Category Archives: customer service

does this look like a $32 meal?

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Fiorello’s Cafe at 730 E. Gay Street in West Chester is normally a special place for us.

I will preface what I’m about to say with the fact that I am writing this because of the way I was treated by the young (?) woman who answered the phone who was some kind of a hostess or something and when I asked her if there was anyone else I could speak to she said no and if you’ve ever been in Fiorillo’s, you know that’s not true.

Talking about things like this actually helps a restaurant because they might not be aware how this person treats customers. And again, if you have ever been there, you know that they normally are wonderful to their guests.

We thought we would order takeout tonight and my husband wanted pizza and I didn’t, so we settled on Fiorello’s because it’s literally one of our favorite places to go to. And once in a while, we order them from Uber Eats for delivery. (You can also order on Slice, but I have found that delivery service problematic and prefer not to use them and actually if you order Fiorillo’s through them it’s more expensive than Uber Eats.)

Here is what I ordered. It was $32 from Uber Eats. $34 on Slice:

I ordered the “Calamari Mediterranean”, which says it comes with linguine. That is what it’s like when you order it in the restaurant. I asked for it to have capers added to it. I have ordered this for delivery before and again, like when you eat it in the restaurant, it comes with a small side house salad, and a little bit of bread and sometimes even that wonderful thin small slice of a garlicky pizza they serve with their meals.

It was delivered without linguine there wasn’t the side salad that used to come with it or even a crust of bread.

I called Fiorello’s twice and whoever the young woman is answering the phone was just freaking rude. I will admit that because I do not respond well to rude I was sharp due to her response along the lines of “What do you want me to do about it?” Now that’s paraphrasing, but that was the clear message.

“We don’t deliver” she says. I responded that I know they don’t deliver. The problem wasn’t the delivery. The problem was the order.

And no, I’m not driving to come pick up a replacement order when I wanted to treat myself to delivery from Fiorello’s. I never actually asked for a replacement incidentally.

And the phone/hostess woman with the whole attitude of what do I expect her to do about? It is simply not acceptable. That’s what I can’t get past. She could’ve actually just apologized. A simple “We’re so sorry” goes a long way.

Does she want me to explain a restaurant and what front of house does when there’s a problem? I wasn’t even looking for a partial refund at that point although after I got off the phone with her, I was so ticked off I did contact Uber Eats and they did give me a partial refund….which I deserved as a customer.

Again, we have been customers for years.

And I don’t understand how their own kitchen doesn’t know that this comes with linguine that’s plain that you put the calamari over? (When you are in the restaurant, of course, the calamari comes out on top of the linguine.)

Again, I ask because you see the photo of what I received and that was all that I received in the photo that opened this post. Does this look like a $32 dinner or even complete?

And I will also note that this woman who answered the phone argued with me that all I was getting was calamari when I ordered that for Uber Eats and I said no she had better go back and read the menu.

But above all else, I don’t do rude as a customer. And again she would not have gotten an edge in my voice if she had just been polite to me instead of me getting the whole attitude of she doesn’t really want to be there on a Sunday night and talk to anybody on the phone or help people.

When employees have attitudes like that it makes it less likely that people actually want to come into a restaurant.

Mostly this makes me sad because we’ve had many wonderful occasions in this normally local gem of a restaurant. We even celebrated our engagement there as a newly engaged couple.

I’m not writing this post to say no I will never patronize Fiorello’s again, I am writing this because they obviously have a couple things to work on with staff. Normally things there are impeccable and the staff is really friendly and helpful.

This was not such an experience.

I’m not looking for a free meal and I won’t accept one, but it would be nice if somebody just said they were sorry that this happened. And also to teach whomever that was on the phone who also never identified herself, basic customer service skills.

I love Fiorello’s normally, I didn’t love this. And that’s all I’m saying.

why don’t companies respect when you ask to be removed from solicitation mailing lists?

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Once upon a time many years ago at this point we used this tree care company after our original arborist back then had a climbing accident.

