the driveway (a little poetic license - it's
actually only about 50 feet so I don't need to sprint) and started digging
through the trash. The trash truck pulled up and the driver jumped out and
asked if there was something he could help me with. Yes, please! I'm
looking for a government envelope with a check inside. It should be right
near the top. He snagged it. "Is this it?" Yes, yes! Thank you! I said
I should give him a finders fee. He said, "The only thing I ask is that you
call my company and tell them W is doing a good job." And that's what I
did, the minute I got inside. I called and got in touch with his boss
and told her he's doing a great job.

Jill

"jmcquown" wrote in message
...
An Uplifting story

When I got my property tax bill for 2010 I was horrified to discover it
was more than three times above the year before. I called lots of people,
filled out lots of paperwork. In the end I still had to pay this
outrageous amount by the 15th. So I paid it. But meanwhile I'd been
filing appeals. That was about 6 months ago.

Fast foward to today. I got a letter in the mail saying the tax I paid
was wrong and I'm due a refund. Excellent! So I called and asked when I
could expect my check. She said, "Oh, it was in the same envelope.
Sometimes the checks stick to the side of the envelope." Yikes! I threw
out the envelope!

THE TRASH-MEN COMETH! (Really, they were just down the street.)

I sprinted to the end of the driveway (a little poetic license - it's
actually only about 50 feet so I don't need to sprint) and started digging
through the trash. The trash truck pulled up and the driver jumped out
and asked if there was something he could help me with. Yes, please! I'm
looking for a government envelope with a check inside. It should be right
near the top. He snagged it. "Is this it?" Yes, yes! Thank you! I
said I should give him a finders fee. He said, "The only thing I ask is
that you call my company and tell them W is doing a good job." And that's
what I did, the minute I got inside. I called and got in touch with
his boss and told her he's doing a great job.

Jill

Wow, that's great! And the timing couldn't have been better!

Joy

On Mon, 18 Jul 2011 20:59:45 -0400, "jmcquown"
wrote:

An Uplifting story

When I got my property tax bill for 2010 I was horrified to discover it was
more than three times above the year before. I called lots of people,
filled out lots of paperwork. In the end I still had to pay this outrageous
amount by the 15th. So I paid it. But meanwhile I'd been filing appeals.
That was about 6 months ago.

Fast foward to today. I got a letter in the mail saying the tax I paid was
wrong and I'm due a refund. Excellent! So I called and asked when I could
expect my check. She said, "Oh, it was in the same envelope. Sometimes the
checks stick to the side of the envelope." Yikes! I threw out the
envelope!

THE TRASH-MEN COMETH! (Really, they were just down the street.)

I sprinted to the end of the driveway (a little poetic license - it's
actually only about 50 feet so I don't need to sprint) and started digging
through the trash. The trash truck pulled up and the driver jumped out and
asked if there was something he could help me with. Yes, please! I'm
looking for a government envelope with a check inside. It should be right
near the top. He snagged it. "Is this it?" Yes, yes! Thank you! I said
I should give him a finders fee. He said, "The only thing I ask is that you
call my company and tell them W is doing a good job." And that's what I
did, the minute I got inside. I called and got in touch with his boss
and told her he's doing a great job.

Jill

It's always a bit surprising, when you run into really nice people, in
your daily life.

They seem to be in short supply, these days.

On 7/18/2011 7:59 PM, jmcquown wrote:
An Uplifting story

When I got my property tax bill for 2010 I was horrified to discover it
was more than three times above the year before. I called lots of
people, filled out lots of paperwork. In the end I still had to pay this
outrageous amount by the 15th. So I paid it. But meanwhile I'd been
filing appeals. That was about 6 months ago.

Fast foward to today. I got a letter in the mail saying the tax I paid
was wrong and I'm due a refund. Excellent! So I called and asked when I
could expect my check. She said, "Oh, it was in the same envelope.
Sometimes the checks stick to the side of the envelope." Yikes! I threw
out the envelope!

THE TRASH-MEN COMETH! (Really, they were just down the street.)

I sprinted to the end of the driveway (a little poetic license - it's
actually only about 50 feet so I don't need to sprint) and started
digging through the trash. The trash truck pulled up and the driver
jumped out and asked if there was something he could help me with. Yes,
please! I'm looking for a government envelope with a check inside. It
should be right near the top. He snagged it. "Is this it?" Yes, yes!
Thank you! I said I should give him a finders fee. He said, "The only
thing I ask is that you call my company and tell them W is doing a good
job." And that's what I did, the minute I got inside. I called and
got in touch with his boss and told her he's doing a great job.

