I got an unexpected phone call today that gave me quite a buzz. You see, last week I fired off an email brickbat to Macro Wholefoods Market expressing my indignation at its new range of "healthy" food for kids, which includes potato chips, corn chips and "cookies".
I don't have a problem with Macro selling these products, but I do have an issue with spurious advertising claims, particularly about food for kids. I forgot all about the email until this morning at work when my mobile phone bipped at me. It was the founder and CEO of Macro! He had just returned from Beijing to find my crotchety email on his desk. Needless to say, I was quite surprised - but also impressed that he would pick up the phone to call someone who enquired if his company is happy to drop its concern for people's health if there is a buck to be made.
I was less impressed with his defence, but I won't bore you with the details. I will tell you that he invited me to be part of a coterie of customers whose opinions he values. Goodness me! He gave me his mobile phone number and asked me to let him know what I think of the company's first catalogue which should hit my mailbox any day now. All righty!
I felt a bit pleased with myself. It's nice when someone takes notice of you. Just goes to show that sometimes it's worth giving feedback to the companies whose products and services you use. And not only negative comments either. I recently sent a complimentary email to my internet provider and got a free T-shirt and beanie in response. A month's free net access would have been more useful (although an appreciative email in reply would have been enough), but I thought it was a nice gesture all the same.
Apart from that, I had to look pretty hard to find some small pleasures today...and what did I find, but $50 on the footpath near my house! Wheeee! It was a brief source of glee, however, because obviously it belongs to someone else and I know that I'd be bummed if I lost $50. I felt bad, but it's a busy footpath; I wasn't going to walk up and down it in the dark asking anyone if they lost some money, was I? (It's also a very affluent area so maybe it won't be missed so much).
Last time I found $50 on the ground, I bought a pair of black trousers that I never wore and ended up taking to my local op-shop with the tags still attached. And then the shop burnt down.
I think I will give the $50 to a homeless person this time.
Did you get a buzz out of anything today?
5 comments:
Wow! What an eventful day!!!
Good to know that you are now hob-nobbing with the higher echelons of the people who provide sustenance for the health conscious, dietary-challenged and eco-aware :)
Why not get change for your $50 and give 5 homeless people $10 each...maybe a way to prevent an overdose or serious hangover if the recipient of the entire $50 is partial to such things (not that all homeless people are - but you never know)
Please update on the recipient(s) of your lucky find :)
That is super impressive of you to give that $50 away. I have to admit that I'd keep it for myself and either pay a bill or go out for dinner (depending on how irresponsible I was feeling).
I'm also impressed that the CEO called you directly. Being slightly cynical I would have suspected a punking by a friend...
Victoria...splitting up the $50 is a good idea. I also think that giving $50 to one person might lead to some awkwardness because it's not something that happens every day (I assume, anyway!). I don't really like making a spectacle of myself and I don't want the recipient to feel uncomfortable accepting such a large donation (assuming they would!).
Hey Alex. If my finances were stretched, I'm sure I would have used the $50 to pay bills or spoil myself a little also, but happily, I have that aspect of my life under control at last (partly due to a recent generous but largely undeserved payrise).
Punking never occurred to me! Well, mostly because I didn't really tell anyone about the email I sent but also because when he rang I had just arrived at work late because I wasn't feeling well so I wasn't really functioning at a high level. When I first answered the phone, it was a bad line and my brain was fuzzy and I kept saying, "Who? Who is it?"! He must have though I was a nutter!
yay for finding the $50, spend it on whatever you like.You have my permission, :)
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