Random 5 for October 23 – Customer service, banks, commercials, schedules, disability

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Source: Farmers Insurance

Puts a smile on my face – Political commercials make me nuts. All of them. We record programs so we can skip the commercials. If watching live, we mute them except for the Farmers Insurance dog commercials. Watching the Mer-Mutts do synchronized swimming in a flooded house always makes me laugh. Give me a good animal commercial any day.

When did that happen? – One of my banks was merged/bought-out/taken over by another bank. When that happens something always goes wrong and I need to go in to the branch. They closed my favorite branch with the easy parking and access. In looking at the locations I noticed that they are open 10 to 3. Several years ago the made the hours “customer friendly.” There were evening hours and Saturdays too. I guess that all went away!

Woo Nellie! – I was making the beloved husband a sandwich and noticed that the lunch meat package said Nova Flakes at $18 per pound. He doesn’t eat that. I checked the contents and it was his usual roast beef which is less than half that price. You really need to check everything. The deli person punched in the wrong number. He went back to get the difference refunded but I was disappointed that the deli didn’t refund his whole cost. They made a mistake that required him to drive back. Customer friendly? I think not.

Kicking it up a notch – In retirement I don’t need to hurry. I can do things at my leisure. I try not to schedule more than one or two things a day. I don’t remember how I did so much more before. Enter one loved relative with a broken bone and it all comes back. Suddenly I found myself multi-tasking, scheduling and planning. Just like in the old days. This old girl can still do it, even if I’m reluctant.

Speaking of which – This past week I have learned a lot about mobility issues and solutions to them. My sis-in-law cannot move around easily so we are trying some things, making it up as we go. There are some really cool solutions out there that weren’t available when my mother was ill.

So how was your week?

 

 

49 thoughts on “Random 5 for October 23 – Customer service, banks, commercials, schedules, disability”

  1. Presidential candidates do very little advertising in California We have almost no commercials, really, so that when one appears, I watch fascinated. A steady diet would be terrible. I’ve only been retired about five months and I have been so glad to slow it all down a bit! I can kick it up a notch, too, if I have to, but the days I don’t, are fabulous! I hope your sister-in-law continues in steady improvement!

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  2. Platico commercials give me heartburn, so I also avoid them like the plague. I bought three small pumpkins and was charged $24.56, I brought it to the cashiers attention, and she said whoops and changed it to $2.56. Woops indeed. Every day brings its challenges – I find the best way to survive them is to sit in a good chair and read a good book.

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  3. Best commercial ever. Molly gives it a 2 paws up …especially as she is sure she is related to that happy dog in the center of it all.
    Hope your community is friendly to those who aren’t easily mobile. You never realize the obstacles until trying to assist/move someone around or help them get things done. There do seem to be a lot more “helps” available than there used to be. Hope it’s going smoothly

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  4. Squeals with piggy excitement. That is one of our favorite commercials here at the Hotel Thompson – merdogs. We have to watch it every single time which drives dad crazy sometimes – don’t worry it’s a short trip for him. We understand about disability situations that need help. Dad being blind, we are always coming up with something new for him to ‘feel’ like he is still whole and being able to do things. It’s a constant battle for sure. Happy Monday! XOXO – Bacon

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  5. It might be time to find a new bank. I know what you mean about sliding right back into being a multi-tasker when necessary. Am planning lots of things around the house, and suddenly I’m busy again. I’ve got notes, and appointments, and a renewed sense of vigor… and exhaustion. Oh yes, I remember this life…

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  7. Love the Farmer’s Mer-Mutts. Wonder if they ever studied under Esther Williams? 10 to 3? Got it, those must be new bankers hours! Customer inconvenience is more like it. Just look at how they state “Your call is very important to us” then they make you wait for fifteen hours while they try to locate a real person to talk to you. Probably due to cutbacks. I fear mobility issues are only a matter of time for us too.

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  8. We both live in battleground states (PA and FL), and we’re receiving more than our share of political commercials on TV. Like you guys we thankfully record all of our shows. In fact, I can’t think of anything we watch live — I even record the nightly network news, which might be the dictionary definition of nerdy.

    I never saw that commercial – funny! My wife is counting the days till she gets to have cats again, but I will forever be a dog man. Somehow, someway, someday, I’m going to get us a puppy in addition to those cats. 😉

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  10. Thanks for the laugh. I live an almost commercial free life, but sometimes I actually go in search of them online – the Cannes Lion winners are always great to watch.
    (And your bank story is yet another example of what I just posted about . . .)

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  11. Banks… yuck. That’s why we use a credit union. They aren’t perfect, but they have much better focus on customer service.

