Friday, September 26, 2008

Kudos

Kudos -or sort of giving a high five, thank you, recognizing something someone has done -seems like a good thing for me to post about today.

Lots of things happen to all of us -all the time -that we probably should give some kind of recognition to whomever is responsible but things happen and we forget, the "thank you" doesn't get given out, or at least not in a timely fashion. Because I tend to be one major procrastinator, I am one who is always behind on giving these where they are due.

So I decided today would be a good day to do that.

Starting with an ad Mandy and I saw in one of the flyers that came with Wednesday's newspaper -for a 13-inch color tv set with a DVD player built in that was on sale at one of the local discount type stores for $80.00! A steal, for sure. Yeah, I know it's not a tv that is going to be up-to-par once the new regulations for tv sets goes into effect next year, but since we don't get reception here in the mountain boondocks of central PA without subscribing to a cable service, that aspect won't affect us. But, having gone to this particular store in the past to try to purchase one of the really good "deals" shown in their ads, we are aware that they rarely carry more than 2 or 3 of these type items then when there is a sale like this. So, yesterday, I told Mandy to call the local store, see if they have it in stock and if not, see if she could locate one at one of the other stores either in State College or Dubois.

The local store in Clearfield was sold out -no big surprise there -but Mandy did find that the State College store had one left in stock and she asked if they would hold it for us until we could get over there -either last night or today. They said "No problem" so we relaxed, had supper and then decided to head over there last night to get this item.

The intent in getting this set is to replace the little tv in my room -that I bought 14 years ago when I was working/living in Baltimore - and which Maya has become addicted to going out to my room at bedtime to lay down, watch her favorite show (Jon & Kate +Eight) or cartoons and she falls asleep there with no hassles. This has now led to where she sleeps with me all night and Mandy's afraid the only way we will ever get her to return upstairs to her own bed, in her room, is if she has a tv set there to lull her off into dreamland. But when Mandy began looking around for a small set, the smallest screen sets she could find were flat screen and 19 inches and all of them were priced starting around $300 which is way, way too rich for our pocketbooks here. So, when we saw this set advertised, it is just ideal in size -plus, having the dvd player feature will work well too for Maya to be able to watch her dvds (which she has a goodly assortment of these things too -mostly Princess or Bratz with an occasional Disney one thrown in here and there).

Well, when we got to the State College store last evening and inquired at the front checkout counter about the set, the clerk and manager were engrossed at that time in calling other stores, tracking down one that still had one of these sets in stock because, as the clerk explained to us -apologizing all over himself in the process too -that due to a mix up by one of the other employees, the set they had put back for us had been sold! And, they had tried and tried to find a phone number for us but since Mandy had given only her first name and the surname, they hadn't been able to locate our number, since there are several people with the same surname in our local phone book and since they didn't have her husband's name, they had no way of determining which number might have been ours.

Well, although we were initially disappointed that the set had been sold, we were also told that they had located a set in a Harrisburg store and the District Manager, who apparently lives in that area was due to come up to the State College store in the near future and would bring the set up then for us -if that would be ok and would be within any time limitations we might have.

On hearing that, I asked if the other store might happen to have two of these sets -which, it turned out that they did -so I said well then have him bring two sets and we will take both units then! I did that because my set in my room is as I mentioned above, 14 years old now and the color is starting to get a bit hinky on it so this would be the ideal time -and price too -for me to get a replacement set now for my room along with the set for Maya's room too!

We had told Maya when we left here that we were going shopping for Grammy's birthday present when actually, this was to be Maya's birthday present but as things look like they are going to turn out, it will be a present for her as well as a present for me too -one for each of us -since our birthdays are a mere 10 days apart and in early October. Can't beat that with a stick now, can ya?

So I'd really like to thank the manager and the clerk at the State College Big Lots Store for going more than the extra mile to locate not just one but two of these tv sets for us and also, thank the District Manager in advance too since it will be up to that person to bring it here for us to pick it up at the State College store in the very near future. That's what I call really great customer service!

Now, in the past couple of weeks, I have received several awards and at the time of their receipt, I postponed putting them on my blog and giving them out to other bloggers as well. That's not a very wise move for me to put off doing anything cause between being queen of procrastination I am also -as noted in my post yesterday -getting really, really senile and as such then I forget not just about giving these awards on to others, but also, who gave them to me in the first place! Bad, bad -very bad -on my part there ya know!

But be that as it may, I'm going to post several awards here that came my way recently and I think only two of these are such that I remember from whence they came. My sincere apologies for being so lax about this and now, forgetful, not knowing who to credit for their origination.

The "Awesome Blogger Friend" award -if I remember correctly -came to me from my good friend and very awesome blogger, Mary of Mary's Writing Nook in Canada.

The "I Love Your Blog" is one that I'm not sure who passed it on to me but whoever it was, trust me when I tell you this (although it may not seem this way) I do really love you for sending it to me!

Now this one above here -I know it came to me from Mary, at Mary's Writing Nook! (Thankfully, it says so right at the bottom of it -I just had to find it in my little blog awards special file and get it posted here.)

