Number one I work in a restaurant so this ain't my first rodeo. When ordering specifically told Hop Sing I was at work with no utensils so be sure to send me some and please don't forget lots of soy sauce. "No problem!" was his cheery reply. The guy seemed really nice but after he told me my total I went ahead and reminded him one more time that I needed a fork, AND a spoon for my soup AND don't forget that yummy soy sauce!
I was all excited...with my coupon I was getting a salad, soup, chicken and shrimp with vegetables and steamed rice. Thirty minutes later a young girl came in the store wearing a server uniform, name tag and apron, toting a huge paper sack containing my treats! Guess if your section isn't full in that restaurant you get to deliver take out. They had already tagged on a delivery charge but I gave her a couple of extra bucks. She was young (everyone is compared to me) and friendly, told me it was all there and hoped I enjoyed it. The bag was stapled shut so I sat it on the counter and ripped the bag open ready to devour some food. First styrofoam container had my salad in it. I was a little disappointed, it was nothing but lettuce but at least they gave me two small cups of that yummy ginger dressing. I sat it to the side and got out my soup. I know it's just broth with spring onions and paper thin sliced mushrooms but I like it! My chicken and shrimp with rice was still in the bag but wanted to eat my soup and salad first. I couldn't find the utensils or soy sauce so figured they must have gone into the bag first and took out the plastic dish with my entree. All that was under it was a piece of cardboard. I was ROYALLY ticked...and starving. Naturally the young girl who delivered it was long gone. They could have at least sent me chop sticks.
I called the restaurant back and Hop Sing answered. It told him they had delivered my food with no napkins, utensils or my yummy soy sauce. He asked if I was sure? I said yes, unless there was some secret compartment underneath the card board bottom and quickly checked just to make sure.
There was no secret compartment.
He apologized and said as soon as she got back he would send me some. She got back twenty minutes later while I stared at the food wondering if I should just eat it with my hands, I was starving. I almost asked for my two bucks back but since I'm a server, bit my tongue. She handed me a small packet and apologized saying they had told her everything was in the bag.
So now I had to nuke my soup but by this point could have eaten it cold. My lots of yummy soy sauce turned out to be one tiny pack but at least I had something to eat with.
Note to self: Never order from this place again. I ate the lettuce and the soup and a portion of the chicken and shrimp doused with my 1/2 ounce of yummy soy sauce. I thought about chewing on the card board in the bottom of the bag but didn't have any soy sauce left to dip it in.
The day got worse as the day went on. They dock me thirty minutes for lunch so I always climb on my favorite thirteen hundred dollar mattress and read for thirty minutes when no one is in the store.
Enter crazy lady.
She walked in with her bag from the Dollar Tree next door in her hand and climbed on the mattress beside me as I went to get up. She said "I like this one, how much is it?" I told her with box springs it was $1299. She said "I'll take it."
I got kinda pumped but thought it was kinda weird. She said she needed pillows too and wanted to know how much our foam pillows were? I told her and she said she wanted two. I went to work her up a quote while she wandered to the back of the store. She hollered at me to add on the chest of drawers and dresser she was standing by, and to throw in a mattress protector.
You shouldn't prejudge people so I didn't, thinking maybe I just got lucky and some eccentric woman with money to burn hated shopping around and wanted what she wanted.
When I asked her how she wanted to pay she pointed to the "No credit check" financing sign.
That's okay too, I'm down with that.
She pulled out her drivers license and asked what else I needed? I told her she needed her latest pay stub and a thirty day detailed bank statement.
(Crazy Lady): "Well I clean houses for a living." That didn't bother me, plenty of people do that, it's good money and actually wish they would come clean mine. I told her if she was self employed she would need three months worth of bank statements.
Then she said without batting an eye, I just opened an account two weeks ago at that bank they have in Wal Mart. I asked if she had a previous account somewhere to which she replied, No.
This wasn't going well at all.
Then she said out of the blue, "Well I'll go by there and see if they can give me a sixty day statement." She had said two minutes earlier the account was opened two weeks ago and my head started to throb. I didn't even bother to remind her I'd said she needed a ninety day bank statement.
Then she said "Guess how old I am?" I almost said "Old enough to know better?"
In my defense, there HAVE had people just walk in and point out something and pay for it off the bat so you always need to take customers seriously but by this point knew I was just letting a woman window shop and dream.
I did the right thing though, worked her up a quote and told her to bring back all the required documents.
Maybe I'll see her again and maybe I won't.
Then I had a couple of people come in who were serious about buying, worked them up quotes too, gave them my card and told them to come back to see me. I didn't tell them tomorrow was my last day. I'm a team player and still want to help the company.
Enter crazy man.
Yes he was nice. No he wasn't ready to purchase, and yes will probably come back to purchase but the guy could talk the ears off an African Elephant. I can now tell you all about his parents, his lineage and how his dad wanted to marry a Korean gal when he fought in the war but never did. His dad died but his mom still has the letters he wrote his Korean girlfriend. He used to work out but he just let himself go about ten years ago. His son is super smart and will probably get a scholarship, at least they are hoping so. He went on and on and on. He told me about how he wanted to travel one day, maybe to explore his roots, his family was originally from Ireland. After one hour I moved from behind my desk and started to walk to the back to get another cup of ice out of my little ice chest to add to my now Luke warm water...he followed me back.
Finally my son, Zach walked into the store as the man's cell phone rang and God smiled on me when he said he needed to take the call but would come back to see me.
It was just a crazy day.
So tomorrow is my last day. I'm sad in a way. It's been nice taking a break from the grueling life of being a server day after day after day.
Hope I go in tomorrow and have my biggest day yet. That would be a good way to go out and a good way to hold my spot when they open another furniture store here.
Tim just got home and is heating up the Chinese leftovers. Hope he doesn't want any yummy soy sauce.
Til next time...COTTON
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