i realized that Customer service is dead after dropping $150 on a pair what i originally thought was an expensive pair of sandals.  they are mephisto and didn’t come without a price to pay. the first month i wore them i got them wet, the cork shrunk so i returned them to mephisto only to be told that they hadn’t shrunk???? my toes are Now hanging out over the sandal because the cork shrunk. i have only worn them for 2 months and they are already looking worn, the rubber on the sole is coming off in threads. it’s The Last pair of mephisto i will ever buy.

today, i had to fill my ORCA card @ the local office here in Seattle & was greeted with smarmy, rude attitude by the woman on the otherside of the counter who asked me if i was “hanging out” @ their office. Excuse me but i am not homeless & don’t hang out in the local office-i do have better things to do. i made a complaint because if you don’t have the skills to do customer service you should do something else. she also doubted the money i gave her was correct & spread out the bills to make sure? i was actually kind of happy that i had given her all all One Dollar bills-i almost wish i had bought a ORCA pass with all One dollar bills just to Piss her off.

i am taking a trip in a few weeks & am hoping that the airline i am flying with still has what i recall is Awesome customer service; because i will be disappointed if they don’t. i don’t know WHY customer service has gotten so sour but i am beginning to think that it is the economy. with the unemployment rate in the double digits around the country it doesn’t surprise me that business are seeing a slower rate of customers. i think however that it’s sad that the few people that are still doing customer related jobs have little or no skill to do so.

i have done customer service jobs & think that if you can’t interact with people in a good manner even under stress you are in the wrong field.  what i learned @ the mermaid was that i was expected to act like i was dumb-when you speak 3 languages acting dumb is not something i am good @.  i think it’s sad that the economy is barely getting its legs back, but i think for the companies out there that still need to make the bottom line every month-they should take stock on how their own image is coming across in an environment where people want to be treated with respect & decency.