Customer Service

 

This is something we all encounter from time to time.  It can be in a store, online or on the phone.  Of course, there can be all levels of customer service from nonexistent to bad to quite good.  On rare occasions I have encountered above average, even excellent customer service.  I was fortunate to have this happen to me recently and I thought I would share the story with you.  I am absolutely not advertising for anyone but I did want to share something positive that happened to me last week.

We shop with an online Pet Store for our two cats’ food and other supplies.  This online store has competitive prices and free shipping over a certain dollar amount so it is handy for us to use especially since we are staying home more due to the pandemic.  My last order was about a month ago and I picked out a special “cat scratcher” item as a Christmas gift for our cats.  Sophie and Zeus usually love any toys or other items that we get them but for some reason they simply were not interested in this scratcher.  They each tried scratching on it once and that was it.  After I had received it the Pet Store emailed me and asked if I would review it on their website.  I did write a review for them and honestly said my cats were not interested in it.  I was nice about it though and even said that it was well made and other cats might like it even though mine did not.

Cat Scratcher

A few days later I received the nicest email from a Customer Service Representative with the company.  He said he was sorry the item did not work out and that he had refunded my card for the purchase.  He also said: “As a fellow pet parent, I completely understand that not everything works out perfectly. Instead of shipping anything back to us, in this case, we ask if you would please donate this to a local shelter, rescue, or friend in need so that way a needy furbaby can have a brighter day.”  He suggested a few alternative items if I was interested and then ended his email with: “In the meantime please stay safe and please give Sophie and Zeus some lovin' from their friends here at Chewy.  If there is anything else we can do, please don't hesitate to let us know. We're always here and more than happy to help.”  He then signed it “Best wishes and pet kisses”!

I was blown away!  I had not complained about the item but just gave an honest review and I certainly did not ask for a refund!  I also love that he suggested we donate it to a shelter.  Maybe it is just me, but I think this was customer service over and beyond what was necessary.  It also made me feel really good to know there are still companies and people out there like this. 

As far as Sophie and Zeus go, well just like children they did enjoy the box it came in!

           

Zeus

Zeus and Sophie

 

Still Here

I’ve certainly not been much of a blogger this month.  It’s been two weeks since I’ve written a post and this past week I’ve not been commenting on other blogs much either.  We’ve been busy and out with appointments almost everyday but nothing exciting to write about.  

My sweet girl, Sophie

Tom is still not driving due to his equilibrium problems, so I’m driving him to his cardiac rehab appointments three days a week.  In addition to that we’ve each had other medical appointments, so it does keep us busy.  He is scheduled to have an MRI this week to try and find out the cause of the equilibrium issues.  If we could get that cleared up he would be able to do more and feel better.  The hearing loss may be permanent but we will see.  Sorry, I don’t mean to complain.  Mainly I wanted to let you know I’m still here even though I have been an errant blogger! 

The past couple of weeks we have had wonderfully cool Fall weather!  After our extremely hot summer, it has been a joy to have Fall start almost on cue the first week of September.  This past week we’ve seen rain almost every day but that is okay for it was needed.  As a result the grass has grown like crazy and I have just gotten done mowing it.  August was so hot and I didn’t feel well, so I hired a neighbor boy to cut our grass for the month.  It has become much more difficult for me to do yard work when we have temperatures in the 90's F.  It used to never bother me but it sure does these days!  Now that we have some cooler days, I’m hoping to get caught up with some needed yard work.  

Zeus, about ready for a nap

I tried to start a jigsaw puzzle I’ve been wanting to do, but after three slow starts I gave up and packed it up for another time.  I just couldn’t concentrate on it plus my vision has not been very cooperative for a challenging puzzle. 

Our son gave us an Amazon Echo Dot or Alexa, smart speaker/virtual assistant.  We have actually been having some fun with it as well as finding it handy.  I will write more about it on my next post. 

I apologize to all my blog friends for not commenting much recently.  Things sometimes catch up with a person as I’m sure you understand.  I admire all of you that manage to write a post several times a week or even every day as many of you do.  You are all amazing!  I hope you all have a wonderful start to the week and enjoy whatever beautiful Fall weather you have at the moment!