Jill

Good for him - and good for you for following through! Kudos!!

--
Hugs,

CatNipped
See all our masters at: http://www.PossiblePlaces.com/CatNipped

See the RPCA FAQ site, created by "Yowie", maintained by Mark Edwards, at:
http://www.professional-geek.net/rpcablog/

Email: L(dot)T(dot)Crews(at)comcast(dot)net

"nobody" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 18 Jul 2011 20:59:45 -0400, "jmcquown"
wrote:

An Uplifting story

When I got my property tax bill for 2010 I was horrified to discover it
was
more than three times above the year before. I called lots of people,
filled out lots of paperwork. In the end I still had to pay this
outrageous
amount by the 15th. So I paid it. But meanwhile I'd been filing appeals.
That was about 6 months ago.

Fast foward to today. I got a letter in the mail saying the tax I paid
was
wrong and I'm due a refund. Excellent! So I called and asked when I
could
expect my check. She said, "Oh, it was in the same envelope. Sometimes
the
checks stick to the side of the envelope." Yikes! I threw out the
envelope!

THE TRASH-MEN COMETH! (Really, they were just down the street.)

I sprinted to the end of the driveway (a little poetic license - it's
actually only about 50 feet so I don't need to sprint) and started digging
through the trash. The trash truck pulled up and the driver jumped out
and
asked if there was something he could help me with. Yes, please! I'm
looking for a government envelope with a check inside. It should be right
near the top. He snagged it. "Is this it?" Yes, yes! Thank you! I
said
I should give him a finders fee. He said, "The only thing I ask is that
you
call my company and tell them W is doing a good job." And that's what I
did, the minute I got inside. I called and got in touch with his boss
and told her he's doing a great job.

Jill

It's always a bit surprising, when you run into really nice people, in
your daily life.

They seem to be in short supply, these days.


Where I live (now) people are very friendly. And helpful. Extremely
polite. It's certainly nothing like when I lived on the outskirts of
Memphis where rudeness rules

Jill

On Jul 18, 5:519*pm, "jmcquown" wrote:

. *He said, "The only thing I ask is that you
call my company and tell them W is doing a good job." *And that's what I
did, the minute I got inside. *I called and got in touch with his boss
and told her he's doing a great job.

Good on you! When I worked in reatil I read some research that
showed if someone had bad customer service they told 8 people but if
they had good customer service they told 2 people. A while back when
I was sorting out a problem with the new washing machine Turned out
to be rubbish- had to buy a more expensive model- took over an hour
for the shop staff to sort out collecting the old model with a
customer service helpline that needed to know what the word "service"
meant at the end of it the guy gave me a discount for having to wait
around so long- when I got home I emailed the company and mentioned
the 3 staff involved by name saying "after the experience I had with
your phone helpdesk I would have gone somewhere else") When I next
went in there one of the assistants involved saw me and came up and
thanked me- they were singled out for praise at the staff meeting and
that made them feel good. I can relate,,,today at work as I was
walking through reception one of the receptionists pointed me out to a
patient and he rushed up saying "Are you Lesley?" and I said "Yes"
thinking "What now?" and he said "I'm N (can't mention names) and me
and my partner just want to say thank you for being so helpful all the
time...You're wonderful and we can't thank you enough"

I had a glow on me all day

Lesley

Slave of the Fabulous Furball (But not for very much longer- I've got
to keep control")

"Lesley" wrote in message
...
On Jul 18, 5:519 pm, "jmcquown" wrote:

. He said, "The only thing I ask is that you
call my company and tell them W is doing a good job." And that's what I
did, the minute I got inside. I called and got in touch with his boss
and told her he's doing a great job.

Good on you! When I worked in reatil I read some research that
showed if someone had bad customer service they told 8 people but if
they had good customer service they told 2 people. A while back when
I was sorting out a problem with the new washing machine Turned out
to be rubbish- had to buy a more expensive model- took over an hour
for the shop staff to sort out collecting the old model with a
customer service helpline that needed to know what the word "service"
meant at the end of it the guy gave me a discount for having to wait
around so long- when I got home I emailed the company and mentioned
the 3 staff involved by name saying "after the experience I had with
your phone helpdesk I would have gone somewhere else") When I next
went in there one of the assistants involved saw me and came up and
thanked me- they were singled out for praise at the staff meeting and
that made them feel good. I can relate,,,today at work as I was
walking through reception one of the receptionists pointed me out to a
patient and he rushed up saying "Are you Lesley?" and I said "Yes"
thinking "What now?" and he said "I'm N (can't mention names) and me
and my partner just want to say thank you for being so helpful all the
time...You're wonderful and we can't thank you enough"

I had a glow on me all day

Lesley

***

A few months ago I used the self checkout at a local supermarket. Usually I
have no trouble doing so, but on this particular day, I had one problem
after another, and at least some of the problems were my fault. The market
always has an employee in the vicinity of these machines, both to help when
needed, and to make sure nobody sneaks items out without paying for them.