We needed tree work and we had seen this company’s signs. We used them once and were not happy and that was it.

I don’t even understand why they were still contacting me. I used them once years ago and never had them back.

Some of the work was not done correctly (cabling of a huge tree) and other work they did was OK, but not great. I didn’t l also did not care for one guy on the crew who at the time was trash talking my retired arborist who had had the accident. I found that to be unprofessional and very uncomfortable. We paid the bill and we never had them back.

Every few years I get solicitation emails. So I contacted them recently when the emails started again.

I contacted them and told them I have an arborist we are happy with and have been for years at this point. I honestly don’t think they can touch their service or their tree care or their climbers. I got to know our current arborist because they came to fix the job the crew from their company didn’t do right at the time.

I’m not sure if they are another franchise or if they absorbed the people who were more local at one time.

In any event, this is why I won’t use this company again and the final thing is just kind of a pet peeve that I’ve asked for a few years to be removed from marketing and mailing lists and it never seems to happen.

I’m sorry, but I’m kind of a once bitten twice shy person when it comes to companies who don’t mesh with our needs. Maybe people don’t find that to be fair but I’m kind of picky about my gardens and trees .

I then asked if they could kindly remove me from the mailing list, I would be most appreciative.

I received a reply:

So I thought that was the end of it. Only it wasn’t. I keep getting email solicitations. Today I got another email from them about lawn care. First they are arborists, now lawn specialists? To me these are separate but what do I know, I am just a home gardener?

Yes, that means now. I am on yet another mailing list for some unknown company named lawn squad!

I tried to call today to get someone on the phone to remove me from these solicitation email lists, and what I reached was an offshore call center in another country and after sitting on perma-hold and not getting transferred to someone in the US to get me off the mailing list, I hung up.

So I’m writing this post. I don’t begrudge people for trying to make a living, but this company needs to respect the fact that I did not have a good experience with prior iterations and I want to be removed from their mailing list.

It shouldn’t be so difficult to get off a mailing list and it’s not just this company. It’s many companies. They think it’s OK to flood our email inbox with junk mail.

Because it has been more than 10 days since I requested this and they acknowledged receipt of my request as well as saying they would remove me from solicitation lists, I can file complaints on a federal level along with PA attorney general

https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business

Maybe now I will be removed from the mailing list as was previously promised. One can only hope. 

opdenaker: a company that cares about customers.

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First, we had the issues with Republic and then they just dumped everyone in our area as trash customers.

Then we had AJ Blosenski, who was good until they weren’t, and then they really sucked.

Both of these companies had no art of customer service. You can’t get people on the phone. They don’t call you back you don’t matter. they are all about collecting the money, but there’s nothing in between.

So we chose Opdenaker out of Delaware County.

Ever since we signed up with them, it’s been easy. And it’s been well over a year at this point because we switched to them probably the middle of 2023. They show up when they’re supposed to. You can always get someone as in a real human being on the phone and they’re happy to talk to you and if for some reason you get voicemail, they call you back and it’s generally the same day.

This week was the first time they didn’t come. And it was because of the snowstorm on Monday. I wasn’t particularly perturbed. I didn’t expect them to show up. They put out a notification and said they would be in touch with people about when they’re trash day would be rescheduled to.

But the difference between them and everybody else that’s out there is we got a personal phone call to tell us that our trash was being picked up tomorrow.

A customer service outgoing phone call from a really nice lady who apologized profusely for not being able to get there because of the snow and they want customers to know when they were getting their pick ups and not just put out something on social media or email.

I’m nobody special. I’m just your average customer.

Real customer service is so rare these days that I wanted to take just a minute to point this out.

Thank you, Opdenaker.

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igourmet was sold and it’s not the same company, so caveat emptor.

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Igourmet was sold recently and it’s obviously NOT the same company.