I’m Thankful for Our Cats!

 

                                                              

Sophie and Zeus

We have had a lot of ups and downs the past month or two but through it all one thing remains steady for us – our two sweet cats!  Those of you that have pets of any kind will understand my feeling I’m sure.  No matter what happens your sweet, furry family members are there for you, accept you and will never judge you.  Pure unconditional love.                                                               

When I'm at the computer Sophie holds my arm and
sleeps with her head in my hand. 

Sophie and Zeus are always near us offering love and cuddles or entertaining us with their playful antics.  If we do have to leave the house, they meet us at the door when we return.  They follow one or both of us around and generally prefer that Tom and I are in the same room.  If I’m in the back of the house on the computer and Tom is in the living room, Zeus will cry at me and try to get me to follow him back into the room with Tom.  When we are both in the same room, they will settle down to a nap nearby or in our laps or play with toys near us.  They instinctively know when we are sick or sad and they stay close and comfort us. 

Tom’s health problems have continued.  I took him to both his cardiologist and our family doctor last week.  His heart, thankfully, seems to be doing okay but he has been hit with some kind of severe dizziness problem and is very unsteady on his feet.  The doctor did not see an ear infection but gave him antibiotics in case it was too deep to be seen.  Tom did suddenly lose his hearing in one ear at the same time this started so that could be part of the problem.  He’s never had this type of vertigo situation in the past.  So, for now he has to stay in one place and try to not move around much.  I’ve been trying to take care of him and still catch up on a lot of things around the house that I have neglected.  It has not helped that I am still having trouble with the high blood pressure, but I will see the doctor Tuesday.  After that, we have to find a new family doctor as our regular one is retiring next week.  We’ve seen him for over forty years and I hate to lose him but I am happy for him to finally get a break.   

I don’t mean to just write about health problems.  Things will sort themselves out eventually I’m sure.  It’s all part of life and getting older.  But anytime we do have problems like this it always reminds me of how grateful I am to have our two cats, Sophie and Zeus!  They are always there for us.  If you have any wonderful furry family members give them a little extra love because I’m sure they are there for you in the good and the bad times.   

                                                              

They even help me when I'm sewing.

A Cloudy, Rainy Week

After some beautiful weather last week we have had a long string of dark, rainy days this week.  It is helping to make everything green so there is a bright side to it. 

I received this picture from my brother the other day.  It made me want to rearrange all my books into various sentences and phrases!  If you are really bored during this lockdown you could try this:

I resisted the temptation to play with my books and instead decided to make some cookies.  I like to bake but don't do it too often because I also like to eat what I bake!  Tom had been wanting some homemade cookies so I made a batch of oatmeal cookies.  I figured if we are going to take in extra calories it should contain something healthy - right?  In fact you might even say oatmeal cookies are a health food!  Okay, sort of healthy with all that oatmeal.

 

I did get a little sewing done this week.  I finished making a couple of masks for my youngest son, Sean.  He lives alone and, luckily, has been able to work from home since the pandemic started.  However, they are starting to open up some businesses here and some of them require masks for you to enter.

That is about all that has been going on around here recently.  These dark, rainy days seem to slow things down a bit but they are great for reading and napping.  Sophie and Zeus have taken full advantage of the napping side of things as you can see in this picture of Zeus.  He has his very own cat quilt and he loves to crawl under it for a nice long nap.

Zeus under his quilt

I promise you, our cats are not spoiled, much.  Everyone take care!

A Busier Week

For the most part things have been moving fairly slowly around here.  Last week did seem to be busier for a variety of reasons.  I finally made us some masks to wear when we buy groceries.  Since I make quilts, I have lots of fabric scraps to choose from for making masks and I wanted to make a special one for my husband, Tom.  He has always been a superhero fan having grown up on Marvel and DC comics.  Even today he never misses any of the movies about those popular characters.  So, I made him a mask from some Marvel characters fabric. 

