Saturday, October 4, 2008

Rum is worth the drive over a phone call

So my adventures the past couple weeks culminated with a harried Friday. What should have been a celebratory rum-thirty ended up being a frustrating one needing a drink before it started. I left you with my calling the ABC store nearest my house to inquire about the price and availability of Whaler's Vanille Rum. This store is less than a mile round trip from me. A mere mile-ish, gas sipping ROUND TRIP. The other stores are a few miles away at best for the next closest. Total Wine is 7 miles from my house, and I venture near another ABC store to get to Total Wine.

The call to ABC:
Answered with store name, and employee name.
I asked if they had the rum in stock (it isn't always available at this location) and how much it was.
"Hey! We got any Wader's rum over there?"
"No, Whaler's W-H-A-L-E-R-S" (I realize my half yankee tendencies aren't always heard correctly by those not exposed to yankees much. It's been a long day, my diction may have been lacking. It won't be the first or last time)
"Oh that, yea we got that"
"How much is it?"
"round about $10.99 or so"
I thanked them and hung up to call the competitor.

The Total Wine call:
"Thank you for calling Total Wine, this is ___ ... " (I sadly misplaced the rest of the greeting in my mental files. I've got a massive headache- probably due to my Beast's discobobulation of plumbing that contributed to dehydration)
My request for information also included the store hours because it's 7 miles away and required time to get there before closing.
She told me the time they closed and then I asked about my requested product.
::keystrokes:: "As of this morning we had eleven bottles, but I can't accurately say how many we've sold today."
I asked the price.
"It's $10.79 ma'am."
I thanked her and hung up. I then drove fourteen miles round trip for what I wanted. I then went to the ABC website and let them know their associate's lack of phone etiquette sent me to their competitor. The price was comparable. It was the principle of it, and due to the headache I didn't dare crack open the rum. I'd rather avoid the pitfalls of drinking while dehydrated. If I'm going to have a hangover, it better be worth it. The time and gas spent to get the rum was worth it for customer service that was worth a damn.

3 comments:

Persnickety Ticker said...

If you get discount coupons for your complaint emails....you should share. Cuz friends share. And I'm a friend. And I need a cocktail and a babysitter right about now. I'd share.

Now that I am thinking about it...we have never gone out and partied together. We should. We really, really should. Well, other than that Irish pub, but that didn't count. Cuz I say it doesn't. (Even though I had a good time. Just making my point that it needs to happen again.)

Ramble over. See how much I need that drink?

tinkguy said...

Leeshunhere, thish think aboht cushtomerr therfish-- wahsh id anuff ta jusht go thomwharr elsh? Didchya thimk of goin' ta duh [hic] crutty store an' sthowin yer reseet ffffru-[urp]-from duh gud shtore? Maybe ya'll getchyer picture on their bad shtore wall. They'll be a-keepin' thar eye-out fer youse then. Gahr-un-teed. Pull me anotha Guinnessh, now, wonnchya?

** miss shannon ** said...

Awwwww... my little rum runner... another prohibition and you'll be in business ;)