Short Takes: How to do everything better!

Short Take #1: I am at Publix and the person two customers in front of me at the checkout is writing a check for groceries. They wait until the total is presented and then they complete the check. Then they hand over the check and the appropriate picture ID. The cashier punches in some numbers and then has to wait. And I have to wait.

When will grocery stores and other retailers where folks wait in line to pay for their goods eliminate the check as a form of payment. There are so many other ways to pay that checks just don't make sense for anything other than paying bills at home. Maybe I'm in too big of a hurry or maybe I'm not just the only one sick and tired of waiting for check writers to get with the 21st century.

Short Take #2: Last year, we needed to paint the interior of our home so we asked some neighbors about their experiences, gathered some names, got some estimates and made a choice. The painters came in and did their thing and I paid them on the last day as they were walking out. Big mistake. For the next week, I was finding painting mistakes that were big enough for even my wife to agree that my irritation was justified.

Recently, we needed to have the exterior of our house painted. I went through the same process with the neighbors and the bids and all of that. This time, when the painters were finished, I told the foreman that I was going to call the sales person and have him come back to the house to review the job and receive payment. I called the guy and out he came. After all, I still had the money and, consequently, the leverage. We walked around the house and you know what happened? Daniel found way more mistakes that needed to be fixed than I did. You know why? Because he is the expert and he didn't want to look like a chump when I showed a greater interest in the proficiency of the job than him. The crew will be coming back out and touching up a few spots. Not because I asked them to but because the guy that represents the company in front of the customers needs them to!

Short Take #3: I took the mini-van in to the shop for routine maintenance. As you have experienced, routine maintenance at the dealership takes a while. So, I did what a lot of people are doing these days and brought along the laptop to check some e-mail and read the news, etc. This dealership is one of the big Toyota dealerships in Atlanta and they are all the way up to date with free wi-fi, a cafe, a game area for the kids, etc.

Unfortunately, the building is old and there aren't enough outlets for people like me and you to plug in the laptops. I was sitting in a room with three other net surfers and we had our cords stretched all over the place. One inconsiderate chap (okay, it was me) had his cord stretched across the coffee area and people kept tripping over it. I was excited about the free wi-fi but service places need to actually try being a customer so they can see simple problems like a lack of outlets and fix them. If they think stuff like this doesn't matter, they should realize that my memory of the visit had nothing to do with my car!

Short Take #4: Other than Publix, my home away from home is Home Depot. I am there the other day because I bought some edging for my garden but didn't buy enough. So, I bought two more boxes and took them home to finish the job. I tear one box open and pull out the rubber edging. I stretch it out to warm it up in the sun so that it is easier to work with. I drive a couple of stakes into the bottom of it in order to hold it in position.

That's when I notice that this edging is different than the edging I have already installed. Nuts. I check the other box and that is the correct edging. Now, I have to re-box the wrong edging and take it back to HD. And, I can't find my receipt. The edging is stretched out and doesn't want to go back to its original shape so I end up tearing the box to get it back in. The stakes were in a bag but I ripped the bag open so I toss the stakes into the box. I schlep the whole mess to customer service and say, "I bought the wrong edging and would like to return it. I don't have my receipt."

The answer from Home Depot? "Not a problem. We'll have to issue you a store credit instead of a cash refund since you don't have your receipt."

Wow. I took the card she gave me and went over to the garden section and picked out the correct edging. Can't wait to go back tomorrow for something else.