|
The truth is as funny as fiction
I received an email from Ed Isacco, our skiing buddy, and he mentioned
our upcoming trip to Big White in February. In closing he wrote:
"See you in a few months, don't forget to get your skis sharpened,
probably at that little combination gas station/sport/hardware/Co-op/Piggly Wiggly store in downtown Sulphur Springs
from the same guy that files the horses' hooves."
Don't laugh (it only encourages him).
As Vince Albini would say - "The truth is funnier than fiction". I recently
went to a music shop (Joy's Music) to get some gear. I had previously noticed the music shop was in a small strip
mall, downtown, with a barbershop on one side, a pet shop on the other and a nail salon next to the pet shop.
Julie and I drove there and the only doors in the strip that were not obstructed
were the barber shop and the nail salon. I entered the barber shop and was greeted by a female barber completing a haircut
on a little boy. Turned out she was Joy.
The barbershop led, from the inside, into a large music shop which in turn
led to the pet shop. They were all hers. She runs all three businesses by herself. The only business in the strip that
she did not run was the nail salon.
The music shop was dusty, as if it had not been entered in several years. She had an amazing inventory of probably
75 guitars and basses, guitar cases, hamonicas, drum sets, sheet music and much more than I can remember.
I asked for a gig bag for my bass. She took one off the shelf and pounded the dust off the plastic protective cover.
It was perfect and the price was half of what it would have cost me in the big city.
Running under foot were several chihuaha puppies. Of course she had to ask if
we were interested in buying one.
Lack of Imagination?
Is it lack of imagination or just that people in Texas pay more attention to important issues? Important
issues like family - they actually all sit together for dinner and pray. Like work - $14.00/hour is considered a high wage,
yet the pride of workmanship would make you think they were getting California union wages. Like their promises - their
word is a contract.
That might be the reason why they don't want to waste unnecessary time in naming their towns and cities. North
of us is Paris (n'est pas le France). In Northeast Texas we also have Athens, Atlanta, Pittsburg, Old London, Harvard,
Omaha, and, best of all, Boston, Old Boston and New Boston.
Should the residents of Paris (Texas) be referred to as Paris-ites?
A few miles East of us is Mount Pleasant, but, I still can't find Mayberry (I'm dating myself).
Texas Department of Transportation
The Texas Department of Transportation handles vehicle registrations. Julie and I walked into their office and
there were no customers ahead of us. We paid our fees, received our plates and tags for the three vehicles (Mini Cooper,
pickup and fifth wheel) and were out of the office in about 20 minutes.
It took that long because the pleasant lady helping us engaged us in a long conversation.
Texas Department of Public Safety
The Texas Department of Public Safety (also their Highway Patrol) handles drivers licenses. Julie and I submitted
our applications on two different occasions (see Social Security Administration story).
Each time we visited the DPS we did not stand in line. We went straight to the counter and, each time, the licensing
process took less than five minutes.
Oh, how Julie and I miss the California DMV...
Customer Service
For the current generation, especially in the metropolis, customer service is illustrated by, for example, waiting
on the telephone as you listen to an automated series of options. I recently remember testing the system by yelling
"representative" or "agent" into the telephone or agressively pressing the zero, hoping to overide the system and maybe getting
a live person on the phone.
When I was a kid (long time ago) my dad would pull into a service station and the staff was quickly around the vehicle,
one pumping gas, one washing the windshield and checking the oil and another one checking the air in the tires. For
a minimum fill-up (8 gallons) they usually handed my Mom a dish or a tumbler to complete the complimentary set she was collecting
from previous visits to the service station.
Those days are gone... well maybe not in the South. Although service stations are all self service, the local grocery
stores carry out the bags for every customer at the store. When you telephone a local business, you always get a real
person on the telephone. When we walk into the bank, the bank president steps out of his office to greet you and offer
you some homemade ice cream. When you enter a local business, they always give you personal service (like you now only get
at Nordstrom's in the cities).
There are always more service personnel behind the counters than there are customers and when I visit the local hardware
store, as I do often, I am always greeted at the door by a clerk that helps me pick out every nut, bolt, gate hanger, washer,
etc., that I need. If they don't have the item they direct me to another hardware store that has it.
Women from Dallas come to Sulphur Springs to get their hair and nails done.
Customer service is alive and well...in some parts of America.
|
