Store No. 2 – Searching and not locating much beyond the basics. Receiving no offers of help. Looking up to see the “open” light on at the register, making eye contact with the associate and … watching him walk away without even acknowledging me. Assuming he’s coming back, placing my items on the belt. Realizing that no … he’s chatting at the customer service desk even though he knows I’m here. Putting my items back in the cart and going to wait in a longer line.

I’m a Target girl. My experience tonight (store No. 1) resembles the positive experience I always have there. Occasionally, I throw K-Mart a bone, but my experience yesterday (store No. 2) is typical. I almost always find myself pissed at the K-Mart checkout … slow associates, opening a new lane and helping someone who just walked up rather than people have been waiting and now … being left hanging.

K-Mart clearly isn’t focusing enough on customer service in their training. I also think they aren’t hiring the right people … I can’t even imagine an associate at Target pulling the stunt I experienced yesterday. Maybe they have an inferiority complex. And after this tale of two stores … I’d say rightfully so.

Today I encountered a crabby morning person and this time it impacted my experience at a place that typically does a good job with customer experience … Panera. So my tip for morning establishments … don’t hire or schedule someone for the morning shift if they aren’t a morning person.

P.S. As I was snacking on part of a bagel left over from my morning meeting, I remembered a little nutritional tidbit that just killed me:
Twix candy bar – 286 calories; 14 grams fat; 37 grams carbohydrate
Panera Cinnamon Crunch bagel – 430 calories; 8 grams fat; 81 grams carbohydrate

I knew it wasn’t healthy, but never imagined it was THAT bad.

I decided to use the photo as an excuse to write about an awesome site. It’s called Etsy and it’s “a place for buying and selling all things handmade.”

I love arts and crafts and for that reason, I adore this site. It supports artisans (they are individual sellers that pay Etsy a reasonable fee) and allows me to buy really cool things.

When I bought Ella’s outfit I also bought one for my friend Natalie’s new daughter Rachel …

This seller is Bella Claire Baby and I highly recommend them … the clothes are adorable and well made and the customer service was fantastic (I actually have only had wonderful experiences with all the Etsy sellers I’ve dealt with).

Happy shopping! (And perhaps if you make handmade items and want to join Etsy, happy selling.)

And just so you know, I don’t think this will be the last post because I was reminded when I saw/heard him in my Minneapolis layover waiting area that I’m definitely inspired by cute, mild-mannered Canadian men and their adorable accents. He’s a tall, Kennedy-esque hottie from Edmonton who … is seated in my row because there is a God!

But I digress.  I’ll start with the kudos.  I’ve never been impressed by the main terminal at Lambert airport.  But my check-in was simple and security was breeze this go round – the agents were even pleasant.  Then came Diane at the Terminal A CPK.  She was fun and efficient – a good combo for starving flyers waiting in long lines for food. I really wanted a banana and they were out.  Diane was frazzled by all the people crowding her register and she could have easily said “I don’t know” or “no” when I asked if they had more.  Well, actually she did say both of those things … but lo and behold then she quickly said, “wait a minute … I’ll go check.”  And she promptly came back with a dozen of them. She went above and beyond, which I’d say is unusual for airport restaurant workers, and I truly appreciate it.

Now for the rant … dear Northwest Airline and all other airlines besides Southwest (American Airlines, US Airways, United Airlines – I’m talking to you): Efficient, assigned seating was the one thing you had going for you — I hate the cattle call, although it’s much better now.  Now that you are ridiculously charging $15 for the first checked bag, pretty much everyone is trying to shove too many bags in the overhead bins, creating a BFCF of the boarding process (BF stands for big fat – and if you don’t know what CF is, e-mail me and I’ll fill you in). 

Also, my flight to Canada (not overseas mind you) cost $550 – freaking robbery if you ask me – and it completely pisses me off to be forced pay a fee to check my suitcase – seriously!!!  Maybe you could waive the fee for flights over $350 or something.

Plus Southwest’s magazine is better than yours, their flight attendants are more entertaining, they don’t charge $3 or $5 for a snack and their planes are clean and shiny, which I realize is cosmetic, but it makes me feel safer.  Southwest was not an option for this trip, but you’d better believe when they are, I won’t choose you.

Of course, now that I think about it, Southwest probably has fewer Canadian flying their friendly skies, but next time I’ll have to travel during the day (it’s so dark, I can hardly see the cutie asleep across the aisle) so I get my money’s worth!