OK since I have posted about the orangutans that work in my local supermarkets I figured it would only be fair to give the devil his due and report on a pleasant non-orangutanlike interaction. (Just for the record I don't think I have ever typed or written the word orangutan so many times or in my entire life even, until this blog!)

I was at the market the other day. Yes again. We have already established that I do some form of food shopping everyday. Move on. Anyway...I went with a certain short shopping companion on our way home from seeing "Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs" (cute by the way!). He did not want to go to the store and believe me I didn't want to take him. So after a few "yeses" and mostly "no's" to the "Can I get ________?" we paid and left. (Although that cashier was indeed an orangutan...no "hello", no eye contact. Well, not to me anyway. She was busy chatting with a friend that stopped in to say hello to her while she was working.)

Much later on that evening I am looking for the hairspray I bought. Can't find it. I assume it's in the min-van somewhere after rolling out of the bag. I make a mental note to go look for it in the morning. Next morning I am making Mike's snack for school and go to put one of the apples I bought in his lunch box....and yep, no apples. I check the van. No bag. Call Stop and Shop. Second orangutan takes my name and says she will call me back. "I hope you have your receipt", she says. Of course I don't. I threw it out. grr. She never calls back (surprise surprise).

Now I am not saying it was not my fault. I could have left the bag behind. When someone is in your ear while your bagging...saying things like...."Mom why did you buy eggs" "Mom, that kid has the same sneakers as me" "Mom, we should make meatballs tonight since we just saw that movie" "Mom what are you making for dinner?" Mom, I like roast beef now but gravy is gross, it is slimy like slug guts" "mom...mom....mom...MOM!" a person could forget what year it is after that not to mention forgetting a grocery bag. Or Cashier Primate could have bagged the hair spray and apples ('cause really? I don't think I would put them in the same bag, they don't belong in the same bag) and never handed it to me while she was asking her friend what time she was babysitting until. I understand she was busy with her friend my mistake for interrupting with my PURCHASE!!!! A-hem. Anyway.....

So I go over to S&S later that morning. I am ready to rumble. No, I do not have my receipt. I used my S&S customer card though, (a.k.a. Big Brother is Watching Card) so they should have a record of what I bought. They know I buy dog food and send me coupons in the mail so this is the same thing. Right? I am ready to go to the store across the street to make my purchases of the day if this goes badly.

I go up to the customer service counter and tell the lady my story. She checks to see if anyone turned in a bag. Nope. ( ok now I am thinking here we go...) She asks me what I"m missing. I tell her "hairspray and a bag of apples as far as I know I haven't come across anything else that was missing." And you know what she says? "Just go and get whatever it is you are missing." Hmmm...ok so I do. I get exactly three Gala apples and the exact hairspray that I bought. I bring them back to her...she says "grab a bag to put that in and have a great day". I say, "Seriously? That's it?" She says..."yeah of course, you're fine enjoy your apples". Well I'll be an orangutan's uncle.

So for all the complaining I do about Stop & Shop, today I say thank you. Thank you for your excellent customer service. Thank you for not making me work for those three apples. Thank you for believing I am an honest customer. That's what customer service is all about. I thanked her and then went off to buy the few things I needed there. Plus an extra thing not on my list. Today I am a happy orangutan free customer. And here's hoping you don't run into any today!!!