Trick or treat

Trick or treat?

I placed an online order with a Big Box electronics retailer for in-store pickup of two CDs. The e-mail notifying me that my items were ready to be picked up included an eye-catching guarantee. I would receive my order within a minute of giving the clerk the e-mail printout or get ten dollars knocked off my purchase. This sounded like a nice marketing gimmick, but come on, there's no way they instituted this policy if there was a decent chance of them returning ten bucks to customers.

But who knows what mischief ghouls and goblins might be up to on Halloween? Why, my order was nowhere to be found at the in-store pickup station! It only took a few minutes for someone in the warehouse to run it up to the front of the store, but that guarantee is for sixty seconds, bub! I asked about it, but the clerk said that the computer didn't indicate I qualified. (Conveniently, he didn't start the clock until he swiped my card through the machine, which was also after he had located my order.) He told me to call the toll-free customer service line if I wanted to check into it.

I did, I did. The customer service representative told me that I should have been given ten dollars off; however, the matter had to be handled at the store. I returned to the point of purchase a few hours later armed with my explanation of the situation and prepared to stand my ground. I was shocked that I faced no resistance and was handed a well-worn ten dollar bill.

Two new CDs for $5.99 and, more importantly, a victory with customer service...

Judgment: TREAT

I got a flu shot at the campus health center. I had received one for free every year while employed there...until last year. They reversed course and offered them at no cost again this year.

Judgment: TREAT

I arrived home to find a package sitting on my doorstep. I wasn't expecting anything, although awards season screener DVDs have started to show up already. Ooh, what goodness did today bring? The mailing label indicated that the box came from the studio's home video division. I didn't recall requesting anything, and even when I do, I rarely get it. How exciting to get something unsolicited. Inside was an advance copy of the commercial DVD for I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry. They've got another thing coming if they think I'm watching that again.

Judgment: TRICK

I went to knit night at a LYS again. It was anticipated that fewer people would be in attendance since Beggar's Night actually coincided with Halloween, but not counting the owner, there was only one other person in the shop when I entered. She was there for a lesson and was taken to another room. Two more women showed up, though, so I had some company for knitting and chatting. A nearby tea shop owner was closing early. She dropped off some piping hot tea, and the LYS owner provided some scones. I got a lot of knitting done and was able to introduce myself better than last week's position of needing project salvaging.

Judgment: TREAT