As a foodie, and someone who likes to entertain sometimes, I was delighted when I discovered this company years ago. I could get cheeses I literally could not get anywhere else even from DiBruno Brothers.

For years until today, I had used them happily, without incident.

But apparently they were sold at some point this year and it’s a hot mess.

Spencer Chesman, the founder and CEO of igourmet, became the president of Innovative Gourmet, a subsidiary of IVFH (Innovative Food Holdings) around 2018 when IVFH acquired iGourmet. Spencer’s mother, Marsha, founded International Gourmet in the 1960s as a catalog-based retailer of imported cheeses. Spencer launched igourmet.com in 1997, and his sister Tracy Chesman joined him in the business. However who knows how long the actual Chesman family lasted after their 2018 acquisition, right? If you pay attention to businesses , you know how these deals go – usually the company selling out to another company will keep some key employees in place for about a year and then once they think there is a transition that’s complete the company that acquired the original company will often just axe people.

Innovative Food Holdings (IVFH) sold the igourmet.com business this year. Apparently the deal closed around September 2, just my luck. It was purchased by an undisclosed buyer who should continue to hide my current experience was so bad. I doubt I am the only one.

Sampford Advisors acted as financial advisor for Innovative Food Holdings, Inc. Erben M&A Advisors acted as financial advisor for Innovative Food Holdings, Inc. Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP acted as legal advisor to Innovative Food Holdings, Inc. and Weiss Serota Helfman Pastoriza Cole & Boniske, P.A. acted as legal adviosr to iGourmet LLC. I hope they all enjoy the fees they earned because they just put this company in the toilet.

I’m seriously so angry I could scream. I want to know why I spent all that time on the phone with a customer service representative, who assured me that my order would be shipped on the CORRECT date because your new updated website has many bugs in it that I am receiving half of my order today weeks ahead of time?

The backstory is I had been forced to call customer service and not just place my order because their website has so many screw ups. You couldn’t see descriptions of cheeses on the website yet if you put the name of the cheese into Google their description on the website showed up. Also you have the option of delivering immediately or buying now and delivering at a future date within a few weeks. Only when I chose my date in October, it processed as immediately. So I had to call. Oh yes they told me, it was corrected and will be fine.

Fine my arse.

They can’t guarantee that the items I received this morning are going to be fresh by the time October 8th rolls around and the other thing is they didn’t even keep items cold reaching me. Everything was VERY warm including what were supposed to be ice packs.

Does today, September 22, LOOK like October 7th ship for October 8th delivery date?

They owe me replacements on the correct shipping date. And immediate refunds if items are out of stock. They charge a fortune now for shipping and they can’t even get things here cold or even chill to the touch.

Seriously they DID NOT even get things here OVERNIGHT or the cold packs would still have some substance to them and actually be cold or chilly. Extreme perishables arrived WARM. That skeeves me out.

What a mess. And the joke Is on me for spending money with the company. It’s not the same company obviously.

Until now, I had been a happy customer for years. I referred them to countless people.

Caveat emptor and if anyone knows exactly purchased iGourmet, I am all ears. This was a $300+ order and it’s a FAIL.

meet my useless reencle paperweight

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I’m careful with things I am given as presents, especially gadgets, and things that count as appliances.

For Christmas last year I was given a really cool appliance/gadget/machine. A Reencle composter. I’m a big gardener, I like to use compost, so this was like literally the perfect present.

Reencle Home Composter
A great gift…as long as it works.

The composter worked for a couple of months. We followed all the directions meticulously, and then something in the motor or motor itself died.

So then my husband went through all of the stuff that their customer service asked us to do under warranty, and finally after sending them videos and more they said they were going to send us a new motor (or whatever the part was.)

So it’s now September and I can’t even tell you how many months I have not been composting, waiting for a motor or a part that never arrived.

What they should have done by now is just replace the unit because people pay enough for them.

But they didn’t. We played by the company’s rules. I am done.

They claim that a motor was delivered but no motor was ever delivered – Again, I use the word motor I’m assuming that’s what the part needed actually was.

