I Am Not Prometheus
Note: Ok, before I begin, I want to just put in a Kudo or two for the customer service people at JC Penneys. The "why" will become clear soon.
On Saturday, I went to JC Penney to try to rectify the lighting situation. With the aforementioned sale on lighting, I stood to save some funds while buying something I desperately needed. I took some time to wander around the store and check out a few styles. I settled on one I liked; a brass floor lamp with several different lighting modes. The lamp seems well crafted, decent shade, etc.
I looked around for a box containing my prize, but to no avail. Knowing that it's the kind of thing that would likely be stashed in the back, I sought out some customer assitan(ts/ce). I didn't see anyone in lamps right away, so I went back to my old friends in the window coverings section. The woman there called for some assistance. Shortly, the individual arrived at the lamp area. But she was about to leave for the night, so she wrangled someone else to help me. This woman stayed with me for perhaps 20 minutes trying to find lamps in the back, or the model number to order it, or finally to figure out who could ultimately get the answer for me. The result: my name and number were logged in a "callback book", waiting for the lamp wrangler to check inventory and call me back.
By Monday evening, I grew tired of waiting for the wrangler, so I called up the Northgate store again, and asked for lamps. The operator tracked down an appropriate section head to connect me with. I explained the situation, and she busied herself attempting to track down this lamp style at another store. (While I was waiting, the phone wasn't on mute or hold, and I heard "Well, just treat it as a receiptless return, and give her her money back." I remembered my mother's advice that Penneys is renowned for their return policy.) When my helper came back from "hold", I was told that there were seven of these in stock at the Lynnwood store, and three in Southcenter. Ok!
So after a nice dinner of dal and curried peas, I headed off north. I drove to the JC Penneys at the Alderwood Mall, and found the right section. The only box for "my" lamp was for the floor model. Ok, sure. I find another helper, who checks the back for lamps. Nothing. (Wait, not even one of seven? Much less seven of nine?) I tell him that there were supposedly 3 more in stock at Southcenter. He calls up, and after a few minutes is able to verify lampy goodness, then asks for a hold. But apparently their policy at the Southcenter store is for the morning shift to take anything that was on customer hold from the night before and take it off hold. So, the lamp would have been set aside for me for about an hour. No!
Determined not to let the light slip through my fingers like as much sand, I resolved to head down there tonight! I made a quick check with my helper to ensure that the Southcenter store is open just as late as Lynnwood--11pm. Yep, all the stores keep the same hours.
Fastforward (ok, not that fast, but...) to 10pm. I've finally made it from Lynnwood to Renton, and the Southcenter Mall. I'm greeted at the door by a fellow who's informing me that the store is closed. I give him the quick debrief, and he leans in an almost conspiratorial fashion and says "uh, if you go down there, around the corner, there's a small door foor pickups... they can help you in there...."
Making my way to customer pickups, I'm greeted by a somewhat haggard looking fellow after I ring the bell. I explain the situation, he disappears. I'm standing there for perhaps five or ten minutes, fearing that I've come down here only to find that I'm screwed, and will have to return again on the morrow. Instead, as my latest assistant returns, I'm told "OK, the store is closed, but we're going to walk through here to the juniors section where you can pay, and then we'll bring the lamps back up here for pickup." Can my ears be telling the truth?! Hallelujah! Let there be light, and all that.
So we pass through the back storeroom, which includes the customer pickup area, and finally reach a door into the customer part of the store. (Side note: as we passed by a staffer restocking a shelf, she said to us "Good night! ... oh, you work here, nevermind!") I'm guided to the counter in the juniors section (ohhh, is this my size?!), to pay for my lamps, and at last, I'm on my way.
And thanks to the six or so JC Penney employees that made the lights possible! (But sucky that I didn't think to put a hold or verify stock at the Lynnwood store, and therefore had to spend all that time running back and forth.)
On Saturday, I went to JC Penney to try to rectify the lighting situation. With the aforementioned sale on lighting, I stood to save some funds while buying something I desperately needed. I took some time to wander around the store and check out a few styles. I settled on one I liked; a brass floor lamp with several different lighting modes. The lamp seems well crafted, decent shade, etc.
I looked around for a box containing my prize, but to no avail. Knowing that it's the kind of thing that would likely be stashed in the back, I sought out some customer assitan(ts/ce). I didn't see anyone in lamps right away, so I went back to my old friends in the window coverings section. The woman there called for some assistance. Shortly, the individual arrived at the lamp area. But she was about to leave for the night, so she wrangled someone else to help me. This woman stayed with me for perhaps 20 minutes trying to find lamps in the back, or the model number to order it, or finally to figure out who could ultimately get the answer for me. The result: my name and number were logged in a "callback book", waiting for the lamp wrangler to check inventory and call me back.
By Monday evening, I grew tired of waiting for the wrangler, so I called up the Northgate store again, and asked for lamps. The operator tracked down an appropriate section head to connect me with. I explained the situation, and she busied herself attempting to track down this lamp style at another store. (While I was waiting, the phone wasn't on mute or hold, and I heard "Well, just treat it as a receiptless return, and give her her money back." I remembered my mother's advice that Penneys is renowned for their return policy.) When my helper came back from "hold", I was told that there were seven of these in stock at the Lynnwood store, and three in Southcenter. Ok!
So after a nice dinner of dal and curried peas, I headed off north. I drove to the JC Penneys at the Alderwood Mall, and found the right section. The only box for "my" lamp was for the floor model. Ok, sure. I find another helper, who checks the back for lamps. Nothing. (Wait, not even one of seven? Much less seven of nine?) I tell him that there were supposedly 3 more in stock at Southcenter. He calls up, and after a few minutes is able to verify lampy goodness, then asks for a hold. But apparently their policy at the Southcenter store is for the morning shift to take anything that was on customer hold from the night before and take it off hold. So, the lamp would have been set aside for me for about an hour. No!
Determined not to let the light slip through my fingers like as much sand, I resolved to head down there tonight! I made a quick check with my helper to ensure that the Southcenter store is open just as late as Lynnwood--11pm. Yep, all the stores keep the same hours.
Fastforward (ok, not that fast, but...) to 10pm. I've finally made it from Lynnwood to Renton, and the Southcenter Mall. I'm greeted at the door by a fellow who's informing me that the store is closed. I give him the quick debrief, and he leans in an almost conspiratorial fashion and says "uh, if you go down there, around the corner, there's a small door foor pickups... they can help you in there...."
Making my way to customer pickups, I'm greeted by a somewhat haggard looking fellow after I ring the bell. I explain the situation, he disappears. I'm standing there for perhaps five or ten minutes, fearing that I've come down here only to find that I'm screwed, and will have to return again on the morrow. Instead, as my latest assistant returns, I'm told "OK, the store is closed, but we're going to walk through here to the juniors section where you can pay, and then we'll bring the lamps back up here for pickup." Can my ears be telling the truth?! Hallelujah! Let there be light, and all that.
So we pass through the back storeroom, which includes the customer pickup area, and finally reach a door into the customer part of the store. (Side note: as we passed by a staffer restocking a shelf, she said to us "Good night! ... oh, you work here, nevermind!") I'm guided to the counter in the juniors section (ohhh, is this my size?!), to pay for my lamps, and at last, I'm on my way.
And thanks to the six or so JC Penney employees that made the lights possible! (But sucky that I didn't think to put a hold or verify stock at the Lynnwood store, and therefore had to spend all that time running back and forth.)
posted by Sanford Owings at 11:19 PM
1 Comments:
That's a lot of work for a lamp. :)
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