On this particular day, the woman who was watching had to help me several
times. During all of this, she was pleasant and polite, never even hinting
that I had caused any of the problems. As I got ready to leave, I asked her
name. When I got home, I wrote a letter to the company, praising her for
her help and her attitude, and asking that she be given a copy of the letter
and that a copy be put into her personnel file. I got a response assuring
me that both things were done. That made me feel good.

Joy

"Joy" wrote in message
...
"Lesley" wrote in message
...
On Jul 18, 5:519 pm, "jmcquown" wrote:

. He said, "The only thing I ask is that you
call my company and tell them W is doing a good job." And that's what I
did, the minute I got inside. I called and got in touch with his boss
and told her he's doing a great job.

Good on you! When I worked in reatil I read some research that
showed if someone had bad customer service they told 8 people but if
they had good customer service they told 2 people. A while back when
I was sorting out a problem with the new washing machine Turned out
to be rubbish- had to buy a more expensive model- took over an hour
for the shop staff to sort out collecting the old model with a
customer service helpline that needed to know what the word "service"
meant at the end of it the guy gave me a discount for having to wait
around so long- when I got home I emailed the company and mentioned
the 3 staff involved by name saying "after the experience I had with
your phone helpdesk I would have gone somewhere else") When I next
went in there one of the assistants involved saw me and came up and
thanked me- they were singled out for praise at the staff meeting and
that made them feel good. I can relate,,,today at work as I was
walking through reception one of the receptionists pointed me out to a
patient and he rushed up saying "Are you Lesley?" and I said "Yes"
thinking "What now?" and he said "I'm N (can't mention names) and me
and my partner just want to say thank you for being so helpful all the
time...You're wonderful and we can't thank you enough"

I had a glow on me all day

Lesley

***

A few months ago I used the self checkout at a local supermarket. Usually
I have no trouble doing so, but on this particular day, I had one problem
after another, and at least some of the problems were my fault. The
market always has an employee in the vicinity of these machines, both to
help when needed, and to make sure nobody sneaks items out without paying
for them.

On this particular day, the woman who was watching had to help me several
times. During all of this, she was pleasant and polite, never even
hinting that I had caused any of the problems. As I got ready to leave, I
asked her name. When I got home, I wrote a letter to the company,
praising her for her help and her attitude, and asking that she be given a
copy of the letter and that a copy be put into her personnel file. I got
a response assuring me that both things were done. That made me feel
good.

Joy


It's wonderful to pass on good feedback. It feels good to you and it
certainly doesn't hurt the employee!

Jill

On Jul 19, 3:58*pm, "Joy" wrote:
"Lesley" wrote in message

....
On Jul 18, 5:519 pm, "jmcquown" wrote:

. He said, "The only thing I ask is that you
call my company and tell them W is doing a good job." And that's what I
did, the minute I got inside. I called and got in touch with his boss
and told her he's doing a great job.

* Good on you! *When I worked in reatil I read some research that
showed if someone had bad customer service they told 8 people but if
they had good customer service they told 2 people. *A while back when
I was sorting out a problem with the new washing machine *Turned out
to be rubbish- had to buy a more expensive model- took over an hour
for the shop staff to sort out collecting the old model with a
customer service helpline that needed to know what the word "service"
meant at the end of it the guy gave me a discount for having to wait
around so long- when I got home I emailed the company and mentioned
the 3 staff involved by name saying "after the experience I had with
your phone helpdesk I would have gone somewhere else") *When I next
went in there one of the assistants involved saw me and came up and
thanked me- they were singled out for praise at the staff meeting and
that made them feel good. I can relate,,,today at work as I was
walking through reception one of the receptionists pointed me out to a
patient and he rushed up saying "Are you Lesley?" and I said "Yes"
thinking "What now?" *and he said "I'm N (can't mention names) and me
and my partner just want to say thank you for being so helpful all the
time...You're wonderful and we can't thank you enough"

I had a glow on me all day

Lesley

***

A few months ago I used the self checkout at a local supermarket. *Usually I
have no trouble doing so, but on this particular day, I had one problem
after another, and at least some of the problems were my fault. *The market
always has an employee in the vicinity of these machines, both to help when
needed, and to make sure nobody sneaks items out without paying for them.

