Tuesday Tribute to Target

It was a dark and stormy night. A cold, bitter wind blew in from the North so cold and so bitter that the earth began to crack and crumble. From the ruble rose up Lucifer himself screaming.

“Arrrgh! The ice! The ice! Hell has frozen over!”

And that, ladies and gentlemen, will be about the same time that I will once again swap dinero for merchandise from a Target store.

For those of you who might be confused, we filed a police report on Saturday night because my son’s car was stolen. Or so we thought. Apparently, the demented folks at Target take issue with cars being in a parking lot. Gasp!

While I realize that their job is to push the red, I didn’t think that would mean making people see red. Or helping me push their bottom line to the red (yes, I shopped there that much).

Both Mr. Strong and I went to talk with the manager. The manager and her customer service helper must have made the highest marks in the “How to Piss Off a Customer So They Never Return” course. For the record, there was no need to belittle and make us feel small and stupid. That is mine and Mr. Strong’s job to do to each other and we need no interference from a store with a heiney hole as their logo.

“It’s private property. We can call a tow truck if we want.”

Charming, eh?

That charming attitude cost my sweet 18 year old $155 and a lot of angst and worry. Not to mention the dent in the front bumper, the paint chip on the side view mirror, and the torn up section of the back bumper (But according to the imbeciles who towed, it was like that when they picked it up. Right… Because noticing the little things are what you do best in life. Hey, wipe your chin. You're drooling.).

Now about the signs. You know, all the signs about the “towing if the car is left one minute after we turn off the lights” – Yeah, those signs. Well, they don’t exist. Apparently because “it’s private property.” Hell, I’ve seen cars on the side of the road for longer than they’ll tolerate.

But you have to lend it to Target for their part in stimulating the economy. I wonder whose idea it was to join forces with the towing company? Maybe there are some incentives for the little extra damage to the car… Maybe there are some cool Isaac Mizhari decorations available to hide the damage (though I’ll never know…).

All I can say, Target, is when it comes to customer service, you missed the mark.

As of today, you’ve officially made me a Wal-Mart customer (oh, dang it, dang it! I really have a phobia of hanging out with people who don’t wear shoes.). And it is a scary world when Wal-Mart reigns in customer service.

Hold me.