                                                                                                                             

We were also busy getting my old Honda Civic cleaned up to loan to my granddaughter, Annika.  She was in a car accident recently when someone ran a stoplight and hit her and then drove off.  Luckily, she was okay although I know she had to be pretty sore as it totaled her car.  It makes me so mad that this was a hit and run accident!  I just don’t understand some people.  Annika is still working despite the pandemic and has to have a car to get to work and back home.  She was hoping to buy one and looked at several but could not find what she wanted that was also in her price range.  I have a very old Honda Civic that I had not been driving much since we usually use my husband’s Toyota.  Despite the age of the Honda it is still in good running condition.  I spent a little time getting it emptied out of my belongings and we cleaned it up inside and out for her.  She still wants to get a newer car but this will give her the time she needs to look for one and also save up a bit more money.  I was happy to know I could do something to help her out as she has had a run of bad luck recently.  My son Chris (Annika’s Dad) brought her out Sunday to pick up the car.  It was such a treat to get to spend a little time with them both as we had not seen any family since the pandemic started.  We stayed outside and followed social distancing because she has been around many people in her job.  But let me tell you, it sure was hard to not be able to give both her and my son a big hug!      

  

We finished the week off with another trip to the grocery store.  You know I always have hated buying groceries but I swear, since this pandemic started, I now hate that job even more than before!  It was our luck that just when we came out of the store with a cart full of groceries it started pouring rain.  By the time we got home and got everything in the house every bag was soaked. 

I’m glad last week is behind us now and because I’d like to end this on a happier note, I will leave you with a couple of pictures of my two sweet cats.  They each send you lots of purrs and cuddles.

Zeus

Sophie

The Internet Sure Comes in Handy

I have always appreciated the many things we are able to take care of using the internet.  It saves money in reducing the amount of gas usage for the car, stamps for letters and most of all it saves the time it used to take to complete certain types of business that you can now do online.

Since many of us have suddenly found ourselves in the situation of staying home at least part, if not most of our time, we can really make use of the many advantages of the internet.

I had several things I needed to get done today and I was able to get all of them taken care of on my computer.

1. Pay Bills - I admit this is not my favorite thing to do but it must be done. It is much faster and easier to handle this online through my online bank account.  
2. Personal Property Declaration - For those of you not in the states, we have to fill this out each year for tax purposes.  Basically it states what vehicles you own.  Oh yes, Uncle Sam has to get his cut of our money for everything!  And yes, this was supposed to be done by March 1st but the deadline has been extended.  I was able to do this online.
3. 2020 Census - Every four years in the U.S. the census is taken to update the number of people in the country.  In past years it was done on a form you had to fill out and mail in or sometimes a person would even come to your door.  This year we received a letter in the mail and was able to use a number given to us online to fill out the form for our household.  Quick and easy, I didn't have to leave the house.
4. Birthday shopping - My youngest son, Sean has a birthday this month. Many stores are closed now and I didn't want to go out anyway.  I was able to order his gift online and it will be here just in time for his special day.

It was nice to be able to get all these jobs taken care of here at my computer in a fairly short amount of time.  There are many other things that most of us take care of online these days as well.  This online ability is proving so much more important now with all the restrictions due to the coronavirus.  Both my sons and my daughter-in-law are able to work from home.  Many children around the world are now or soon will be attending school at home on computers.  

In my mind there is something equally important the internet provides for us.  That is the ability to have contact with one another no matter where we live or if we leave our homes or not.  I value that contact, especially now!

And because this is a boring post with no pictures I'll add a photo of my cats when they were kittens.  Hopefully it will give a smile or two.

Zeus and Sophie

Please take care everyone! 

Not much happening here...

There's not been much to write about around here recently.  In fact, things have been so slow this week that even the cats are bored.

A bored Zeus

No excitment in Sophie's day either

Last week I did have a few appointments.  It was time for my annual eye examination so I got that checked off my "To Do" list.  I found out I have wrinkles in one eye.  I knew I was getting old but geez!  Sure, a lot of us have wrinkles around our eyes but in your eye?  This is called a "macular pucker" and they noticed it last year at my checkup and apparently this year it has gotten a bit worse.  There is nothing that can be done about it unless it gets much worse and then they do surgery.  I'm just going to hope it doesn't get that bad because I can do without surgery, thank you! 