    The deli person should have given you a full refund for their mistake and your inconvenience. Unfortunately, store managers don’t often empower the workers who actually interact with the customers (the smart ones do).

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    • My husband did it at the customer service counter. He should have explained what happened and what he wanted them to do. He didn’t expect a full refund so he didn’t get one. You don’t have to be nasty but I think a gentle nudge would have worked because had he returned it, they would have thrown it out.

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  12. What a funny video. A dog always puts a smile on my face…and a cat, but there’s something about when a doggie waggles over to say, how do ya do, as if he knows you. “Hey, like where ya been?”

    Banks. My Italian granny always kept money under her mattress…we called it the Italian Bank Account. You just never know, she’d say, when your bank will just leave town, or your husband for that matter. But Gram, I’d say, you’ve been married to Grampa for over 60 years. You just never know Susilina….you just never know.

    As far as checking everything. You said it sister. I find more mistakes on charges, or when someone, like Amazon, is supposed to credit your account and doesn’t. One needs to be vigilant even though it’s a pain in the ass.

    BIRRRRRRRRR….said the New Yorker. 🙂

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  14. I so enjoy the Mer-Mutts commercial! Even my hubs watched it once and snickered. Also enjoy the stag party. And, hubs won’t watch anything other than PBS and only during weeknight dinner. He’s fascinated with Antiques Roadshow.
    My daughter just got rid of her bank safe deposit box because she couldn’t access it. She found the bank doors chained shut with no notice that she could actually enter the bank on the other side of the building. She had to call them to find that out. I switched banks a couple of years ago because we actually do have a bank in the next town that is accessible and when you walk in they say, Hi, Eileen, how are you?
    Bless you for helping out your relative!

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  15. When we lived in the Chicago area, years ago, our bank made a small mistake with our account. I went in to have them fix it. No problem. Later that day a gorgeous edible bouquet arrived at our house, thanks to the bank. I wonder if they would still have service like that! It would never happen here in Canada.

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    • It wouldn’t happen here either. The cs rep I talked to on the phone insisted it was the error was not theirs although there is no way a store would have pulled a payment without banking information.

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  16. I haven’t gone inside my bank to transact finances more than once or twice a year. Everything else I do online. I learned a lot about handicapped conditions when my husband had to use a wheelchair for a while. Some spots are very considerate to persons with disabilities and some definitely are not! Hoping your sister heals quickly!

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  18. The Mer-Mutts are hilarious. I’ve stopped fast forwarding just to watch them.

    The first bank I chose when I moved here has been absorbed 4 times. I picked it because the checks were free. Now it’s Chase bank, which at least is convenient, though the checks are $$$. I hate that I have to renew a stop-payment on a lost check every year — that’s the one fee that sends me through the roof.

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    • They have a “stag party” commercial too that I love. We have a community bank which advertises that it doesn’t intend to sell out. I have an account there too. I have been reluctant to switch my larger banking needs because their on-line banking wasn’t as convenient. Recently they upgraded so I am going to revisit that. I always like to have two different bank accounts but the eternal name changes and web changes are doing me in.

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  19. So with you on your first Random. If I had a choice there would be no TV in the house. I also plan one thing a day, it is all my befuddled brain and emotions can handle with the decision of moving weighing on me. I can’t remember the last time I have been in one of our bank branches. We do everything on line. I can see why you are giving mobility issues and downsizing big consideration. I hope your sis-in-law recovers completely and quickly.

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    • I hear you on the “move” decision. We need to replace the stairway carpet. I have an oriental design on it now that is perfect with the rest of the room (and I would consider replacing with the same thing) but I’m going with a neutral for resale. The bottom step is worn bare so it must be replaced.

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  20. I hate (is there a stronger word to use?) the political commercials. As if there aren’t enough negative things in our lives, we have to listen to people we don’t know, probably never will know bash each other on a constant basis! And with all their negativity I have very little confidence that they could make my life better if I vote for them. Thank goodness for the mute button.

    Hope Betty will be pain free soon.

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  21. We love watching shows on PBS . . . no commercials. Yesterday we watched “Oregon Revealed” ~ a fly over of the state set to music with short captions to identify locations. No talking or squawking. BLISS!

    Now that so many people have access to on-line bank and remote deposit and ATM’s, banks are open far fewer hours.

    Good luck getting your SIL back on her feet.

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    • We occasionally watch PBS but the major and cable networks have shows we enjoy. Not a lot but a few. As for the bank, they made the mistake but in order to reverse it, I had to sign in person with ID at a branch. My thought that it was THEIR mistake so they should have sent someone to my house or allowed me to sign and scan on-line.

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