The Heifer at the Blockbuster in Upper Arlington

I rarely rent movies from Blockbuster any more. I mean, who really does? But over the 4th of July weekend, Scott and I were in the mood to watch a couple movies so we rented 3 DVD's from a local Blockbuster store. I'm a little (a lot?) overdue in returning them. Today I made the commitment to just do it. Just get those pesky rented DVD's back to Blockbuster. So I stopped by a Blockbuster location other than the store from which we rented them initially. The young clerk in the Blockbuster in Upper Arlington informed me that the DVD's had to be returned to the store where the initial rental took place. OK. Fine. I just simply commented that such a return policy is probably why people don't really rent movies from places like Blockbuster anymore. I wasn't being rude to her or nasty. I was just pointing out a fact in the era of Netflix. But this young heifer apparently wanted to fuss with me. She retorted in a nasaly, condescending way, "Actually, we do a lot of business." Now keep in mind that when she made this comment, I was the only customer in the store. Also keep in mind that I have PMS and a penchant for sarcasm. So, of course I had to turn my head and look to the left and then turn my head and look to the right in the empty store completely devoid of any customers but me and say to the heifer, "Yes, it looks like you are doing a lot of business."

Really, the snotty young heifer should have just shut up at that point. But no. She wanted to argue. Here is the next part of the conversation:

Heifer: "You don't have to be rude. I was just trying to be nice and explain the return policy."
Me: "That's actually what you are supposed to do because you work in customer service and I am the customer."

Again, really, the snotty young heifer should have just shut up. But nooooooo. She then asked if I have ever worked in customer service. What I should have said was, "My work history is none of your business." But I didn't. I got baited and said that I have actually worked in a number of customer service positions. So then she told me that I must know how I sounded. Maybe, but I also know how she sounded.

A couple of points (that I probably should make to Blockbuster instead of my blog):

#1 It is asinine to tell a customer in a retail setting that the company is doing a lot of business when there is not one single other customer in the entire store.

#2 It is unwise to assume customers are unintelligent/uneducated. The heifers comment about Blockbuster doing a lot of business is especially ridiculous to someone like me who knows that the Blockbuster company posted a staggering decline in revenue in the first quarter of this year.

#3 If you are working in customer service and you have to say to a customer, "I'm just trying to be nice" chances are good you aren't really being nice. If you are, you shouldn't have to point it out. At the point you tell a customer you are just trying to be nice, what you are really doing is being argumentative.

Bad customer service is one thing. You know, it just is what it is. But bad customer service from someone who thinks they are actually providing good customer service can really fire me up. Not to mention I still have those damn movies to return.

Two final points for contemplation:

• Am I the one who is actually the snotty heifer in this scenario? (OK- you don't have to answer that!)
• My God, does anyone have any Midol?? At the point I am this fired up over the clerk in Blockbuster I have totally lost emotional control. Maybe Midol isn't enough. How about Haldol?

Are Republicans Finally Wising Up?

I read on the news today that the percentage of Republicans who think Sarah Palin could be an effective leader (President) is 33%. This number is down from 71% who reported during the last election season that they felt she could be an effective leader. Down from 71% to 33%. I consider that progress. Are the Republicans finally wising up to her idiocy, incompetence, and narcissism? I certainly hope so, because if I have to listen to a bunch of press for the next 3 years actually entertain the idea of Sarah Palin running for President, I think I'll shoot myself.