A quick catch-up

Re: the luggage. Got it today. Still have not received my personal call from customer service that it's on its way.

Re: the leggings. Wore them. In public. Yeah, me!

It's all in the timing

So Monday I realized that there were several dangling shopping problems that needed an answer around here. My emails about these items had either been ignored or the website had been too "busy" to accept my web form. It was time to take matters literally into my own hands and--egad!--use the telephone.

I know, how old fashioned of me. Well, occasionally technology defeats us and we have to resort to the old ways. And this is how it went:

Problem 1: Tickets for a play the end of Oct. The Romance Readers are going, my card is charged for 9 tickets, and the confirmation email said they'd be mailed in 7 days. That was 21 days ago as of Monday. So I punched the number. Answered promptly. Seems they were just then getting the tickets printed. My name was found, the tickets were confirmed verbally and I was assured they'd be sent out that day and I should get them within the week. Tuesday they arrived.

I guess I should have waited to call, but how can you ever really be sure? It's like getting a computer. You have to jump on the wagon some where. But, I REALLY should have waited on the next call.

Problem 2: We'd placed an order with a company in August for 4 items. Two they were shipping and two were shipped from the vendors. Three items arrived in two packages quite promptly. They were on my credit card bill. No problem. The problem was the fourth item, a piece of luggage which we really want for an upcoming trip. I knew it was back-ordered until mid-Sept. Looked at the calendar. It was mid-Sept. I tried the website, but it was no go. Everyone else must have had it tied up. So I called.

Fifteen minutes of listening to the same voice tell me the same thing over and over and I was looking for things to do. I dared not hang up. Finally, a customer service rep answered. I use that term lightly because no matter how I tried to explain the situation, I was told the article had been shipped the end of August, it was delivered to my post office, I was charged for it (she gave me the amount for one of the other packages), and there wasn't a thing to do about it until 30 days had passed. As there was no arguing with this, I said I'd check with my post office.

Four hours later, I call back, wait another 15 minutes, listen to the same incessant spiel, and get another customer service rep. A real one. One who said she'd check on the problem, because yes, the item was still on order, and get back to me via phone.

Monday evening, I get an email from another part of the company which says the item has shipped from the vendor.

Now any day I expect two things: the item and the phone call from the second customer service rep informing me of the shipment. I think I know which I'll get first.

It takes a village...

... or at least everyone sitting at the airport gate.

But to begin at the beginning:

Saturday morning we're flying out of Love Field to LAX via Southwest Airlines. The Wright Amendment being what it is, we will have to stop along the way (Austin going, El Paso coming back), but we love the ease of Love and we'll be there if we can. So we're sitting at the gate, 'A' boarding passes in hand, watching the people and the staff and occasionally, the activity outdoors. As in, when will our plane get here (it started in Amarillo) and gee, did a piece of luggage just go flying off that baggage cart?

Yes, indeed-y. There, laying in the middle of the tarmac is a red suitcase. I had watched it fly off the back of the second baggage cart as the baggage guy had zoomed out of the building and headed toward the appropriate plane, somewhere in the ether. Another modified go-kart zips by... and he doesn't stop and get it!

Now, I have the attention of the lady standing next to me. We exchange looks and she hustles over to the check-in desk where two employees are chatting. Hearing the situation, one of them says, "I'll get it!" and he scrambles off. Minutes later, we watch him retrieve it, read it, pick up a bit of debris on the tarmac, and hustle off to deliver the bag. Minute later, he's back and someone's vacation has been saved an added layer of frustration.

On second thought, maybe I just ought to write a letter to Southwest and let them know the caliber of their employees (at least one of them) is not overstated.

Business Card 101

We had luggage clean-out last week. It wasn't pretty. When we were packing for Australia and pulling pieces from our version of Fibber McGee's closet, totes, carry-ons, straps, freebies, and old travel items piled up on the floor. I couldn't believe we had accumulated so much--and managed to get it into one closet--until we returned and I stuffed it all back in. Except now, the door wouldn't close.

Guilt took over and I spent one afternoon rummaging through a 25 year collection of travel gear. Large, small, under the seat, in the overhead, wheels, no wheels... whew! It was practically a museum collection. All this activity then culminated with going through the other luggage stash also. (Yes, we have two places to hide oversized and little-used items and I'm not proud of the fact.) This ended with a carload of merchandise going to the secondhand store. That I'm proud of.

But in opening all these pieces, I found a few surprises, some of which I could have done without. Travel size toiletries (really old toothpaste, anyone?), flaking soap, so many hotel shower caps I started throwing them away, multiple packages of travel Kleenex and crumbling breath mints. I also found my old business cards.

I can't say they've evolved into high art (quite the contrary), but my first ones are decidedly different from what I have now. Why I never thought to save examples, I don't know. I have to consider these a gift and a trip into the past.

The first is purple and green and professionally made for the 1997 RWA conference in Orlando. I was a Golden Heart Finalist and I proudly state so on the card. I gave my home address and phone number, something I no longer do, and while it was pretty, it was bit difficult to read.

Number two to surface was plainer and easier on the eyes. I had a publisher (now defunct) by then and their name and logo is on the front as well as the title of my first book. Address and phone number are still there.

By the third example, the address and phone are gone. I have three books published, my publisher has changed names (still became defunct), and I have a website. Plus, these I did myself. With information changing so rapidly, it no longer made sense to invest in a large number.

I think there's another one running around between example three and the current day. I don't know where it is, but I think I spied another pile of tote bags under the guest bed. Maybe I've found my cache.