At this point we’re coming up against probably the end of the warranty (I assume it’s a year) and I think this is all a scam so we are forced to buy another unit if we want to use their machine.

I can’t even explain to you all how many times my husband has contacted this company.

As I was the recipient of the gift, I am now writing out my frustrations. And if they are not going to make him whole on my Christmas present from 2023 then I want them to refund him, every penny.

So at this point that is the company’s choice: I either want a new machine or my husband gets a complete refund. However, realistically, I don’t think this is going to happen and we’re going to end up having to throw this out in a bulk pick up.

Again…played by their rules and have waited months for the supposed motor or part that was shipped on a slow boat from somewhere that was never received and never delivered to my home.

I’m pissed off as a consumer, and I’m tired of dealing with this. I got rid of my other composter outside because Reencle was supposed to be so much better. I’m a big gardener, so I would actually use the compost.

For months – because we had to put it on the porch because it’s compost inside and if it’s not running, it will stink up your kitchen or garage – I have had a giant paperweight that’s fairly heavy. Just sitting there. People stare at it. I stare at it. It’s not functional and I’m tired of being the nice patient consumer about this. So I’m warning people about the drawbacks to buying this thing if it breaks while under warranty.

Caveat emptor when dealing with Reencle.

Consumer rant over.

land sharks.

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There I was minding my own business in my own home , and the phone rings. It was from “Greg“ at Springer Realty.

Let me interject that we are on. DO NOT CALL lists.

So I said to “Greg“ at Springer Realty WHY was he calling because we’re on state and federal DO NOT CALL LISTS?

To anyone who makes a solicitation phone calls that is your first clue as to the conversation should be ending and you say sorry to bother you, have a nice day. but no, “Greg” continued.

Did I want to sell my house. I said to him quite honestly why would you think I want to sell my house?

Oh snap, “Greg” is still on the phone.

So I continued that he has the brass balls to call up homeowners essentially the week before Christmas plus a few days to ask them if they want to leave where they call home so they can make a buck in a commission?

I freely admit at this point I cursed “Greg“ out soundly. I am unapologetic for that. His job is not to continue to attempt to solicit people who obviously aren’t interested and who most importantly have told him that they are on a DO NOT CALL LIST.

I have discovered there are two people named “Greg“ at Springer Realty. The number he came in on was 484-312-1592.

So I called up Springer Realty, and the lady on the phone could not have been nicer. I asked to be put through to the broker of record. So they put me through to someone named Dave Springer, who did not answer the phone. So I left a message. I didn’t curse at him, but it was pretty pointed.

My next phone call was to the board of realtors out here. Tri County Suburban Realtors. Also, very nice but I don’t really think they were interested in my phone call. If I want, I can file an ethics complaint, but will they actually do anything with an ethics complaint?

She sent me the forms and it came with a form email:

Attached are the forms to file an ethics complaint against a Realtor.

 

A complaint must be filed with the proper form and in the proper format. Included are detailed instructions and additional information. To ensure prompt review of your complaint, please take time to read and follow the instructions. 

 

All forms and documents for the initial filing must be hand-delivered or mailed to Tri-County Suburban REALTORS, 1 Country View Road, Suite 201, Malvern, PA 19355.

 

Feel free to call me if we need to discuss.

So essentially, I have to go through their ethics rules and decide if there’s something that fits for me to file a complaint. I told her why I was calling, and she didn’t say to me go to paragraph 2 subsection C, for example. So I’m guessing as nice and polite as she was they’re not really interested in dealing with realtors and their solicitation practices. Or consumer complaints.

I know some of the finest realtors in Chester County and they have ethics. They have morals and I know from talking to them all the problems of agents stealing listing photos, and things that are just bad form that THEY experience.

But this brings me to another story of a development called the Village of Shannon in West Goshen. They have had some guy roaming around recently who has a solicitation permit and apparently who is knocking on doors to ask people if they want to sell their houses. And again he’s doing the impersonal version of the telephone solicitation call a week and a few days before Christmas.

