My Customer Service Experience at Jared

My husband and I have been customers of Jared Jewelers for more than 10 years and during that time we've spent close to $20,000. Now that may not be a lot in comparison to others but, nonetheless, our hard earned dollars have gone there.

Today I went to Jared to find a birthday gift for my daughter. I walked into the store. No one greeted me. Then I walked over to the jewelry repair center. I figured since I was in the store I might as well have my platinum engagement and wedding rings cleaned. An employee walked over but said nothing. I finally spoke up and said, "I know you see me standing here." She said she did but she was assisting another customer. My response to that was, "You may be helping another customer but that shouldn't stop you from greeting me." She immediately went to find someone to assist me.

A woman, identified as Amy, came over. She had just finished wiping her nose. I wasn't about to shake her hand and I didn't want to give her my rings to be cleaned. I told her what I wanted. She said she would help me. She asked me was it time for my rings to be inspected. I told her I wasn't sure. I expected her to ask for my name and go look it up in their records. She did not. As a courtesy service, Jared does an annual inspection of your jewelry to make sure the diamond is set correctly, among other things. That courtesy was not extended to me. STRIKE ONE.

I gave Amy my rings reluctantly. I thought she would give them to someone else to be cleaned while she assisted me. Instead she left and came back in less than a minute claiming she had cleaned them personally. There were definitely NOT cleaned because her hands were not clean. STRIKE TWO.

After paying for my daughter's gift, I asked to speak to the manager. Mark Swink came over. I told him I thought my good customer service experience was lacking at Jared and he should know about it. After listening to me for about three minutes, he thanked me and shook my hand but never apologized for my bad experience. I expected him to at least acknowledge my feelings. STRIKE THREE.

Now at this point of the story, it would be easy to throw out the race card and say I didn't get good customer service because I was black in a store surrounded by a sea of white customers. I don't know for sure if that was the case but I am inclined to believe that. Or perhaps it was because I left with one small bag and spent less than $200. But whatever the case, Jared has now joined Kroger on my BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE list.

So what do you think? Do whites get better customer service than blacks or are there other factors that could come into play?

Nelson Mandela Inspired the Baby Boomer Generation

When Nelson Mandela was imprisoned in 1978 I was a junior at Ohio University. As a young,politically conscious activist, I joined many college students across the country in demanding that our universities divest from South Africa. We wanted our institutions to cease investing in companies that traded or had operations in South Africa. We were outraged at what was going on in South Africa with apartheid. The way blacks were being treated there was reminiscent of the way our own parents and grandparents had been treated here under the so-called "Jim Crow" laws.

Protests were held at many universities. As a result of these organized "divestment campaigns", the boards of trustees of several universities voted to divest completely from South Africa and companies with major South African interests. Hampshire College was the first in the nation to divest from apartheid South Africa. They were joined by the University of Massachusetts, Tufts University, Smith College, the University of Wisconsin, Ohio University, Amherst College and Antioch College. But the straw that broke the camel's back, so to speak, was when the University of California authorized the withdrawal of three billion dollars worth of investments from the apartheid state. Nelson Mandela stated his belief that the University of California's massive divestment was particularly significant in abolishing white-minority rule in South Africa.

Today as I reflect on the life of Nelson Mandela, I am reminded that one person can truly make a difference and inspire an entire generation.

My Girlfriend Turned 65 This Year

I don't know what's more surprising:

1) I have a 65-year-old girlfriend
2) I'm hanging out with the 60 and over crowd

When my friend announced her upcoming birthday, she made it a point to let me know she was going to become medicare eligible. She wore it as a badge of honor. And why shouldn't she? She has lived long enough to earn her medicare stripes. She paid for years as a hard-working employee and now it's time to collect what is rightfully hers.

