Wednesday, October 27, 2010

"Courtesy"

When did it become ok to receive a phone call from someone and not call them back? How about, when did it become ok to order something from someone, not pay for it, and then not return their phone calls either? I am seriously dumbfounded people!

Let's start with the not calling back. I have 2 recent instances I'd like to share with you.

Instance #1

My son is in First grade. He decided he wanted to join the orchestra his school offers and play violin (They only offer Violin, Cello, and Viola). I had received a notice home that I was responsible for an extra $40 fee for my son to have the privilege of playing in said orchestra, and that it was to be paid before he would be allowed into lessons. I paid it, weeks passed. Soon, the day came that the violins arrived at the school. I received another notice home about the $40. I would like to take this time to mention that I paid the initial $40 in CASH because our school and district take MONTHS to cash checks which is really annoying if you have a type A personality like mine. I immediately called the school and asked to talk to the music teacher. I left a voicemail and waited. I did not hear from him that day, so I called again the next day, and apparently he had a substitute that day. I left a message with the sub, and expected he would call me upon his return the next day. Nothing. I called again on Friday and asked him to please call me back as the class was starting Monday and I wanted my son in it, but that I had received this letter after already sending in the $40 payment. I never heard back. I went ahead and sent a check so that my son could attend his first day of lessons. Two weeks later, Mr Music teacher called me and left me a message. I, unlike him, had the common courtesy to call him back and ask where my $40 in cash had gone? Apparently, he had no idea. So, 1 day/weekly lessons have now cost me $80 instead of the $40 it cost everyone else. ARGH! The whole point of me calling BEFORE was to talk to him about this before sending my $ in, because once you send it, it's gone...common courtesy folks!

Instance #2

My son's school has something called "Spirit Wear". I ordered my son a t-shirt last year in his "Village Color" (The tiles are different colors in each hallway to help the kids learn where their classrooms are. Each hallway has 8 classrooms and is called a Village). I paid by check, and sent in the order with the form on September 10, 2010 with the promise that the personalised football jersey I ordered would be in "Mid October". I had planned on my son wearing this football jersey as part of his Halloween costume, so I was really hoping it was going to be in. The PTO (Because they are too cool to call themselves a "PTA") cashed the check October 14, 2010. Usually, once they cash the check you receive your item. Unfortunately, I still have not received my son's item. I have called the chairperson in charge of "Spirit Wear" every day last week, and this week to try and find out what is going on. If we are not going to get his jersey for whatever reason, I just want to know, and, I want my $28 back too! I still have not heard. Today, I called the president of the PTO to hopefully get a call back from her to find out what is going on. I just don't understand what is with my generation and the lack of care, I took the time to call you,so OBVIOUSLY, I CARE, the LEAST YOU CAN DO is call me back! It's very frustrating, and, of course, my son had to get a different Halloween costume. Boo!

I just don't get it. I stopped helping this PTO because I helped on a fund-raiser last year only to have someone else come in and screw up all of my tallys, and then they gave out my HOME PHONE NUMBER while I was on vacation (Because the fund-raiser ran over 2 weeks and into my vacation) and I came home from New Mexico to nearly 50 angry parents on my voice mail. That was it for me. This year I am helping more in the classroom because I don't have the time, nor the patients to wade through the catty hen house that is out PTO, and I don't care who is who, I just care that my kid is getting a good education. However, a good education includes the common courtesy to return calls, at least his regular teacher understands that because nobody else around that school does!


Now, let's talk about buying things and not paying for them, and not calling back.

Over the last 2 weekends, my son and I have canvassed our neighborhood selling popcorn and taking donations for his Cub Scout Pack. My little boy has worked very hard to achieve his goal of selling $650 and beyond, I'm very, very proud of him! However, there were a few people in our neighborhood that refused to pay for the popcorn in advance (So I would have to pay it when I submit the order on Saturday). I don't understand this. I can't go on EBAY and say "I want this blanket, but I don't want to pay for it today, I want to pay for it when it arrives at my house. Nobody does that, and I know it's for a good reason, they might be out the cost of said blanket. However, when you have a 6 year old child and his mother standing at your door that live less than a block away, it's a pretty good assumption that you are going to get what you have ordered. I busted my butt calling other parents in the back and wrangled up all the items that were ordered (so they will be delivered and I can get the $ before it's due Saturday!) This was no small feat as it involved driving to other parents houses, 1/2 tank of my gas, and hours and hours on the phone. Add this to the hours and hours I spend making Den Meeting plans, attending functions, and parenting my own 3 children, plus running a house, and you have 1 exhausted expectant Momma. But. I. did. It. Yesterday, I called all the people that ordered popcorn and haven't paid. I have yet to hear from any of them. You can't tell me they are all on vacation. In fact, 1 gentleman ordered an $18 bag of toffee. I got it in the next day, and tried to deliver it, no $. So I went again, a week later, still no $, and his wife still wasn't home. So, I left my name and # and asked him or his wife to please call me so that I could get the toffee delivered and the $ for my son's pack. I still haven't heard, and that was Saturday with a follow-up Tuesday. I am at a loss. Should I be responsible for HIS order? I think not. I might just have to cross him off and return his toffee to the packmaster. Boo. I'm not talking about money that goes to my son, he doesn't get any of it directly, he only benefits through his pack and council. I think it's disgusting and selfish of these people to act the way they are.



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3 comments:

  1. OH MY GOSH don't get me started on my daughter's brownie troop TWO YEARS AGO. They are hounding ME for money still for People who haven't paid for their cookies. I finally told the lady, "Look, stop hounding me for money, I delivered ONLY TO THOSE WHO PAID for them. YOU delivered to those who DID NOT pay for them. It's not my problem." And she STILL HAS THE NERVE TO COME OVER TO MY HOUSE and ask for the MONEY OR THE COOKIES. TWO YEARS later. (And I would totally pay IF I got the cookies, but I didn't and those Thin Mints did NOT go to my hips, so I am NOT paying for them!)

    UGH.

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  2. BTW, after that fiasco, we stopped going. Because let's face it, I can teach Girl Scouts in MY SLEEP, and much better as a matter of fact.

    You know what, you should take that $680 and get your son a plane ticket to Kotzebue. He'll come home an EAGLE SCOUT, aka ESKIMO!

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  3. He would love it, he's already told me that some day he wants to live in Alaska. I told him we'd come visit LOL!

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