Residents in the Village of Shannon are fed up. This guy keeps coming back and he keeps coming back to houses who have already said to him NO please go away. He also keeps coming back to houses that have signs posted that say no solicitation.

These people have called West Goshen Township and West Goshen Township should be helping the residents, because if this guy keeps doing soliciting in person, and they keep telling him no, that’s trespass. And it’s definitely trespass if there are no solicitation signs posted.

To help those residents I am including a photo below at the bottom of the guy as it showed up on someone’s ring camera, along with one of the posts that made me pay attention to this unscrupulous realtor issue.

I understand that it’s a tight real estate market and people want to live out here but might I suggest if you can’t behave better as a realtor, choose a different career path? Also, while you’re helping your clients, why don’t you direct them to all those overpriced apartments and townhouses that are rentals in this area?

Last time I posted about solicitation like this it was because I had had experienced a door-to-door soliciting realtor. And I was told how mean I was that they are just trying to make a living etc. etc. And when that occurred I once again felt the need to point out that I do have a no solicitation sign posted.

Whether it’s door-to-door solicitation or cold call solicitation, you need to know who’s on a do not call list before you pick up the phone and if you see a no solicitation sign or someone tells you to go away and not come back you need to abide by it.

These are the people that give a good decent, hard-working realtors a bad name, which is why I’m calling them land sharks.

Rant over and yes, this was a rant in case you couldn’t tell.

the eagle has landed: farm boy bbq finally has a place to call home permanently!

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Google photo by I.H.

Yes. Farm Boy BBQ has their own beautiful space to call home! 625 N. Morehall Road, Suite 100, Malvern, PA. It’s where Naf Naf was very short lived, but a whole new feel inside and central Texas BBQ.

Today was a soft opening of sorts, and I sent my husband because I am grounded for a few days after a somewhat tricky Mohs surgery for skin cancer. (Which is why I borrowed photos I found on Google and gave credit. However the food we ordered are my photos.)

Google photo by I.H.

My husband described a large and beautiful space, immaculately clean and the aromas were amazing. Wood smokers and grills, and the cool inside grill gave my husband grill envy.

But what can I say other than this is a total rave and The Eagle Has Landed! I’ve already been a fan of Chef Paul Marshall’s food for a few years at this point.

But today, fresh from Farm Boy’s new home the food was off the hook! We had the rib-eye steaks for dinner and it was amazing! Prime beef from the Midwest (Copper Creek Cattle Company) , wood fired grill and no sous vides! Steak houses better watch out! And they already have the best BBQ anywhere! I just hope he starts making beignets again!

Google photo by I.H.

So the steaks. Heavenly and butter tender. Sides were fresh broccoli with some crunch (well who wants it to wobble?), salt baked potatoes. I have wanted a real steak house like they used to be steak for a while.

We went to Chop House in Exton recently and what can I say? The steak (rib-eye, as well) spent too much time in the sous vide, not enough time grilling , and was way too salty but not great flavor. It was a flop.

So when Paul Marshall told me steaks were on the menu for the new menu and on for this weekend I was totally psyched. It was quite literally a perfect steak and I am saying that even as take out this evening it was absolutely perfect, and that actually is difficult to do.

We also had chicken that we were looking forward to trying. BBQ grill cooked and lightly sauced. Paul Marshall’s barbecue sauce is amazing. It has zing from a little vinegar twang, but it’s not gloppy and super sweet. It’s a proper accompaniment to the food, it doesn’t hide the food. And that in my mind, makes perfect BBQ. I also like to taste the sauce but don’t want my food swimming in that. I am like that with all sauces and gravies, truthfully.

And of course my husband came home with brisket as well. And as I have told everyone before, the brisket Paul Marshall makes is like a religious experience.

There are plenty of BBQ places around, but Farm Boy which had me first at beignets, will completely blow other BBQ and your concept of BBQ away.

