Bad Service

Hello, all. First-time poster, etc. etc. I'm not sure if this qualifies as pure bad service or a WTF. Basically brief Oil Change Shop Suckage.

Backstory: So, the other day, the significant other and myself had a date to see a movie, and agreed to meet up at the movie theatre. As always, I got there early. As I had some free time before said date, and my car needed an oil change, I decided to pop into the oil change shop that was right by the movie theatre, particularly as they were advertising $17.99 for a full service oil change.

Boy, NEVER AGAIN.

I pull into the little garage thing, and the mechanic tells me to pop the hood, etc. I go ahead, remain in the car, he does his thing.

Mechanic: That'll be $31.50.
Me: WHUT? You advertised $17.99!!
Mechanic: Yeah, but we put synthetic oil in your car. It works better.
Me: I didn't ask for synthetic oil!
Mechanic: *shrugs, cracks gum* Well, your car would run better on synthetic oil, so we put that in. $31.50.
Me: *seething in resentment* Fine. *hands him $31.50*
Mechanic: Oh, by the way, you also need new antifreeze. Yours looks really bad.
Me: No I don't.
Mechanic: *in condescending tone typically used to placate whiny, badly-in-need-of-nap 3-year-olds* Miss, I don't know how long you have been driving, or if you know anything about it, but antifreeze is used so that your car doesn't overheat. It is summertime, so you need to change your antifreeze. By the way, we have a special right now. Usually that's $80, but I'll give it to you for $50.
Me: *getting really pissed* SIR, I don't know if YOU know, but antifreeze only needs to be changed on average of once every two years, and I just got mine done last November, and as I don't work as a traveling salesperson or drive for more than an average of seven miles a day, it's fine still. And by the way, you don't need to talk to me like I'm mentally retarded.
Mechanic: *now with really snotty attitude* I'm just telling you what you should get, that's part of my job.
Me: Good-bye.

ARGH. Yes, I'm aware that synthetic oil is better, but it pissed me off because I didn't ask for it, and it's not like my car's going to blow up and kill everyone within a five-mile radius if it's got regular oil in it! And WHY IS IT that auto shops aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllways try to sell you anything and everything if you're a girl?! I'm not trying to generalize, but this type of thing happens far too often, though never before to this extent. Maybe it's just me and other girls don't get this type of treatment. I don't know. But seriously, WTF?

Haha, oh car places. I have had my fair share of the shear crappyness that is Jiffy Lube, Midas and others. I'll post my stories under the cut because it's going to be 2/3 stories....

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This is just a stupid thing that happened to me the other day, but it was funny enough that I had to share it.

I just moved recently, so the old Dunkin Donuts that I used to love going to is no longer on my way to work. Instead, there is a Dunkin Donuts without a drive-thru, which is a little bit of an inconvenience thing but not a huge deal. I went in for the first time last week to order a coffee and croissant. I usually get a berry berry iced coffee, but my friend had been telling me how good the caramel coffee is so I decided to get one of those instead on a whim.

There are two girls at the register when I walk in. Our conversation goes like this:

Girl #1: Hi, what would you like?
Me: Could I have a medium iced caramel coffee and a toasted croissant please?
Girl #1: Do you want it with caramel flavor or a caramel swirl?
(Now, I have heard these terms before but I wasn't entirely sure of what the difference is, so...)
Me: Hmm. What's the difference?
Girl #1: (said in a nice, helpful voice - not being sarcastic at all) Well, the caramel swirl is like a swirl, and the caramel flavor is a flavoring.
Me: ....
Girl #2: *nods and smiles helpfully*
Me: Uh okay, I'll just get the flavoring please.

So then I pay, and Girl #2 brings up my coffee.
Girl #2: Hi, one medium iced coffee with a caramel swirl.

I didn't even bother correcting her, because I still don't know the difference! I just thought it was super funny and ridiculous that they defined the types of drinks with the words themselves. They were nice about it, just completely clueless.

Yesterday, me and my hubby decided to pop into ASDA's (UK equivalent of Walmart) cafe because it's cheap and we were hungry. The menu board says they have baguettes but since they're not on offer I have to ask the cashier (who was also the manager) what ones they have. He begins by describing the "roast of the day sandwich" which is not only different to what I asked for, but about double the price. This is minor, so eventually I get my baguette. My hubby orders a chicken and mushroom slice, and the manager tells us they don't have it because it's "after 2.30". (No times are specified on the menu board) Hubby says that "no, it's 2 o'clock" and the manager just grins and says "exactly" At this point we have no idea what he's talking about so hubby just orders chips, and we both buy a pre-packaged brownie each.

So, we pay, sit down and wait for our food, my baguette arrives and is fine. Hubby waits for his chips - these are not made to order but simply in a heated "pot" next to the cash desk. Eventually he goes up and asks if he should just get them himself, and the manager scoops some up and give them to him - until this point he and the other server (nice server) had been doing nothing. I guess he forgot but...it just seems odd when he has nothing to do, and the chips are right in front of him.  The food is all right, but hubby notices the brownies taste funny (at this point I've eaten most of it myself). He looks at the package - use by June 23. *headdesk* These things have eggs so it's not a brilliant idea to leave them there for nearly a week past the use date. Luckily, when we alert nice server he takes us straight to the store's customer service desk instead of the cafe manager. Luckily, my stomach's fine but seriously! How did this guy make it to manager?

