Tim tells me I’m at my best when I write angry (one of his nicknames for me is ‘Her Vagesty, Queen of Ascerbia’) and I know I can spew vitriol like co-eds spew Jagerbombs, but it doesn’t mean I’m angry all the time. I’m not. I’m a cynical person, yes, but my cynicism is born of hope. I have an inordinate, perhaps unreasonable amount of faith in humanity and when that faith is shaken I get angry.[twocol]

"I'm only working here til my band gets signed"

[/twocol]One of the things I’m not going to miss about shopping for a year, although I’m sure to encounter it  in other stores, is how absolutely awful customer service has become. Used to be an anomaly when you would tell a friend,”I had the rudest salesperson today.” Now you brag when you receive good service. “You’ll never guess what happened to me today! I had great service! Yeah, really! The salesperson actually listened to my concerns and helped me make an informed decision about my purchase. And he/she seemed to like their job and the product they were selling.” So sad that it’s come to this.

I have worked with the public for nearly a quarter of a century, and I believe this makes me an expert on how humans behave in social settings. I have seen things. Things that would make a biker curl up in the fetal position and rock back and forth. Let’s just leave it at that. I will go out of my way for a customer, but I don’t believe they are always right. In fact, if a customer is unreasonable, or just a cheap asshole, I have absolutely no compunction about giving him or her  a verbal bitch-slap. But I always start from a place of respect. I will respect someone until they give me a reason not to. Then, as the kids say, it’s on. Read more