But the cool thing is she doesn't look a day over 50 and, despite being diabetic, she takes good care of herself by getting plenty of exercise and eating right. Yes, she is among the first wave of baby boomers who turned 65 in 2013. She's gone from "Say it loud, I'm black and I'm proud" to "Say it louder, I'm 65 and I'm prouder!"

It's funny how times change........

Ten years ago, I would not have been in the company of anyone in their 60's unless we were together at church, but it seems as though the older I get, the older my girlfriends have gotten as well.

In my 40's I always felt like the woman who had as much in common with the 30-somethings as I did with my own peer group. Now that I'm on the other side of 55, I don't find the conversations with 30-year-olds to be as stimulating or even worthy of a "girlfriend moment." Now don't get me wrong, there is much to learn from young people when it comes to understanding the new ways of doing business but when it comes to talking about hot flashes, grandchildren, husbands and the good old days, they don't share my journey. They don't KNOW my journey because they haven't arrived there yet.

Of course, there is so much they can learn from me and my older girlfriends but I suspect that they're not really interested in talking about personal summers and their idea of the good old days probably only dates back to the 1980s. But that's okay because the one thing we have gained is plenty of wisdom and experience. That's something that only comes with AGING.

Happy Birthday Paulette!

So how many friends do YOU have over the age of 60?

I almost fell in love with Kroger

I heard on the radio that Kroger was having a sale on grapes so I decided to go there to take advantage of the sale.

When I walked into the entryway, much to my surprise, there were carolers singing Christmas songs and employees passing out goodie bags along with the Kroger specials of the day. So far, so good.

Then as I walked into the produce section, I found my grapes--and plenty of them---red, black and green---on sale as advertised. And what's even better is I got to pick and choose which ones I wanted and put them all in the same bag. Shortly afterwards, I asked a produce employee where the chard was and instead of pointing me in the direction, he actually guided me to the location and explained the different varieties. Now, I'm impressed!

But then a not-so-funny thing happened at the deli. This particular employee (and fellow boomer) seemed less than enthusiastic about assisting me. No smile and he mumbled his words. STRIKE ONE.

As I moseyed on to the wine section, a smiling face (a millennial) greeted me and asked if I wanted to sample a particular wine they had on sale. It wasn't quite noon yet but I thought, "What the heck!" He said he was giving me a double portion. I wondered if I had "wino" tatooed on my forehead. Nevertheless, I tasted it and was SOLD.

The wine had me feeling pretty good when I went to the checkout line. That was until I had a not so pleasant encounter with the cashier, whose name was Sharon. I greeted her first. She didn't speak back. She didn't even smile once. Perhaps she smelled the wine on my breath and thought I was just some drunk housewife hitting the bottle a little too early for her. Or maybe she was upset because she couldn't have any while on the clock. WHATEVER! STRIKE TWO. And what's even worse is she bagged my seafood with my fruit---which even I know is a no-no. STRIKE THREE.

At that point I felt the need to speak to a manager so I went to the customer service desk. Another (boomer) employee asked if she could help me in a tone that made me feel less than welcome. Once again--no smile. Then she asked me why I wanted to see a manager. I told her I had a complaint. I was sure she would soften up a bit and do her best to turn my negative perception around but she did nothing but stand there stone-faced until the manager, Mr. Hinckley, came to hear me out. He offered me a gift card for my feedback. I declined it because I wanted him to understand my complaint couldn't be bought off with a gift card. I wanted him to understand that good customer service is still the key to good business and that's why Harris Teeter remains the cream of the crop.

The bottom line is good customer service is the lifeblood of any business. You can offer promotions and reduce prices to bring in as many customers as you want, but it's also about the "experience" a customer has while in your business.

Great customer service is all about bringing customers back and about sending them away happy - happy enough to pass on positive feedback about your business along to others, who may then visit your store and, in turn, become repeat customers.

