Waiter, is that a pirate ship in my soup?

[RascalPuff]

SIGNS OF THE RECESSIONAL TIMES?
Wife and I have had three recent shopping experiences which revealed that we had been over-charged for our purchases in each case. The most outstanding incident was brought to the attention of the Customer Service Department, where the employees cooperatively determined that several weighing scales were registering .92 pounds, before anything was placed on the scale. It was also determined from the list billing, that we had been charged for a purchase we didn't make.

The customer service department good naturedly reimbursed us over $14.00. There have recently been two other similar occurrences at different stores.

Is this a growing trend of the economic times, or is it just happening occasionally, as usual? Please express your views.

Regards,
- RP

[labelwench]

Hello Rascal,

As one who works in the industry and is also a value conscious customer, I have had similar experience and would share the following observations.

Mechanical or digital weights and measures need to be verified and adjusted, at regular intervals. The digital scales at the stores I am familiar with have an electronic mechanism that can be used by the checkout clerk for such an adjustment.

Scales that print tickets, as for meat, tie a price in to the weight and so need adjusting from both perspectives and the information entered is only as reliable as the one making the entry.

Errors of all types are, in my observation, on the increase for several years now, so I am not certain if the economy is the primary factor, although it may be one.

Reading, writing, grammar, vocabulary, spelling and math skills are IMHO decidedly lacking today, even among those who hold high rank in business and industry. With technology available to assist us in so many areas, I ponder whether we are getting lazy or not acquiring the skills in our learning venues.

In some situations, workers have told me that they require job related skills and training to improve their job performance. Unions and employers that I work with are actively seeking to address this situation, with some concern that their investment of time and money, may well just walk away to another job immediately thereafter.

In other venues a lack of work ethic is apparent, and a dangerous state of apathy is endemic. I use the term dangerous as I have concerns that in a faltering economy, those who are lacking in skills and work ethic are going to be the first to feel it's pinch, and apathy and ignorance can swiftly lead to anger and irrational conduct, with serious consequence.

We have been doing so much, with so few, for so long, that it has become mundane, yet even Labelwench conceeds that she would not attempt the impossible with no-thing.

(Leaving a segway for Melanie or one of the philosophical sorts, LOL....)