Customer Service

It's interesting what you encounter when you're being served by others - here are a few stories that aren't necessarily groundbreaking, but true none-the-less:

1. My family rarely ate fast food when I was growing up (partially because we were home cooking small town people with limited options, and in part because I was a picky eater growing up and back then, fast food was not known for being fast when it came to "special" orders like mine - pre "have it your way" phase you could say). This being said, my sister, mom, and I were on our way to meet up with my grandpa and were running a little late, so we stopped at Braums for breakfast. We order through the drive through what typical fast food breakfasts are: sausage biscuits, bacon, egg and cheese biscuits, (or in my case back then) a plain biscuit with jelly because I didn't like eggs. The person in the drive through rings up our order, we drive to the window, pay, and the lady tells us it will be just a minute before our food's ready. Just a minute ended up being 15 minutes, after which the lady pops her head back out and informs us that they "don't have any biscuits" and could we please order something else. Aren't biscuits for breakfast sort of a fast food staple? Needless to say, our quick breakfast stop made us later than if we had eaten at home. ***note: this does not reflect poorly on all Braums restaurants in general - they're a great place to get ice cream and milk and other than the one in Wellington, KS, should not be looked down upon***

2. I've recently been renting movies from the Hollywood Video on Johnson Drive (NOT the Blockbuster next door to it thank you very much - punks wanted to charge me $18 for two movies that were overdue by a couple of days and I refused to pay that much money in late charges so I never went back, even when I could afford it and even though it happened over 5 years ago now; who's counting - can I get an AMEN?!) Anyway, there's this guy that works there that's quite honestly the most zealous movie store worker I've ever encountered (I've had two encounters with him that I can remember). First, this guy says an enthusiastic hello to everyone that walks in (which at first you're thinking, this is kind of a polite surprise). Then, while the customers are browsing through the selection, loud enough for the whole store to hear, he informs his coworker "WE GOT A 'Benchwarmers' IN!" to which she replies in a much more normal speaking level, "uh, thanks for letting me know?" Later, he answers the phone in an "accounts payable Nina speaking, just a moment" meets James Earl Jones as a movie announcer like voice that I didn't know existed in reality. When it comes check-out time, I've seen/heard him go into a 5 minute rivoting account about how much he thinks "In Her Shoes" is a good movie even for a chick flick, which really guys would like too and what's really amazing is that Cameron Diaz is really like 40-years-old but plays a 17-year-old in the movie and how I'm going to love it. I did really like the movie actually, though his Diaz age reference was completely false by the way, because she's at least playing a 28-year-old in the movie - it starts out with her going to her 10 year high school reunion, but whatever. The last time I was there, he proceeded to tell me that he was in a very good mood and that very few things rarely ever keep him from being upbeat and perky, with the exception being a few girls from his past, and perhaps his coworker who he asks to answer the phone as he's ringing my movies up and informing me that if she would just get off the phone with her "boo" she may be able to get some work done. FYI - this guy's maybe 20, white, and an average Johnson county-an I can assume, so why he uses "boo" as if it's common terminology for him, I'll probably never know. Thanks for the memories dude.

3. So, I went to Popeye's chicken, which has fabulous spicy chicken and wonderful cajun mashed potatoes if you're into that sort of thing, which I was this evening. So, I pull up to the drive in and order a number 3 combo with spicy chicken, a Diet Pepsi (no coke products-the main drawback to this place), with my sides of mashed potatoes and corn. This is how the conversation plays out with the lady at the drive thru:
"We no longer serve corn (3 second pause). Green beans, or macaroni and cheese."

(me, thinking that "green beans and mac/cheese" was a question and those were my other choices) "Oh, well I'll have green beans then."

"No. We no longer serve corn, green beans, or macaroni and cheese."

"Oh, I'm sorry - I misunderstood, so what are my other choices for sides then?"

"You only get one side with that combo anyway."

Why she couldn't have told me that from the beginning, I'll never know. Luckily after my 10 minute wait (not so much fast food here either), there was a very kind man working the drive thru who apologized for the wait and sent me on my way. Another favorite part of the experience: the sign that read "No Tax Weekend Special (but you have to pay tax on it)." Oxymoron or just moron? I'm still not sure yet....