Dollarstoday.com

I’m having lunch with Aunt Michele!

   Send article as PDF   

Yesterday I went to my local Office Depot in Rosemont, Illinois to mail an envelope. Normally I would never mention the business by name but I believe that the Einsteins over there deserve a big shout out because they rate a 10 on the stupidity scale. I went over to the copy center and told the gentleman behind the counter that I would like to send my envelope First Class Mail via the United States Postal Service. I thought that was a very simple request. What I didn’t realize at the time was this would turn into a half hour ordeal and I would leave without mailing the envelope!

Here is a picture of the offending envelope:

Let me start out by telling you guys that this is not the first time that I have mailed this type of envelope at this location. The associate turns his computer around and asks me to fill in the shipping information. OK that was simple enough He then proceeds to measure the envelope and spends the next ten minutes clicking around his little program trying to find the proper postage rate to charge me. I ask he nicely to call the manager because he has shipped this type of envelope for me before.

The next thing I know the associate decides that I am personally attacking him because I requested help from the manager. I knew for a fact this associate was a new employee. This Office Depot had the same woman working in this department for over four years. The last time I spoke to her it was her last day at work because she was opening a dog grooming business. Mr. personality goes all smart a#$ on me and sarcastically calls his manager for help with a difficult customer. He then proceeds to turn his back and blatantly talk about me to another associate. I told the guy if I wanted to fight today I would stay home with my roommate and do so. To make things worse I was on the phone with my best friend through this whole episode. Debbie had me laughing so hard I almost wet myself. She kept saying that I’d better go home and start the day over again.

The nice professional manager came over and tried to put the postage order through and it wouldn’t work for him either. He blamed it on their computer system. I told him he may want to contact his tech support department to let them know about the software glitch. I know someone else will eventually want to mail an envelope there. So I ask him could I just buy some loose stamps?  He replies “OK that’s not a problem.” I ask him to weigh the envelope and he says 1.7 ounces. I then ask how much postage should I attach to the envelope. He replies “I don’t know!” This is the manager folks. I then bust out laughing…. At this point it was all I can do. Don’t you have a postage chart to refer to? No everything is in the computer mam. Again I know they have a chart because I’ve personally watched other associates refer to it right  in front of me. So I thank the manager for trying to help and leave the store with my envelope.

I will be forty-nine years old this August. What terrifies me about experience that these are the type of people who will be taking care of me when I get old. No common sense what so ever! Have our children been dummed down? Who should we blame?  The school system, teachers or the parents themselves. I know when I was young I can remember my Grandmother sitting at the kitchen table helping me learn my times tables. These young people can’t do basic math without using a calculator. God forbid you give one of them an extra penny so you can get a dollar bill back. It’s just precious to watch the look of utter terror cross over their face because they didn’t key in the penny. Am I the only one that feels this way? Well I’ve got to go now because the post office will be opening in a half hour. But before I go, I think I will read this story I found on Yahoo this morning. It’s about two teenage girls who fell asleep while sunbathing in the middle of a road. Do I need to tell you all what happened next? I will leave you with this parting thought: Where has common sense gone in America?

   Send article as PDF