This alone isn't the “red flag” that signals my aging, for certainly I've got a while to go, but there is something these sites have in common that gets me thinking. I've even found it when subscribing to various Internet entertainment services that deal with music and movie updates. What they have in common is the questionnaire, in particularly a section where you list your likes and dislikes. They usually ask you what are your favorite foods, movies, books, T.V. shows and such. Well, after 50 years I have many favorites. There are just too many to remember, let alone list. Favorite foods? I'm on a seafood diet. I see food, I'll eat it! You can't ask me my favorite stuff and expect me to remember them all, nor list the top 5 or 10 on as many lines. The alternative to this is just as bad.
Thus, the “Red Flag”. It used to be that it would be easier to ask me the opposite as “What are your dislikes?” and I'd have to think a few minutes to fill just a few of the entry lines. Now my dislikes are maybe as many as my likes. To further confirm the “flag” is what some of these dislikes are. I remind you that up to now, I've worked in retail grocery and department store business my entire life, and so I've had a great deal of time to observe, and if I step on a few toes, just remember it's not you I'm talking about. These are just a few.
The Dummy Behind The Cash Register
I'm sure you've had your experiences with "em. I remind you, I"ve worked retail grocery and department store business my entire life. I've seen a lot of it. What is wrong with these people? I realized they are trained to abide by company policies (and they do a mighty find job of it, one key punch a time), but these people are like horses on a racetrack wearing blinders. They do their jobs one step at a time with no deviation or improvisation regardless of the needs. Therefore, it takes only one customer to back up the whole process to the extent that the cashier becomes frazzled, while you the consumer who ultimately pays her check, must patiently wait as she sorts it all out.
An extreme instance of this happened to me once when I walked to a convenience store late at night, in freezing temperatures, to get some gas in a gas can. I paid the cashier the $2.00 (Another flag. I remember when $2.00 would buy allot!) and was told I had to wait for the person before me, who at that moment was parked next to the pump, getting out her car to pump her gas. “No Duh.” I thought.
At the pumps the lady was having difficulty opening the access panel to the filler pipe on the side of her car. It would not open.
“Could you help me?” she asked.
“Sure.” I replied, and tried everything. It had one of those releases inside the glove compartment, and another beneath the seat, but no key lock. It would not release and open! Apparently, the cold weather had “frozen” the latch on the outside panel.
“Only thing to do is pry it open.” I said.
“Oh no” she started, “it's brand new …”
“I agree.” I said. There's no need to damage it. It was not an emergency situation. She had a quarter tank of gas and not far to go. The next morning sunshine would prevail, free the latch, and she could take it to have it adjusted. She went inside to refund her gas purchase while I got my $2.00 worth in the can. That was a mistake.
Walking away, gas can in hand with $2.00 worth of gas; a voice comes over the outside intercom …
“Hey you! Wait! Come back!” the voice said. “Huh?” I thought, “What now?” So I went inside, of course leaving the gas can outside, and asked …
“What's wrong?”
“You got her gas.” The cashier said.
“Now wait a minute,” I said, “Did I not pay you for $2.00?”
“Yes,” she said “but you got her gas!”
“How so? I paid $2.00 and got $2.00, and this lady was just refunded the $10.00 she previously purchased but didn't get.”
“Yes but you got …” she started.
