| Okay, I'm going to start off by talking bad about a | | | | blankly for a moment. I'll skip the ensuing conversation. |
| Toyota dealer, so before we get into it, let's make a | | | | The upshot was that I had to take the ice scraper to |
| couple of things clear. I own a Toyota Prius and love it! | | | | the parts department, where they created a sales |
| From what I have seen, I would probably enjoy owning | | | | ticket within the computer system, which they then |
| almost any Toyota vehicle. However, not all Toyota | | | | printed up a paper copy of, so that I could carry it back |
| dealers are created equal, and I have run into one | | | | to the cashier, so that I could pay her the $1.69 plus |
| low-life, scumbag, bait and switch dealer in North Dallas, | | | | tax. To create the sales ticket in the parts department, |
| but that has been the exception rather than the rule. | | | | they needed my name. I guess that was necessary to |
| The other Toyota dealers I have dealt with have all | | | | meet homeland security requirements, or something. |
| been courteous, service oriented, up to date | | | | I had the exact change and was willing to lay it on the |
| technologically, and efficient. Therein lies the rub, as Bill | | | | counter and take my ice scraper and go. However, |
| Shakespeare would say. Sometimes even these great | | | | systems and procedures must be followed, and a |
| organizations get so caught up in their grand scheme | | | | transaction between two humans without a |
| of operations that they lose sight of how to do the | | | | computerized intermediary is unthinkable to some |
| simple things. | | | | people. |
| Years ago, some coworkers and I used to have a | | | | Years ago, I worked in an office with a very small, |
| motto of sorts. It was something like; "Work tends to | | | | very slow copy machine with a very limited capacity |
| expand to occupy the time and resources committed | | | | and capability. We did quite well. Shortly after that, we |
| to it." That seems to be what has happened to such | | | | got a much better copy machine. It was faster and |
| things as "labor saving devices", paperless record | | | | was able to do tricks, like two-sided copies, color |
| keeping and the like. | | | | copies, and the like. Suddenly, a need developed for |
| This was brought to mind today when I took my Prius | | | | more copies and the color capability was exploited to |
| in for an oil change. After it was completed and I got | | | | the max. Despite the greater speed of the new |
| my paperwork, prepared by a computer, by the way, I | | | | machine, the new requirements and uses wound up |
| had to take the paperwork to a cashier so she could | | | | taking more time than with the old clunky piece of junk. |
| take payment. That's not the bad part. While standing | | | | I use a lot of online bill paying and I use Microsoft |
| at the cashier's desk, I noticed a bin of ice scrapers. | | | | Money to keep track of my financial activities, but, to |
| We had had an ice storm the night before and more | | | | tell the truth, sometimes I get a little misty-eyed for the |
| was expected, and, having recently moved, my ice | | | | good old days...you know, you wrote down the check |
| scraper was resting safe and warm in a | | | | number, the date, how much the check was for, and |
| box...somewhere. | | | | who it was made out to, and knew exactly how much |
| In a blistering fit of ignorance, I picked up an ice scraper, | | | | was in your bank account at any given time. Once a |
| priced $1.69, and said, nostalgic fool that I am, "Add this | | | | week you sat down, wrote checks out for all the bills, |
| on there, please." I always say "please" and "thank | | | | balanced your checkbook and were done. |
| you", just like mama and daddy taught me. Despite my | | | | I guess I can't say much about the Toyota dealer. |
| cheerful courteousness, the young lady looked at me | | | | Looks like I fell into the same efficiency trap he did. |
