Remember the olden days when good customer service was the norm? You weren’t expected to put up with bad service. And no one blamed you for complaining to the higher ups. The funny thing is, they didn’t have follow-up surveys for everything you bought or every service you used. Didn’t need them, because it wasn’t a very big issue. However, there’s really no point in taking a survey or making a formal complaint these days, because there’s nothing can be done about the labor shortage that is hitting stores, hospitals, plumbers, doctor’s offices and even locksmiths. We may as well start getting used to poor service, because it’s not going to get any better.

getting used to poor service BECAAUSE LABOR SHORTAGES WILL COTINUE — GETTING USED TO POOR SERVICE. Practice your patience skills because it’s not going to get any better.

Since the holidays began, we’ve encountered lackluster service almost every where we go. Which , at our age, is far less than the average family of four.

It started with our hearing aids specialist. When we purchased them three years ago, we were assured that there would always be someone in the office to help us with any problems we might encounter. That went well for a couple of years. Clogged up? Twisted? No problem. Stop by this afternoon for a quick fix by the audiologist. Except, now, the audiologist is only available one day per week. He’s moved somewhere else, and they haven’t found a replacement. So, you might have to go full week with poor hearing.

If you need your locks changed, it’s probably for a reason. You want to keep someone out who may have gotten hold of the key to your home, or office. In the old days, your trusty locksmith would be out by the end of the day. Trouble is, there aren’t many experienced locksmiths available now. It may be several days before they can come to the rescue. You’ll just have to put a chair up to your door, and hope for no uninvited visitors.

Bought a new dishwasher last week when our old one gave out. They delivered it promptly, and the installer quickly explained which buttons to push, before rushing to another job. I was confused , because the instruction sheet did not include a control panel diagram. Called the dealership, and was promised the service man would give me a call-back to answer any questions. That was four days ago, and I still haven’t heard from him. Thank heaven for YOU TUBE, where I finally learned how to operate the dishwasher

It’s an epidemic. School bus drivers are working double shifts. Consequently kids are late to school. Restaurants are short of help so it may take an hour to get served. Grocery stores have empty shelves (crackers, especially), because there aren’t enough truck drivers. I’m not sure what’s causing the shortage of workers, but I suspect it’s not going to get any better. We may as well start getting used to poor service, and it won’t help one bit to answer that follow up survey. Remember: patience is a virtue.

Most people can’t remember when someone pumped your gas for you. It was one of those services that most of us took for granted. Often, I put 50 cents worth of gas in my dad’s car, and the attendant didn’t blink an eye. Then came the rise of self service filling stations in 1971, and I’ve never really gotten used to it. Pumping gas is a smelly business, and often, I spill some on my shoes. That’s why I wait until the very last minute to fill my tank. Yesterday, I was down to about 20 miles worth of gas. That’s when I discovered I was out of luck. Help! Kroger ran out of gas.

In all of the decades I’ve lived on this earth, I’ve never encountered such a situation. There was no warning sign posted anywhere. But the filling station was eerily empty. Plastic traffic cones had been placed beside each pump. Still, I didn’t put everything all together. Thought maybe it was some new policy to keep people from hitting the pumps. Inserted my credit card, which told me it was approved. And yet, it stopped there, and wouldn’t let me start filling up. I looked around in confusion while another car pulled up and stopped. Seeing my dilemma, a gentleman got out of his car and explained that Kroger was out of gas. Then he showed me how to retrieve my credit card by hitting “cancel” then “clear.” . Thank heaven for the kindness of strangers.

Was this situation an anomaly or will it become commonplace in the coming months? There’s a shortage of truck drivers to transport gas from the pipelines, and across the nation. And cyberattacks are hitting the pipelines and shutting them down. Adding insult to injury is the fact that prices are higher than they’ve been for years.

Help! Kroger ran out of gas. It's a sign of the times.

HELP! KROGER RAN OUT OF GAS. During the gas shortage, some drivers may start hoarding gas.

I suspect some people may start hoarding gas by filling up 5 gallon containers and storing them in their garage. All of which won’t help matters at all. Who is to blame? I guess the obvious scapegoat is the Biden administration. Shutting down the Keystone pipeline, cyberattacks, paying people not to work, the Covid -19 pandemic….. Figure it out, based on your political leanings.

All I know is this: I will not wait till I’m almost on empty before filling my gas tank. I won’t complain about having to pump my own gas. And, hopefully, that’s the last time I have to cry, ” Help! Kroger ran out of gas.”