And whatever you order make sure you try the new spicy cheesy corn. It is one of the best corn dishes that I’ve ever had! Also, max & cheese, brisket chili which has no beans and the nachos. Any of the sides are amazing and I look forward to sampling his greens and baked beans and the sensation salad.

Google photo by I.H.

Chef Paul Marshall is also an accomplished baker/ pastry chef (hence the earlier beignet comment.) Any dessert will rock your dessert world. His pies are awesome and how can you not love real banana pudding ?

The new and permanent home is dine in and take out. 5 ⭐️ stars aren’t enough!

What more can I say? I mean it’s a total rave. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for hours as they revv up to their full on opening. I will note that I am an actual paying customer. I’m not an insipid influencer who shows up for an opening and then never again.

This is high end craft barbecue. The sauces and rubs are Chef Paul Marshall 100%. I hope someday he bottles both for sale. And actually I think he and his wife should offer cooking classes down the road.

Have I raved sufficiently? It’s just truly the first perfect meal from a restaurant in forever.

Chef Paul Marshall has worked hard to have his food stay in the community he calls home. The commercial real estate around here is ridiculous enough that he could have left. He is someone who works at his craft and we are lucky to have him around. In an area where too much food is the same, his food stands out and is always consistent and exceptional.

If you go once he is full on open, I vote for steak nights. This BBQ is an elevated art form. Yeah I have said that before about this food. But it is well deserved.

Have a great night!

Google photo by I.H.

just another raggedy post?

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I will freely admit I am a bit salty about Farmer in the Westtown Dell’s latest post. The message is clear even if that is not actually her intent: if you aren’t with her, you’re against her. So is it you can only worship, you CANNOT raise or voice concerns about how things look (you know like the mowing issues), and you can’t say anything else? If you do, is there a shade of shade of inference none too subtly that anyone who has anything other than glowing praise and accolades is a racist?

Come on, really?

See this Instagram post from 2 days ago:

From Farmer Jawn Instagram (Public Post) 3 Days ago

So yes I wrote a post about the way the place formerly known as Pete’s Produce looked. And this was after an email blast to her followers came out. And by her I am referring to Westtown’s New Farmer in the Dell, Ms. Barfield.

That email hit a bad chord in me. I felt as if those of us expressing concern were being chided for expressing valid concerns about how everything looked. Lady, it’s called communication and that is not necessarily one and the same as an Instagram post is it?

So I wrote about it and how I felt. It’s my right is it not? I was not being racist. But I had people saying I was and messages that were vile.

well…ummm….when you want to believe in someone and something but still you just…wonder.

So let’s back up (again.) When they first announced Ms. Barfield was the new farmer, I was welcoming with a couple of basic questions – essentially concerning the Pete’s workers who had worked that farm for in some cases, years, and would she be hiring any of them. Here verbatim is what I said at the time (December 9, 2022) :

I welcome a new farmer to continue the tradition of Pete on this land. BUT with Pete, retiring, a lot of his workers are now unemployed, so I hope since so many of them worked so hard for him for so many years that this new farmer will adopt some of his workers as hers. What I am hearing Westtown School is that might not be so?

FarmerJawn is expanding their agriculture access vision into Chester County

Truthfully, I thought it was kind of cool initially when she was chosen because she was a female farmer. I did not object to the switch to organic farming, but I will still repeat what I initially said because I know organic farmers: it is a BIG process. Going organic and getting organic certification is a lot of hoops, and expensive. I also noted it doesn’t happen overnight.

These are a sampling of the 250 comments on the Instagram post that I found distasteful:

BUT I have a huge problem with the way I feel those of us out here who are essentially being told we are racists because we asked what was going on over there and can anyone understand this? That is wrong. I am not a racist and I have read through all of the 277 comments (or that was how many at last count.) Just because someone is not your race and says “hey I don’t like something happening” that is not racist. People aren’t saying because she is a black farmer or even a female farmer that she is bad or can’t do the job. They are also NOT saying she shouldn’t own farm land. Out here specifically people were referring to how run down parts of the property looked because the freaking weeds weren’t cut along the sides of the road leading into the market area. Sometimes things are just about what people say. Sometime it’s not more or bad or wrong.