 For what it's worth, I know it's weird I'm 27, live in the US & don't have a driver's license.
Today I went to get my permit because mine is expired & a friend offered to drive with me on weekend. Luckily I'd bribed another friend with lunch because I had to go to 2 different DMV's.
The first DMV has a sign up that says they don't do permit testing but you can get your id if you've already taken the written test. I google other nearby DMV locations & the phone lines are all busy so we just go to another one nearby. (Strangely, permit testing is not listed as a service offered or not offered at different sites on the website). We go to another DMV & they have the same sign. The line is fairly short so I ask why this is. Apparently of the 20-odd DMV's in my city, there is only one where you can take the written permit test. In a state where driver's ed isn't taught in public schools. 
The bonus to this?: that DMV isn't on a bus line, while about 15 of the other ones are. If you don't drive & want a permit, how does that make sense? 

On Sunday the 21st my computer decided it didn't want to charge anymore. It wasn't the cable itself, but the jack inside the computer became loose. I was a little worried that I wouldn't be able to find a repair place open on a Sunday and given the circumstances of everything, I needed to get it into a place on Sunday or rely on my mom to bring it in somewhere during the week. The main reason why I wanted to get my computer in somewhere quickly was because this last Friday (the 26th) I had a scheduled surgery. And since I'm just laying on my back for the next 2 weeks I was hoping I'd get my computer back in plenty of time to keep me occupied.

So after looking at yelp.com I found a computer repair place open on Sundays until relatively late in the evening (7PM). It was about 5PM and my brother and I drove to Spectrum Computer Depot in San Francisco to get an estimate. We got to the store and there was another party in front of us. We waited a few minutes and then someone came to help us. All of the service I received in the store that day was great.

They estimated $160, to get the piece in that they needed and for the labor cost. They also noted that the delivery of the part would take 2-3 business days and that the labor would take 1 day, but maybe 2 if they were busy. Based on these estimates the computer should have been done by Thursday or Friday.

On Thursday I called to see when it looked like it was going to be done. After putting me on hold for several minutes the guy came back on the phone and apologized, explaining that the piece they needed to repair my computer had been delayed and wouldn't be in until the following day. I asked him if he knew when the computer would be done and he said that by Friday evening it should be done.

Friday evening, my mother calls for me (because I still all messed up from anesthesia) to ask if the computer is ready. Again, they tell her no. My mom asks again when it will be done and they said by Sunday.

My mom calls Sunday afternoon and AGAIN they still haven't fixed my computer. My mom told the guy on the phone that she has a daughter on the couch unable to walk due to a recent surgery waiting on her computer. The guy apologized and said he'd have it done by Sunday evening and would call us when it was done.

Did we ever get a call? No.
I called them again today and the guy on the phone said that the piece has been replaced by they had diagnostic tests to run on the computer and see if it's working The guy told me that by 2PM tomorrow I should call again and it should all be done. At this point I am really frustrated that they've had my computer for over a week and have not once contacted me to let me know what's going on or given me appropriate guesses of when the computer will be done.

I told the guy on the phone that I was getting frustrated that they told me I could have the computer back last week and as of tomorrow they'll have had my computer for 10 days. He again blamed it on the fact that their shipment was delayed. I told him it would have been kind had someone contacted me when they found out the whole thing was going to get delayed, rather than me keep calling and them keep telling me new dates/times.

Hopefully it's done tomorrow, but at this point I'm wishing I had just invested in a netbook. And I will never use this place again.

This happened so long ago but it still comes up in my mind sometimes because it happened on my birthday and I pass this place on my way to work.

I think it was my 14th or 15th birthday and I told my grandparents that I wanted to go on a trail ride at a stable about 20 minutes away. She called the place to see if they took reservations and they said no, it was first come first serve, and you can't hold your place in line if you leave. That sounds fair enough so we go and Grandma said I could bring a friend so I wouldn't be alone.

We get there and a group had just left to go onto the trail so we just decided to wait. It's mid-July so it's really hot but we found some shade by the barn and just waited so we wouldn't lose our place in line. While we were waiting a little girl showed up. After her a group of people showed up. The trail riders came back and said they can take 6 people. They ask how many people are in the group and they said 5 and ask if the girl was going alone and she was. They decide to take that group even though we were there first and had waited about a half hour. I walk back to the car and tell Grandma what happened and she got so pissed! She gets out of the car and goes up to them to see what their problem is and they said 'That group of 5 were here earlier but left'. And Grandma said 'Yeah, and they lost their place in line. You told me on the phone it's first come first serve. They were here first!' etc, etc. And they were basically like 'Too bad for you'. So we left.

TL;DR Stable says their policy is first come first serve but take the people that showed up after us on a trail ride.

The day wasn't a total bust, we ended up just going to Ocean City and hanging out at the boardwalk all day.