Cool Heads or Squeaking Wheels?

    What I thought was going to be a quick and simple run to my local grocery store turned into be quite an ordeal for a good portion of my afternoon. One of the items I was in desperate need of was laundry detergent (I use Purex, Mountain Breeze). I picked that up, along with my other 5 items, and got in my car to head to the next errand. 

    After only a few blocks, I noticed a strong smell of the mountains in my car (no, I was not in Colorado, so I became suspicious!). I stopped my car, opened the trunk, and found the ENTIRE bottle of concentrated Purex (which claims to be able to accomplish 64 loads) all in the trunk of my car! The neck of the bottle, where the lid screws on, had come off, and there was a sea of blue in the trunk, and now, it was starting to drip out of my car, down the back of the bumper. 

    Aside from being extremely irritated that this had happened, now I had quite the mess on my hands! Plus, how was I going to be able to get this out of my car? I drove back to the local grocer, one hand dripping with Purex, and I proceeded to head to the Customer Service area. I was able to go back and get all new groceries (the 5 previous items purchased, since those, too, were swimming in a bath of Purex). Then, I requested to speak with the manager about the mess in my car. 

    The assistant manager was a bit reluctant to help out. I wanted to know if I could take my car to Waterway to have them clean the inside of it, then be reimbursed for that. The assistant manager wasn’t so sure about this suggestion. She felt as though the “accident” had been a manufacturer’s error, and most likely, I would need to take it up with them. So much for “customer service guaranteed!”

In this instance, two schools of thought entered my mind: Cooler Heads Prevail, and, Squeaking Wheel Get Greased! Which one was I going to be? In the end I chose the former, deciding that it was more in my character, and truly, most appropriate. There was no need to make a scene, but instead, I chose to speak very logically and direct – and without making any kind of scene. 

    In the end, the Head Manager met with me, sent me off to Waterway and told me to bring back the receipt for the reimbursement. He apologized for the mess and the inconvenience of it all, and I was pleased that he took care of the situation the way he did. 

    We never know when we will be in a situation like this one I just experienced. Remember to stay calm and think things through before you speak. And more importantly, remember that your children, and those around you as well, are watching to see how you react when someone has wronged you. What lesson will we leave our children in the way we carry ourselves and respond to others? How do our actions communicate entitlement at any cost, or the higher course of civility and integrity?