I kind of think this award may also have come from Mary too -but I'm not 100% sure about that as its point of origin but I love the flowers and watering can -and I know that Mary loves flowers and has loads of them at her place as well.

Since I think those bloggers on my favorites list are all a pretty darned awesome bunch and every last one of you deserves at least one -if not all of these awards -be my guest and take your pick. Select one, select 'em all! You've all -each of you -earned 'em!

This one though -no doubt about it at all as to who sent this puppy is there? Nope, none whatsoever! And to Suldog, I gotta say I'm always happy to toss a comment or two -or ten or so out your way! Now I know I've mentioned his blog in the past, a time or two, but if you haven't yet stopped by and read his stuff, give yourself a real treat and do that. Yes, do that and don't procrastinate -DO IT NOW! Trust me, you won't regret the visit. A lot of good humor there along with a wide variety of other topics that he posts about too but always very entertaining. And I'll be willing to bet the family farm (if I had a "family farm") that if you go visit Suldog's place, drop a comment there before you leave, that he'll bestow this award on you too!

Now, just one little tidbit here tonight before I head to the kitchen and finish fixing the stuffed peppers we're dining on tonight from Maya.

Yesterday morning, after Mandy got her on the van and off to school, when she came back into the house she informed me that Maya had stated as she got in the van that she wasn't going to talk yesterday -not to Fred, the driver, nor at school. Hmmmn. Wonder what brought that on? I'm thinking maybe the teacher has probably had to remind her on numerous occasions to "zip your lip" -as my son was told on his very first day in kindergarten about 29 years ago this fall. Yep -the apple has not fallen far from the tree in the chatterbox department and the main branch there, as many who know me, know my kids too, would say, it leads directly back to me!

However, after Mandy informed me of what Maya had said, I told her we need to have a little chat then with Maya about this and explain something to her.

You go to Hell for lying, same as stealing! (Yeah, I know my granddaughter just like I know my son and know myself and I KNOW there is no way she would ever survive without her constant talking!)

Oh, and one more thing too -if you -like most everyone around are listening to the news about the big bailout, or reading about it in the newspapers, online, at various blogs, let me direct you here to one particular blogger who I think has posted a great -a really terrific solution actually -to the bailout issue!

Go here and see if you don't agree with her post! Pretty ingenious, I'd say! So thanks to The Anti-Wife for those words of wisdom!

11 comments:

Travis Cody said...

Isn't it nice to come across great customer service like that? It isn't easy to find these days.

Smalltown RN said...

Oh Jeni...you are always so full of stories and life.....the TV's what a find..and yes kudos to the store manager and good for your for acknowledging the extra effort they went to....

Your darling grand daughter...what a joy and challenge.....she certainly keeps you on your toes....

Hope you get your TV's soon and sit back and relax with it....oh and congrats for all of those awards...your are more than derserving....
cheers my friend....

Keith said...

That manager should get the customer service of the year award, because that my friend is definitely cutomer service.

Dianne said...

wow! rarely hear stories about that kind of service. I love that you always acknowledge the positive, that's very much 'you'

which leads to how deserving you are of all your latest awards :)

Mary said...

Jeni,

The "I Love your Blog" award was from me. You are so deserving of all of these. I consider you a dear friend.

I'm sure that Maya talked to Fred not long after she got on the bus. LOL Kids are so cute. I remember when my daughter told me she was running away. I went and got her little bag and told her I would help her pack. She couldn't figure out why I wasn't protesting. Using reverse psychology worked too. She decided she'd stay around.

Take care, my friend. Have a great Sunday.

Blessings,
Mary

terri said...

I am so impressed to hear about such great customer service, and I'm glad to see you posting about it. Customer service is one aspect of my job, and having been at this one for almost 4 years, I know what a great feeling it is to be recognized for a job well done. It seems it's easy for people to complain when they feel they've had bad service, but how often do any of us make it a point to speak up when we've had GOOD service?

Congratulations on all your awards! You definitely deserve them all!

Mima said...

Well done for recognising and actually doing something about such good service. It is rare enough that we get such good service that it should definitely be talked about. I just sat back thinking about this, and asked myself when I had last said thank you or well done when I was given good service, and I have, last week, but I don't do it enough, especially with my carers who are here proving that service every day. So you have inspired me on that one - to make sure that I look after them better! Thank you for that it came at a very appropriate time.

fermicat said...

You got some great service, to be sure. Funny how TVs are all expensive now. For a while, it was not difficult at all to find a very inexpensive TV. That was back when most of them had a picture tube and curved screen!

My cats were very disappointed when we changed our TV and computer monitors to LCD flat screen devices. So warm, but nowhere to park a kitty butt on top...

Paula said...

Great customer service seems really hard to find somedays. Kudos to YOU as well for posting about it.
MMMM....stuffed peppers sound awesome. Going to have to put that on our menu real soon!

Berni said...

Nice that you experienced such good service and that you acknowledged it. Made for good reading.

Wow the ultimate in decadence a TV in the bedroom, or at least in my book!Nice to have that little privacy to watch what you want to.

dr sardonicus said...

You may or may not know this, but Cable TV was born in the Pennsylvania mountain country.