Good call

I will have to tell you all about adventures in the wilds of Massachussetts. But first, a brief interlude:

Recently I proofed a book whose somewhat tongue-in-cheek but perfectly reasonable message was that we just don’t complain right these days. Instead of just getting catharsis from whingeing to our coworkers, acquaintances, and dearly beloveds (a practice that is, to be sure, not without its merits), why not address our complaints to those who can actually resolve them?

And so when my speedily-shipped and otherwise unimpeachable coffee arrived from Intelligentsia in whole bean form, instead of the French press customization (#10!) I had so admired on the website, I griped to the other caffiends in my office. But then I decided to call customer service.

Taking a lesson from the book, I remembered to be nice, since it’s not customer service reps’ fault that you didn’t get what you ordered. Tempering my uncaffeinated-groggy rasp with what I hoped was amiability, I explained my situation and asked if there was anything I could do. There is! replied the friendly guy on the other end of the line (and let’s remember it was not even 9 A.M. in Chicago, full points), and he promptly offered to re-fill my order, saying it would arrive within 2-3 days. All this even though I was unsure whether the espresso I’d also ordered had been shipped beansy or not (I did not realize about the coffee ’til I got to work). As for the beans, well, share them with a friend who’s got a coffee grinder, he suggested.

And so I exhort you to be kind to customer service people, and they will be kind to you. And stop by if you want some coffee; I’ve got plenty. To my amusement, I got the confirmation from UPS that it’s being shipped, of course, ground. Luckily, this proved true in more ways than one.