Retail service sucks, Movie Reviews

Maybe I have mentioned this before but here goes again, SERVICE in retail stores now really sucks. While tooling down the loop the other day my left front tire on my pick up blew out, at about 70 mph. The good news is that while I lost over half of the tread the wire mesh that is under the treads was able to hold the tire together enough that it held air and I could drive it about 30 mph. So, I pulled into the closest new tire replacement center and tell the guy I want 4 new tires for my pickup. Now this tire store has been in business in Lubbock since 1937 so I am assuming that they do their thing very good, and have for a long time. Turns out that when I went in the one guy that was behind the desk acted like it was an inconvenience for me to be there and he really didn’t have much time to deal with me. Ordinarily I would make an about face and go somewhere else, but as I mentioned my tire blew out (I also emphasized this with him, again), so I was stuck with him and his place of business. After I nearly pried him off of his dead butt to walk 3 feet to the counter to wait on me he gave me the price, installed and I said okay do it. After paying for the tires he then tells me that he doesn’t have anyone in the shop to install them and I would have to go across town to their other store to get them installed. Did I mention here that I had a blow out??? So, I figured out the best route to get to his other store and I walk in with my receipts you would think I was completely camouflaged since there was no recognition of my entrance. Two of the guy were working their I phones and the other one was ignoring me. When I finally got their attention I am told that it may be an hour and a half before they can get to it, then another 45 minutes to complete it. Now the original guy told me 30 minutes, total. When I told the new guy this he got very belligerent, and said it wouldn’t happen in 30 minutes. He then proceeded to tell me he didn’t care what the other guy promised me, that what he said was the final word. Now, I am getting steamed and I advise him that I really don’t like the way this tire installation is going and that I have my receipt and promises but see nothing happening. He then says, “well where are your new tires? Didn’t you bring them with you he asks?” I then reply that I was not told I had to bring them with me from the other store and I really wasn’t in the tire delivery business. And these guys have been in business one year longer than my age, bet they didn’t build their business on this kind of service. Finally he agreed to get it done as soon as possible but he was really pissed about it. So, I take my seat in the dusting, dirty, rodent infected waiting room, pick up a book about junk automobiles, naked women, and the best tattoo artists in the city. About that time a fellow customer of this place comes in and sits down beside me with his dirty white tank top and body art from each wrist all over his arms, top part of his chest and who knows what below the waste. After looking at his body art I look at my one lonely piece of work on my left arm and wonder how he took the pain I know is associated with kind of application, especially on the inside of the arms. After wondering for a few minutes I just had to ask him, “hey dude just out of curiosity how did you take the pain associated with the application of those body arts?” I showed him mine and told him it hurt like hell and having it done all over my arms would have been like some kind of Chinese torture. He said it took him over 8 hours to get them done and he actually went to sleep while the artist was going their thing. Amazing I thought but then the real kicker came out of his mouth, he said, “I actually had just got out of 12 years being in prison so anything I did felt better than being in the slammer.” Funny the kind of people you meet in a sleazy tire shop with lousy service. After a few more minutes the guy comes into the waiting room and says, “your truck is ready and I am not going to charge you any extra.” I look at him and grin wondering what would I be charged extra for? But I just said, “thanks”, got me keys and peeled out my new rubber as I left his place. WARNING: If you are ever in Lubbock, Texas and have need of new tires DO NOT go to York Tire Company Inc., I don’t care if they have been in business since 1937. They suck!!

Movie Review: “Prince of Persia”, **, This movie is just above the old Grade B movie recognition with some good acting by Jake Gyllenhall, and Sir Ben Kingsley. The princess played by Gemma Aterton is very fitting to provide a good looking woman for all the men to lust after. Gyllenhall plays a poor urchin orphan that is adopted by a King and treated as his own, so he is privileged with good upbringing and position but really remains a street fighter and un- disciplined adopted prince. The story revolves around the princess’s quest for a magical dagger that can actually turn back time. So, the fight is on so see who can come up with this dagger. Somewhat boring, but does have some deceit action scenes. Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action.

“Sex and The City 2”, ***, Since I had never watched any of the previous TV or the movie concerning S & S I really did not know what to expect. But now that the four ladies who play the lead parts are grown up and mature I probably enjoyed this movie more than I thought I would. Sarah Jessica Parker is back as Carrie (now married), Kim Cattrall is back as the successful slut Samantha and she does her sexual stuff with two great soft porno scenes and gets the other three in trouble while in Abu Dhabi. Kristin Davis plays Charlotte, and Cynthia Nixon plays Miranda. A massive gay wedding gets starts the movie with Carrie being the best man/woman. With some side stories concerning each of the four best friends and then the top story concerning their trip to exotic Dhabi keeps you interested. It is definitely a girlie movie but was interesting to me since I had never watched any of them in the past. Rated R for some strong sexual content (you mean when Samantha is laying naked with a naked man in between her and there are simulating sexual intercourse in two different scenes?) Soft porn all the way and language.

greerman