I almost fell in love with Kroger today but they just can't compete with my Harris Teeter---at least not yet anyway

Sometimes God Shows Up in the Most Unusual Places

Two weeks ago while walking along the Duke Wall on the east campus, I was convinced I saw the face of God. It came in the form of an unidentified woman. As I was walking in the opposite direction of her, our eyes met. I said "Good morning." She looked at me and said "God bless you." Those three words impacted my spirit in a way I can't really describe in this blog but those three words drove me to tears as I continued to exercise. At that moment, I believed God was speaking directly to my spirit and answering some of my questions and concerns about this leg of my journey.

As we passed each other a second time, I made it a point to thank her for her blessing and told her how much I needed to receive it. She then took a moment to remind me that God knew what I was going through and as long as I trusted in him and kept the faith, everything would be OK. From that moment on, I felt a burden had been lifted.

I saw that same woman again this morning at the Duke Wall. This time I learned her name was "Phyllis." From a distance we recognized each other and, upon approaching each other, we exchanged greetings and hugs. I told her how much she had blessed my life in that one small encounter. She reminded me to keep the faith. Ironically, the next song that played on my mp3 player was "Lovely Day" by Bill Withers.

Sometimes God shows up in the most unusual places but wherever He does, be prepared to receive Him or you will MISS your blessing.

I Was Called for Jury Duty

Four days after the jury reached a verdict in the Trayvon Martin case, it would be my turn to possibly hold all power in my hands in deciding the fate of an alleged criminal in my community. Notice I said "alleged" because the judicial system says we are to believe that everyone charged is innocent until proven guilty.

On the day I arrived for jury duty, I looked around and saw dozens of potential jurors waiting to learn their fate. Many were not happy to be there. They had conflicting schedules and felt jury duty was an interruption to their lives. I, on the other hand, welcomed the idea of being called to serve. I wanted the opportunity to lend my voice on behalf of the victim or the suspect---depending on which side seemed to have the strongest case.

I was angry about the outcome of the Trayvon Martin trial and even more angry when I got to hear juror #B37 explain what was going on during deliberations. Based on of the words that came from her own lips, the jury seemed to have no clue for what they were basing their final decision on. The Stand Your Ground Law didn't even apply in the case, yet they chose to use it in determining the NOT GUILTY VERDICT.

Subsequent articles have come out discussing how jurors were treated during the trial, which may very well have had a bearing on the final outcome.

Being on a jury was also my opportunity to get revenge. It would allow me to convict a white boy who had committed some heinous crime against a black person in our community. It would give me satisfaction knowing that "an eye for an eye" would balance the scales of justice. Oh, but wait a minute. It is rare to see a young white man go to trial for doing something criminally against a black male in my community. It did happen once as I recall when a Texas man shot and killed a Pennsylvania teen as the two crossed paths in Durham.

Young whites who commit crimes normally have parents who are able to work out deals with Prosecutors in order to get the case dismissed or lesser charges so they end up being nothing more than "petty crimes" that kids commit. These stories don't make headlines for the media.

After six hours of waiting the potential jurors were notified we would not be called to serve and dismissed. There was a loud cheer in the room. I, on the other hand, walked away extremely disappointed because I would not get the opportunity to serve. This would have been my way of releasing some of the angst I felt over the Zimmerman verdict. I really wanted to understand how the judicial process works from a juror's mind so that, maybe in the end, I could really make sense of how those Sanford, FL jurors thought in reaching their NOT GUILTY verdict.

If there's one consolation, I did get paid for serving. $12.

Make Up Does Not Define Aging Gracefully

I got the shock of my life recently when I ran into an acquaintance at the grocery store. I thought I recognized her but wasn't quite sure so I called her name. It was her WITHOUT makeup. I thought, "Oh my God! Is that really how you look?!"
She looked like a totally different woman and not a very attractive one, I might add.

The same thing happened some years ago when I was working at WITN-TV. I had come into the station early to get my assignment and saw a young woman sitting at one of the anchor desks. I thought she might've been an intern until I got up close and personal and discovered it was our 5pm anchor. She looks downright scary WITHOUT makeup. She had blotches all over her face and her skin had an uneven tone. With makeup she was stunning so that's obviously how she got hired.

