Surprised by Real Customer Service

Just before the New Year the carbon dioxide that powers my Genesis SodaStream ran out of gas and I returned the empty canister to Walmart for a refill. At a cost of $14.95, the process was simple and cheap, at least $10 less than the cost at Target, where I used to replace my canisters.

However, my SodaStream machine didn't work when I tried it out with the new CO2. Bob thought that I'd received an empty cylinder, but that seemed so unlikely that I called SodaStream's customer service on New Year's Eve. After spending ten minutes on the phone with me, the customer service rep determined that my machine was defective and would be replaced under the terms of the three-year warranty. She emailed a UPS label and I returned my SodaStream for free.

Today the new machine arrived but it didn't work. Once again, Bob figured the CO2 canister was empty, so I returned it to Walmart for a replacement. Although the customer service people had trouble with the return of their first "defective" cylinder, they were cheerful and stayed with the problem until it was solved ten or fifteen minutes later.

I screwed the canister into the new SodaStream and carbonated two bottles of water with my new appliance. I'm amazed that I dealt with two customer service teams that were determined to please me, the customer.

Well, I'm both happy and surprised with SodaStream and Walmart. Time for a celebratory glass of refreshing carbonated water.

First World Woes

Me in my diamond earrings. Summer 2014.

I have a number of beautiful pairs of earrings, mostly gifts from my husband or my sister, or purchased by me in an extravagant moment. This is my only "girlie" indulgence.

My all-time favorite earrings originated as diamond studs, a 25th anniversary gift. I was always afraid I'd lose the studs, so I rarely wore them. until Bob "upgraded" the diamonds for our 30th anniversary and changed the setting to a drop earring, with a solid clasp. I've worn them regularly for the last two years and they always made me feel elegant, even in my jeans and sweatshirt.

Yesterday I attended a going away luncheon with former work colleagues. I stayed behind after our delicious lunch at Christos to take a few photos at Union Depot in downtown Saint Paul, and stopped for a few things at Walgreens before heading home. I noticed my left earring was gone a little later, when I was ready to take off my jewelry. I probably dislodged it when I was putting on my jacket, which I did several time during the afternoon.

Phone calls to Union, Depot and Walgreens yielded sympathy but no earring. Our insurance agent said there is a chance that the earrings are insured under our Homeowners policy, less a $1,000 deductible. I'm embarrassed that I didn't insure my few items of valuable jewelry under a "scheduled" policy that would require a new appraisal of covered items every 24 months. The policy is cheap, not more than $30-$100 per year, depending on the value of the insured items.

I cried off and on during the evening and finally went to bed, thoroughly sad and exhausted, a little smarter and wiser. In the grand scheme of things, this incident is a minor inconvenience, but I loved those earrings so much!

Saturday, January 17: This is a happy footnote. I found the earring this morning when I was washing the kitchen floor. It must have come off when I came in from shoveling the garage floor on Tuesday afternoon, and took off my jacket at the kitchen table. I'm tearful, happy and wiser.

Thriving!

Minou - January 12, 2015

Minou is doing better than we had hoped only a month ago. I began treating her twice daily with the antibiotic doxycycline two weeks after the long lasting antibiotic shot convenia was administered by our veterinarian.

Because Minou turned up her nose at the taste (fish & marshamallow), I mix tuna with her regular Fancy Feast cat food, and added a second meal to deliver the second dose. I also experimented with gradually reducing her daily dose of prednisolone, now 0.5 ml daily, down from 0.8 ml.

She seems better than she's been for at least 18 months. As a precautionary measure, Dr. Whitman renewed the doxycycline prescription and I hopefully mentioned that perhaps the underlying problem was a bacterial infection all along.  In a week of so, when the weather's warmer, we'll investigate the possibility of a bad tooth, sometimes the cause of these infections. The vet cautioned that Minou's apparent good health doesn't negate the possibility of a slowly progressing cancer.

Our little cat is more energetic, sleeping less and presenting herself for grooming. For now, we're all happy that she's doing so well, thanks to medical care superior to what's available for most of the world's children.