Took my car in for maintenance (AC has been out since last March, but, well...) and when I called last week they said they were wildly busy and weren't supposed to make appointments, but if I could be patient and let them have it for two days, they could do it.

I told them I hadn't expected it to be quick and that they could even mark my name as OK to take longer on if it would help them. I can work from home, no big deal for me. They seemed absolutely shocked and said a very sincere thank you and that they weren't used to that kind of response.

It made me very sad.... But anyway, I took it in today at 8-ish and reiterated that they could take as long as they needed to, up to four days, as that's the next thing I MUST be at the office for. They were again wildly shocked and while we were chatting, another customer came in and interrupted us and was in general quite rude—

So when that guy left, the service guy turned back to me all full of apologies and looking too hassled by far for 8:15. I told him again that I had a lot of leeway with my job and that if they needed to keep it until Saturday, I could probably make it work. And then I left.

I have my car back.

The AC is working, oil changed, tires rotated, brakes checked.

Treat customer service people with kindness and you will be repaid in kind. TREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE PEOPLE WITH KINDNESS. PERIOD.

>.> now, that said, I told my work I'd be working from home for today and tomorrow, and, uh, I'm still gonna do that. Car or not, they don't know the difference.

oh wow. wtf is wrong with people. I'm so glad that we were raised to be kind to service folk.