O-R-G-A-N-I-C Spells "Ripoff"
Mood:  incredulous
Now Playing: Consumer Beware!!
Topic: Social Editorial
     After chatting with my father the other night, I feel compelled to write this post. Among other topics of our conversation, my father related his personal observation while at a Grand Rapids-area grocery store in the produce section: He was doing his shopping and observed a female employee stocking lettuce in the regular lettuce section. That bin got full and there were a few heads left. The woman then proceeded to place them in the bin marked for organic lettuce and mark up the price as if they were actually heads of organic lettuce! So, with this in mind, I'll think twice before even considering getting organic produce from ANY store in the future. Buyer Beware!!!!

Door-to-Door Sales-Food for Thought
Mood:  caffeinated
Topic: Social Editorial

  After a visit this morning from a door-to-door solicitor, I've come to the conclusion that the vagrants of El Paso are moving from the street corners and interstate off-ramps to a new venue. Either that or somebody just doesn't have a clue about salesmanship. The dude shows up in shabby clothes, doesn't introduce himself nor the cause he's supposedly raising funds for. Just asks my husband if he wants to buy a pocket calculator for five bucks. When Hubby says "no" he gets pushy and offers some non-descript books instead. Sounds suspicious, since it was only 10 A.M., it's "government check day" and there are LOTS of elderly people who whould not be able to fend off a home invasion living in my neighborhood. BTW, I reported his sorry ass to the authorities as any consciencious citizen should.

 Here's a clue for you 21st century salesmen- the old "don't take no for an answer" thing is passe. Folks these days don't care to be bothered at home (I'll hammer on telemarketers another day). No means "NO." When you hear that word, thank the homeowner for their time, then get the hell out of there. I'm a firm believer in the right to keep and bear arms. You're on my property uninvited when you're soliciting. If you get pushy, BEWARE!

  After years of seeing unsupervised school-age kids peddling in my neighborhoods and having been one conscripted to raise funds for various projects in my schools as a child, I've done some thinking. Does the word: EXPLOITATION mean anything to anybody? People also don't consider the fact that you don't always know the people or their character in any given neighborhood (sex offenders and child molesters often lie about their addresses to the authorities). Any parent worth their salt should readily question a school administration's sanity and motives when one of these sales projects is dumped on children. After all, EVERYONE pays TAXES to fund and support school activities. Where is this money going???

   No matter if you're 12 or 72, if you're selling something door-to-door, identify yourself and your organization before you say anything else. You'd also better be ready to back it up with contact information in case a savvy person like me wants to check. A business card with that information on it would go a long way in my book. Next- don't dress like a vagabond when you do sell door-to-door. That should be obvious, but if you don't have even that level of common sense, you don't belong selling door-to-door. Image has the potential to sell or put off buyers, depending on your appearance. Kids- for Pete's sake, don't go out selling without adult supervision. An adult supervisor present and available to ask complex questions of may actually make me more likely to listen to your pitch, as well as provide visible deterrence to people with "unsavory intentions." If a school's administration isn't prepared to provide this type of support when parents are unable to supervise, they should consider another method of fundraising.

 

Drive-Through Etiquette
Mood:  caffeinated
Topic: Social Editorial

A recent incident my husband encountered at a local restaurant drive-thru reminded me of an editorial I penned a couple years ago and I dug it out of my archives. Enjoy!

After spending more than a half hour in the drive-thru more than once at one particular local fast-food joint, I began thinking about the intent of drive-thru service and the obtuseness of many who use it. The Beauty of drive-thru service at fast-food restaurants is the supposed quickness of receiving your food and getting back to your purpose at hand. Some indiviuals have not grasped this concept.

Customers:

- If you haven't got an idea of what you want by the time you get to the speaker, make up your mind quick. If you have that much time to sit and ponder, you obviously have the time to go inside.

- Fish and many chicken products cannot be pre-cooked. They have to be prepared after the order is placed. If you have time to wait for that, you don't need to be in the drive-thru.

- What kind of ignorant moron doesn't consider the ripple-effect consequences of changing the order after getting to the pickup window? Those who do this definitely don't need to use the drive-thru.

With as much fuel that's being wasted and uneccessary carbon being put into the atmosphere on account of drive-thru stupidity, I'm surprised the eco-activists haven't started picket lines outside of franchises.

Franchise owners/workers:

-This is an English-speaking country. Please have drive-thru clerks who speak and understand intelligible English.

- While we're on the subject of intelligibility; if America has the technology to make speakers with the clarity and quality to break glass with a pure tone, WHY DON'T YOU PEOPLE USE THEM?! Why do we have to put up with a voice on the other end that sounds like the adults on a Charlie Brown special?

- Why do you insist on trapping motorists in your nearly unnavigable mazes built for nothing bigger than a sub-compact car. Make a slip-lane for people to use in case they have to wait because they were dense enough to order fish at the drive-thru or there are technical difficulties inside or the rest of us can go somewhere else where we don't have to wait on the stupid motorists in the front of the line. And while you're at it, make the main lane wide enough for vehicles that everyday people drive.

- Customer service is one thing, but have you considered how much business you could be losing to allowing order changes after pick-up window arrival. Make 'em go inside or come back around! They apparently have enough time to do that.