On this particular day, the woman who was watching had to help me several
times. *During all of this, she was pleasant and polite, never even hinting
that I had caused any of the problems. *As I got ready to leave, I asked her
name. *When I got home, I wrote a letter to the company, praising her for
her help and her attitude, and asking that she be given a copy of the letter
and that a copy be put into her personnel file. *I got a response assuring
me that both things were done. *That made me feel good.

Joy

When given outstanding service (and sometimes just because I like
someone who is a familiar
face where I shop) I will go directly to the acting manager, wait if
necessary while he/she is fetched,
and lay my satisfaction tace-to-face on manager. I'm not much on
written communication since stamps
are now $.44 no matter what.
I just sail past those "self-service" checkout lanes, as it annoys me
to no end to deal with
the machinery involved, which I would never trust to catch all my
"mark-downs" from that little corner;
the crowds that gather around the uninformed customers requiring
personnel assistance and always
getting well-meaning but equally duh fellow customers;
the bottom line which is it would take me 3 times as long to "self-
service" as I only shop twice a month
and have very large totals and merchandise quantities and
I don't mind at all waiting in line to checkout with a familiar
cashier who after all is being paid by the
store to do their job there, and always honors my fistfuls of discount
coupons.
But to each their own preferences.

"hopitus" wrote in message
...
On Jul 19, 3:58 pm, "Joy" wrote:
"Lesley" wrote in message

...
On Jul 18, 5:519 pm, "jmcquown" wrote:

. He said, "The only thing I ask is that you
call my company and tell them W is doing a good job." And that's what I
did, the minute I got inside. I called and got in touch with his boss
and told her he's doing a great job.

Good on you! When I worked in reatil I read some research that
showed if someone had bad customer service they told 8 people but if
they had good customer service they told 2 people. A while back when
I was sorting out a problem with the new washing machine Turned out
to be rubbish- had to buy a more expensive model- took over an hour
for the shop staff to sort out collecting the old model with a
customer service helpline that needed to know what the word "service"
meant at the end of it the guy gave me a discount for having to wait
around so long- when I got home I emailed the company and mentioned
the 3 staff involved by name saying "after the experience I had with
your phone helpdesk I would have gone somewhere else") When I next
went in there one of the assistants involved saw me and came up and
thanked me- they were singled out for praise at the staff meeting and
that made them feel good. I can relate,,,today at work as I was
walking through reception one of the receptionists pointed me out to a
patient and he rushed up saying "Are you Lesley?" and I said "Yes"
thinking "What now?" and he said "I'm N (can't mention names) and me
and my partner just want to say thank you for being so helpful all the
time...You're wonderful and we can't thank you enough"

I had a glow on me all day

Lesley

***

A few months ago I used the self checkout at a local supermarket. Usually
I
have no trouble doing so, but on this particular day, I had one problem
after another, and at least some of the problems were my fault. The market
always has an employee in the vicinity of these machines, both to help
when
needed, and to make sure nobody sneaks items out without paying for them.

On this particular day, the woman who was watching had to help me several
times. During all of this, she was pleasant and polite, never even hinting
that I had caused any of the problems. As I got ready to leave, I asked
her
name. When I got home, I wrote a letter to the company, praising her for
her help and her attitude, and asking that she be given a copy of the
letter
and that a copy be put into her personnel file. I got a response assuring
me that both things were done. That made me feel good.

Joy

When given outstanding service (and sometimes just because I like
someone who is a familiar
face where I shop) I will go directly to the acting manager, wait if
necessary while he/she is fetched,
and lay my satisfaction tace-to-face on manager. I'm not much on
written communication since stamps
are now $.44 no matter what.
I just sail past those "self-service" checkout lanes, as it annoys me
to no end to deal with
the machinery involved, which I would never trust to catch all my
"mark-downs" from that little corner;
the crowds that gather around the uninformed customers requiring
personnel assistance and always
getting well-meaning but equally duh fellow customers;
the bottom line which is it would take me 3 times as long to "self-
service" as I only shop twice a month
and have very large totals and merchandise quantities and
I don't mind at all waiting in line to checkout with a familiar
cashier who after all is being paid by the
store to do their job there, and always honors my fistfuls of discount
coupons.
But to each their own preferences.

***

My purchases often don't even fill the one tote bag I take in for them, so
checking out doesn't take long. Usually I can manage it without problems,
and I much prefer it to standing in line. As you said, to each their own.

I have found that it is almost always possible to send a letter of
commendation by email, which is what I do. That way, there is (or, at
least, should be) a permanent record of my comments.

Joy