The Thin Ice of Customer Satisfaction

“I met Jesus, his name is Bob”, our companion told us in all seriousness as we sat on buckets on the ice. “I was out ice fishing, just like now, I hadn't caught anything all day. Everyone had left and I was about to too.” he continued as we sat and watched the dormant fish traps we had set around us. “I was about to pick up my gear when this old bum, smoking Marlboro 100s, walks up to me, ses his name is Bob and asks me how the fishing was going. He looked real scruffy, so I didn't really wanna talk to him. I told him I was just leaving.” he paused to take a swig of his beer, “Just then he points over my shoulder and he says to me, he says, 'Hey, I think you've got a flag there'. And sure enough, one of my traps had gone off. I walked up to the trap and pulled out a nice one, and just as soon as I had finished removing the fish from the hook.. another flag! I walked up to that trap and, I swear it's true, as soon as I finished the next trap went off. And it went on like that until all, five, traps, had gone off! I swear. I went up to him and I told him, ‘You’re Jesus aren't you?’. You know what he did? He just smiled and walked away. I’m telling ya, I met Jesus, and his name is Bob.

Just then, a loud cracking sound interrupted the story. I could feel the ice move ever so slightly under my bucket. There seemed to be a lot more cracks in the ice then when we started. “Ha ha ha, don’t worry. That’s normal. It always freaks people out on their first time ice-fishing. It’s actually a good sign. What you don’t want, is to hear nothing. Hear nothing and feel your legs getting cold and wet. That’s a very bad sign.” our friend reassured us. Just then someone pointed. A flag, we caught something!

“Can I have these for same day service?” I asked the attendant at the laundromat as I handed him a large plastic bag. “Sha, ya can pickke up at ten tomarrah”, came the reply as he took the bag and handed me a piece of paper with something hastily scribbled on it. “Tomorrow? But that’s not the same day, can’t you have them ready tonight?” I protested, “I’ll be at work at ten tomorrow.”. “Fah same day deliverah you hava drop it off befo..” he paused and glanced at a clock on the wall, “..fahv.” he said disinterestedly under a big sign that said “Same day service until 6pm”. “But the sign says 6!” I insisted pointing above his head. “Ya, ba I safah” he mumbled. “Excuse me?” I said, realising that I was going to sleep on a bare mattress tonight. “Dasi sa ix, badda isa e fah”, he said with an air of impatience. “What?? I can’t understand you!” I said, wondering if he was still speaking English. “Fahv. Ya hava drap it offa fahv.” he said angrily. At that point I got the message, took my receipt and left. If it made sense for him to spit in my laundry, I guess he would have. What a jerk.

“I’m the goodwill ambassador for this week”, a middle-aged man wearing an apron told me as he handed me a brown paper bag. “The ambassador??” I said puzzled, starting to recognise the waiter that tended to our table during lunch break earlier in the week. “That’s right, please accept these freshly-baked brownies as a token of our appreciation for your patronage. We hope to be seeing you and party again soon” he said as he cheerily waved goodbye. “Wow, that’s really nice!” I told my colleague who was close enough to see the whole interaction. “Yeah, well. I think it’s kinda creepy.. you know, like they’re trying too hard. I wish they wouldn't do that.” was not the reaction I was expecting.

Still left with a positive feeling, I contrasted this behaviour with that of my good friend at the laundromat the other day. It seems that one can find all sorts of attitudes here. I decided to reward the cafe’s behaviour by going there for lunch the next day. I was tempted to find another laundromat, but that would hardly be necessary as I would be moving to my new place in just a couple of weeks. The most democratic of all our interactions is where we decide to spend our money. It is the way that we vote every day wit our wallets for good service and against bad service. With such a system, provided it is allowed to function freely, those able to satisfy net the rewards and those that don’t fall through in the long run. Thank Bob.

Shortly before dawn Bob went out to them, walking on the lake.
When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified.
“It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
But Bob immediately said to them:
“Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”