People did try to have a conversation about this on this Instagram post. Like one lady said and I quote:

I find what bothers me the most is that conventional farmers such as Pete and others are made to sound as if they are horrible stewards of the earth. I wish you the best but please respect all farming practices. There’s nothing unhealthy about the soil on that farm.

One of the replies this person received was horrible. She was told she had white logic essentially and what the offensive same hell does she mean? Just like the subsequent comment to someone else asking about “your species”? I am sorry was this person an alien?

And then there are the locals who feel they have to literally suck up and say that they are so sorry everyone is so negative and change doesn’t come easily and please forgive everyone for the negativity. The negativity is primarily coming from the supporters of Farmer Jawn. And yes, I agree change doesn’t come easily. But it’s all about how the change is presented.

Let’s review: when Westtown first announced the new farmer of that land people were excited. The land would stay farmed and not become a crop of cheap plastic mushroom houses. Then it was nothing really, including the weeds which didn’t get cut for months. That made people wonder and worry, myself included. I was not racist on my comments and am not a racist but yeah I am damn straight going to react to words like raggedy. And when I have never made the race or sex of this farmer (or any other farmer) an issue, why is she saying that is why people are asking questions?

Newsflash, Ms. Barfield, people asked questions and had understandable concerns considering how well tended the land had been by the last steward of the land even if he wasn’t organic. I will note he wasn’t exactly a straight Round Up farmer, either. He was just a conventional farmer, not organic. But for what it is worth conventional farmers I know do employ a lot of organic practices even if they do not have the organic official status because of the expense of becoming certified organic. This farmer could have played this straight and allayed fears people had. But she really has not in my opinion. And that is why I am finding this Instagram you did offensive to those of us who live here.

And that is the thing of it: you are the new steward of the land but you are unknown except for your social media out here in the community you are entering into. And you have kind of been putting this combative vibe out there. It’s not warranted. Life is difficult enough at times without that. Just because I am white doesn’t make me a bad person does it? So why would you assume I judged you by the color of your skin? I didn’t. And I won’t.

Ms. Barfield. I do not have a problem with either your mission or your vision. I do still wonder if the Westtown land will be too much and too expensive for you long term, but that isn’t wishing you ill or implying you can’t do it. I am not slamming you as a female farmer of any creed or color. What I have a problem with is anyone implying folks have a racial angle if they ask questions about your Westtown farming. That will not engender good will in the community you wish to be a part of.

Farming like gardening is kind of like life, especially when you are cultivating. Because lady, people require cultivation too. I was planning to show up and support you when you announced your August 18th opening. I was happy to hear this. But then came your Raggedyness post on Instagram and those comments. Now, I will get there when I get there.

My business in particular doesn’t matter a hill of beans, and I know that, but what I am saying that may resonate, is that if we had questions or reservations at all, are we really actually welcome as potential customers?

A customer wants to feel welcomed. That’s a pretty simple tenet of customer service.

Ms. Barfield, FarmerJawn, I wish you the best, but I am never one who will mince words when something strikes me as wrong or unfair.

Wishing you all peace.

NBC News 5/14/23

breaking up is hard to do

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One of the topics of conversation this summer all over our area has been trash pick up. The formerly always reliable AJ Blosenski went off the rails.

There is no need to rehash all of our missed pick ups and all of our piles of trash and how hard it is to get them on the phone. Today I only waited half an hour. And waiting half an hour is utterly ridiculous.

A few days ago, I wrote the post to see embedded below.

well hello opdenaker, would you like to dance?

