Angry Chevron Lady
So I went to fill up gas at the Chevron station in Ewa Beach last week Thursday but the credit card slot at the pump I was at wasn't working so I had to go to the cashier to pay for my gas. So I gave the lady my gas card and went back to fill up my tank. I was talking story with my co-workers who were sitting in my car as I was filling up the gas so I guess I got distracted and thinking that I had swiped my card at the machine and put it back in my wallet, I put my gas cap on and drove off, forgetting my card at the cashier's.
The next day I realized my card was gone when I opened my wallet and noticed an empty slot. So I went back to the gas station. At the cashier's position sat an elderly Japanese woman. I couldn't remember if it was the same woman who I gave my card to the day before cuz I wasn't really paying attention the previous day. Anyway, here was how the conversation went:
Me: Do you have my Chevron gas card? I left it here by mistake yesterday.
Her: Yeah, how come you forget you?
Me: Yeah, sorry. I thought I swiped it at the pump and forgot I left my card here.
Her: That's cuz you numb in the head that's why! (not said playfully, but with spite!)
Me: (surprised) Ho, kinda harsh yeah?
Her: Why, if you forget that kind, you not too smaht, yeah? How you can forget that kine stuff? You get ID? I gotta see ID.
Me: I get ID but it won't prove anything cuz it's a company gas card and has my company name on it, not mine.
Her: So you get ID or wat? I no can give you the card without ID.
Me: I can give you my ID but not going match. (I give her my license)
Her: How come no more your name on the card?
Me: It's a company card.
Her: How I know you work for this company? Maybe you like just steal this card, yeah?
Me: (luckily I had a business card on me) Here's my business card. See, the name matches.
Her: Okay, you can have em. No forget next time! Make humbug for me!
Wow. I walked away from that very amused and entertained by the conversation. Lesson to learn...always carry your business card with you!
The next day I realized my card was gone when I opened my wallet and noticed an empty slot. So I went back to the gas station. At the cashier's position sat an elderly Japanese woman. I couldn't remember if it was the same woman who I gave my card to the day before cuz I wasn't really paying attention the previous day. Anyway, here was how the conversation went:
Me: Do you have my Chevron gas card? I left it here by mistake yesterday.
Her: Yeah, how come you forget you?
Me: Yeah, sorry. I thought I swiped it at the pump and forgot I left my card here.
Her: That's cuz you numb in the head that's why! (not said playfully, but with spite!)
Me: (surprised) Ho, kinda harsh yeah?
Her: Why, if you forget that kind, you not too smaht, yeah? How you can forget that kine stuff? You get ID? I gotta see ID.
Me: I get ID but it won't prove anything cuz it's a company gas card and has my company name on it, not mine.
Her: So you get ID or wat? I no can give you the card without ID.
Me: I can give you my ID but not going match. (I give her my license)
Her: How come no more your name on the card?
Me: It's a company card.
Her: How I know you work for this company? Maybe you like just steal this card, yeah?
Me: (luckily I had a business card on me) Here's my business card. See, the name matches.
Her: Okay, you can have em. No forget next time! Make humbug for me!
Wow. I walked away from that very amused and entertained by the conversation. Lesson to learn...always carry your business card with you!
posted by Myong Choi at 9:56 AM
1 Comments:
Wow, heh, this one really resonates with me.
Heh, small island. You know something? Mr. Choi, I think I know who you're talking about. I've had my share of filing up over there as I have two pals who live in the newer apt./development places down there, and my folks rent out an apt. they own down there -- when it wasn't being rented out for awhile, for some reason, I would go used to go there w/a fine li'l number for a little boo . . . heh heh, just kidding . . . just went there to "check out the place, see if nobody break in" as requested by pa'.
I’ve filled gas, bought a Snapple or whatever over there. Can’t really make an opinion based on my experience as I really haven’t had any exchange of words, much less a glance, from her.
My take on this, though, is, wow, send her roses, man and send a Kokua line message! Competent customer service lives!!! Let’s face it, “textbook” logic’ll inform that elderly person, plus card left at an establishment (folks who work at a bar, at least, will tell you that credit cards being left is not a rare occurrence) = feeding grounds for I.D. thieves. Didn’t happen in this case. Sure, company card (and, if it was yours, you’d probably just cancel it anyway; I would) but, I wouldn’t wanna be the reason why the workflow has changed “because of this unfortunate incident, and, so, from now on, we’ll reimburse you for any gas charges you incur. Just fill out form # . . .” heheh.
Heck, the way customer service sometimes goes nowadays (not just talkin' gas stations, not talkin’ about places only on Oahu, but, on the mainland, heck the entire planet) it’s as if you gotta ask some o' these "attendants" "cashiers," whatever, working at certain retail, food establishments if they even know where they before you ask your intended question about the product or food, or service. THAT kind of person, good gosh, I wouldn’t even trust with one of those faux credit cards companies used to send in order to entice you in college, the kinda’ fake card that says “YOUR NAME” on it, heh.
Places like those [oh, here I go, GOING OFF AGAIN, gomen na sai, Mr. Choi] have lost MY money, that’s for sure, and, too bad for them because what purchases they would’ve gained are ending up at a little higher end/specialty places where The Man now goes, where, if least if the workers don’t have the answer to, they’ll tell you they’ll find out, they’ll take your number, ask if you have an e-mail address. And they WILL get back to you. An item not there? No problem, “I can see if I can special order that for you.” You can? Thank you. Lemme give you my money.
Anyway, I digress – if it did need to be outside of your wallet, aren’t you glad the card was in THAT person’s hands, heh?
Sigh. The customer service days of old. The type your grandpappy and grandmammy used to mention, inadvertently, whilst conveying a story of old. Well, maybe that kind of retail treatment is just as important as the old days, no?
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