During the years I worked as a TV news reporter, my News Director was always encouraging me to wear make-up. I would throw on some lipstick and a little powder for foundation but that's about the most of it. I could never bring myself to take the time to make up my face because I had no model for it. My mother never spent time in the mirror putting on much more than lipstick and some face powder to "take the shine off," as she put it.

The one thing I always admired about my mother was how smooth and unblemished her skin was. Even when she died at 90-years-old, her face showed now signs of being an old, wrinkled woman with sagging skin.

Did you know wearing too much makeup can result in advance aging? Eyeliners and liquid-based foundations contain chemicals that can cause premature aging. You should watch out for liquid foundations that contain silicone since they not only block your pores but also add a few years to your skin.

As I approach 60, I have decided that I am not going to allow makeup to define who I am. I don't need it to enhance my looks. I can do it by eating healthy and exercising. Also, I am blessed to have a husband who doesn't like me wearing a whole lot of makeup anyway so I am growing old gracefully makeup free.

How about you?

What are Your Favorite Boomer Beat Songs

Recently I read a blog post from aarp.org titled: 16 Songs Everyone Over 50 Must Own. I looked at the songs and discovered I knew less than half of them and of the ones I did know I only liked a few.

My good friend, Mitch Mitchell, did his own musical blog post recently, calling it: 30 Questions About the Music I Like which motivated me to do one of my own so, in honor of my radio show and TV show called The Boomer Beat I want to know what your favorite boomer songs of the past are.

Name your favorite music theme from a 60s/70s/80s TV show:
Mine is a toss up between the theme from Silver Spoons and Family Ties

Name your Top 3 Disco Songs
Heaven Knows (Donna Summer)
More than a Woman (Bee Gees)
Get Off (Foxxy)

Name your favorite Beatles song:
In My Life

Name your favorite politically conscious song:
Abraham, Martin and John (Dion)

Name your favorite country song?
Crazy (Patsy Cline)

Name your favorite song from Diana Ross and the Supremes
Baby Love

What song(s) have you ever sang Karaoke?
Stop in the Name of Love
Love Shack (B52s)
Born to Be Wild (Steppinwolf)

Song you danced to (or was sung) at your wedding?
You are so Beautiful (originally sung by Joe Cocker)

Song you can hear over and over again and never get tired of
Africa (Toto)

Can't wait to read your responses.

Sometimes Young People Just Get No Respect

Today my daughter was involved in her first car crash---and let me tell you it was a CRASH---as you can see from this picture! (Hers is the black car) She was the tail end of a three-car pile up on the highway while driving home from work.

According to the driver of the first car, who happened to be a woman around my age, she was forced to slam on her brakes because someone in front of her slammed on theirs. This resulted in the driver behind her hitting her in the rear and then my daughter hitting the second driver. The first car received little or no damage. The second car and my daughter's were TOTALED.

Immediately, the older woman complained that her collar bone was broken so an ambulance was called. The young lady in the second vehicle was not injured, just shaken up. My daughter sustained minor burns on her arms from the impact of the air bags exploding upon impact.

Much attention was paid to the older driver because of her complaints. An ambulance was called. Despite her diagnosis of a broken collar bone, she got out of the car on her own with little or no assistance and walked to the ambulance to be checked out. Meanwhile, the two young drivers were trying to cope with the fact that one or both of them are going to be at fault for the collision and they are now without transportation.

A young person without wheels is like a young person not having a cell phone!

Now I am no investigator but based on what I observed at the scene was the whole truth wasn't being told by the older driver. She didn't have a broken collar bone and she managed to drive away on her own volition with little or no damage to her car. What I learned on the scene was when "stuff" happens, the benefit of the doubt goes to the oldest.