I really wanted things to work out with Blosenski. I really kept hoping that they would fix their issues but when we had to start again this week with streets just arbitrarily being skipped for pick up with no prior notice and not getting notice until two days later after you had left multiple messages and filled out a missed trash pick up request online. This is why we decided we had been patient enough. We’re paying for a service and trash is stinky. So when you have a couple of weeks where the trash is fine and then the exact same problems start to repeat themselves and you’re the customer. the aggravation point isn’t worth it anymore.

So three days ago I called Opdenaker. I did not sit on hold forever before I spoke to a customer service person, and when that customer service person answered the phone, they were polite and friendly, and wanted to speak with me and wanted to be helpful. Essentially everything you want a customer service person to be.

This morning they dropped off our two new cans. They apologized profusely because they were actually a day late from their normal schedule of giving new customers cans but apparently they’ve been getting a lot of new customers because of the mass exodus from AJ Blosenski. And the man that drop the cans off was just so nice.

My husband had called to break up with A.J Blosenski formally. I had called the very nice regional person from Waste Connections that I have been dealing with to let him know. I wanted to extend that courtesy to him because the regional people have been so nice to us, trying to fix our missed deliveries. The Blosenski office told my husband that they would not be picking up our cans until August 28. Yes, almost a month from now.

I couldn’t believe that was true. So I sat on hold today to find out if it was and it was and I was told by the “customer service”person that arguing with him wouldn’t get it picked up faster I mean really? I wasn’t arguing I was however somewhat incredulous that they could have already charged us for the next quarter of service on an account we had canceled. Oh and we have to wait for that to be refunded, and they haven’t yet refunded the missed pick ups that they owed us for previously.

I’m not trying to be a difficult customer on the way out the door, but this is ridiculous. It’s like they are going out of their way to be as unpleasant as possible, and make this as difficult as possible. And it is indeed, a shame, because the regional person I had been dealing with from Waste Connections couldn’t be nicer.

So this is almost closing the door on A.J. Blosenski for us.

The trash photos you are seeing are all different examples of missed pick ups all over the area. There are some corporate acquisitions that go smoothly, this isn’t one of them. I am kind of shocked actually because prior to this we had a great service from them. But I guess the people that work there can’t handle being part of a larger, corporate structure. I hope it gets figured out. But we are moving on.

Oh and Opdenaker is a little less money.

well hello opdenaker, would you like to dance?

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One month ago, I wrote about A J Blosenski which was sold to Waste Connections. My email went all the way up the corporate ladder. I spoke with some really nice people at Waste Connections, whom I thought had straightened out my neighborhood’s trash dilemma but apparently NOT.

Once again AJ Blosenski just arbitrarily skipped recycling in my neighborhood. I don’t do trash left on the street in the summer. I don’t do trash left on the street at any time when you’re paying for a service so I’m actually pissed now.

I was mildly annoyed before but then my husband looked in our account and although Waste Connections said we were going to get credited for the three weeks of missed service we experienced before, we never got a credit and they were happy happy happy to take money today for the next month yet they skipped recycling and didn’t call didn’t email didn’t text. And our service has been reduced to one pick up a week, which is really no big deal, except there was no reduction in cost. There was a vague promises of an extra trash bin, but that never materialized and then there’s the issue of the three weeks of missed prior service we were supposed to get credit for and we never got credit for.

Fool me once shame on you. For me twice shame on me. That being said, Opdenaker, would you care to dance? Yes I am calling them tomorrow. I had checked y’all out before because you offer rather good recycling. Like all other refuse and recycling companies you also have mixed reviews. But you aren’t Whitetail Disposal whom I found incredibly offensive with the hard sell door to door ignore the no soliciting signs during COVID.

I have been pretty good trying to give Waste Connections/ AJ Blosenski a chance to improve after I wrote my last post.

aj blosenski…it’s summer…trash can’t sit

And when you tell customers that you will credit them for services not rendered, that kind of makes you less likely to stay with a company as well.

I am not in the mood for trash issues again.