I've been organizing family photos from the late 1800's and early 1900's.  I'm getting them ready to scan and I also want to write names and approximate dates on them.  Of course, there are a few of people that I don't know who they are and I'm really wishing my ancestors had written names on the back of their photos.  Hint for the future: please identify your family pictures whether they are printed or digital!  Someone in your future will thank you!   

Tom and I have been shopping for new cell phones.  We no longer keep a house phone so we need reliable cell phones.  We currently each have a Samsung Galaxy S4 and it has been the best phone I've ever owned.  It is seven years old which is truly ancient for a smart phone.  Our phones are still working but need to be replaced soon due to memory problems.  (I hope no one ever says that about me!)  They simply were not made to handle the software and apps of today.  One sales clerk got a big kick out of the age of our phones.  I thought we were doing good to use them as long as possible but I guess many people today trade them in every year.  We went to a couple of different stores and discovered the availability of many of the phones we were considering is now extremely limited due to the coronavirus.  There is a big shortage in electronics and parts for electronics.  Many phones, televisions and other electronics come from China and other countries affected by the virus.  Some of the factories have been closed because of it.  Hmm, we may be using these phones a while longer.   

Spring is at least getting closer for us and that is always a good thing.  Our temperatures may even get up to the 60s F this weekend and that would be wonderful!  We also spring forward this Saturday night so we lose an hour of sleep.  Thanks Daylight Savings Time.  Honestly, I'd just as soon keep the same time all year.  Oh well.  Have a great weekend everyone!

Cats in Windows

Sophie & Zeus

Our cats, Sophie and Zeus love to spend time looking out the windows and doors.  They each look out for different favorite things.  If they are in another part of the house and we call out "squirrels" they will each come running.  Of course they both love watching the birds and squirrels but Sophie in particular considers that her personal job.  Each morning, bright and early, she assumes her position at the back door.  She is usually perched on top of their cat tower watching out for birds and squirrels.  She takes her work seriously and will only leave a couple of times during the day until 5:00 PM when she considers herself off work and goes to another room for a nap.

Zeus

Zeus, on the other hand, prefers to watch trucks out the front window.  There is nothing he loves more than to watch the garbage truck come by each week.  He always watches intently as the men dump the garbage in the truck and drive away.  If Zeus is in a different room and we call out "Zeus, truck" he will come running to the front window.  Sophie could care less for things like trucks and will not come.

Zeus & Sophie watching the Santa Bus

There is one exception when Sophie does like to see a vehicle driving by the house.  In our small town they have a Santa Bus that drives all around each neighborhood on weekends in December.  The Santa Bus carries Santa and his Elves and stops to visit with children and give out small gifts.  Both Sophie and Zeus absolutely love the Santa Bus.  It arrives with a police escort and the sound of sleigh bells and when it stops, often in front of our house, a line of children quickly appear to see Santa.  Sophie and Zeus both love to watch this annual Christmas activity!  They even like it better than the Ice Cream Man and yes, when they hear his music they come running to the window.

The Gift

When I woke up this morning, I realized there was a small, stuffed, toy mouse next to me.  Not just any mouse mind you but my cat Zeus’s favorite toy, affectionately known as Mousey.  I’ve had a cold and sinus infection the past week and have been coughing a lot in the night.  This was his offering to help me feel better, and it did as it put a smile on my face and love in my heart.

Zeus and Mousey

This little mouse has a bit of history.  We adopted our cats Sophie and Zeus from Wayside Waifs, an animal rescue center, four years ago this month.  This toy came with them from the rescue center and has always been a favorite.

Sophie and Zeus were four years old this past November and are brother and sister.  Tom and I have always been cat people and when our last two cats passed, we had simply not been able to adjust to life without cats.  Tom had a dream that we adopted two cats and one was named Zeus.  He described this kitten to me and I could not get it out of my mind.  Finally, we decided to go to the rescue center and look.  Sure enough we saw a couple of eight-week-old kittens that looked just like the cat in his dream.  Yes, the rest is history.  They are most definitely part of our family.  We have had many cats and each one has a distinct personality.  These two are no different and each one is special in it’s own way.  

Sophie and Zeus

  

“A cat has absolute emotional honesty: human beings, for one reason or another, may hide their feelings, but a cat does not.” – Ernest Hemingway