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Fat Chance at at Macy’s
I really do try to avoid shopping, or I should say “attempting to shop” at Macy’s, at least at Ala Moana. The reason is that they do not have salespeople on the flooring looking for opportunities to give customers information.
The glass door on my microwave oven mysteriously shattered in the middle of the night recently (Haloween) and we are still awaiting repair. In the meantime I am missing my popcorn. I was told that Macy’s sells popcorn machines, so I ventured into the store to check them out. I found three different models. I was interested in the one that aip pops without oil, but there were no directions on the outside of the box. I tried my best to figure it out from the open model, and tried even harder to lure a salesperson over to help me.
Oh Well; Chance Em!
Please pardon the blurry photo. I didn’t have a steady hand by the time I decided to buy this without help. After more than enough time to get help, I elected to buy it anyway. At the register we found a very sweet woman camped out awaiting us. She didn’t know how the machine works however, and made no attempt to find out, or add anything on to the sale, like packaged popcorn. All I saw was some that was packaged with oil. I am off to Maui for a few days so it will be a while before I know if I made a good purchase or not. Stay Tuned!
November 12th, 2008 at 11:15 am
And by contrast, the Macy’s in Kailua always has people available. Recently I bought a small blender (the “bullet” style) and after a few weeks it died. I was able to exchange for an identical item without any difficulty. And last night I was there, looking for slacks, and as I was checking them out this young lady leaves the cash register and walks over to assist me. My guess is that the Macy’s in Kailua has more pressure on them to sell, sell, sell.
November 12th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
I agree that Macy’s sucks when it comes to service, but hey Ron, do you really expect them to sell popcorn? C’mon; that’s like expecting Safeway to sell sweatshirts.
November 12th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
I know why the service is so good in Kailua. It’s the same reason it’s so good at the Windward Mall store. Her name is Val, and while we miss her in Kailua, her level of customer service expectations have remained.
I was at the Ala Moana store recently and it felt like a different company. I don’t know who sets the expectancy there, but whoever it is should be moved to their Hana store. What; there is no Hana store; that’s even better.
November 12th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
I think those empty aisles are screaming a message. Is anyone listening? With just over a month before Christmas they should be packed like the rest of the mall is.
Ron; was it after hours that you were in there?
November 14th, 2008 at 9:57 am
Ron, some things don’t change…while Christmas shopping last year at Macy’s Kahala…I wanted the special Mele Kalikimaka gift card for my 85 year old mother in law.
I was told to look at each register….so I did…and at the end of my hunt, I told the story to the last clerk. I asked if maybe gift wrap or customer service would have one. I was told,
“There is NO CUSTOMER SERVICE”….what a classic line.
Next thing you know, Macy’s will be asking for a bailout with my money?!
November 17th, 2008 at 10:41 am
Popcorn poppers, not my favorite way to make popcorn. Dry, cardboard tasting, with too many uncooked kernels, and noisy too. Ick! Here is a great recipe for popcorn you make on the stove. It is cheap and addictive. You should look for Nutritional Good Tasting Yeast Flakes in a health food store, and some Veggie-Sal seasoned salt. Get some healthy oil and good popcorn kernels in bulk. We never used butter.
Get out your large pasta pot, cover the bottom with a quarter of an inch of oil and enough popcorn so that all the kernels are immersed in the oil. You can always add more oil or kernels. Heat all at once on med/high with the lid on. It will take a at least five or so minutes for the kernels to to start poppin. In the meantime, fold down the edges of a clean large brown paper bag. When the popcorn is done pour it carefully into the bag and shake it up, down and all around to blot off the excess oil. Then add a couple of tablespoons or scoop of Nutritional Yeast Flakes and Veggie Sal to taste. Shake it up and share.
My father always loved this and my friends asked me to make it at their house. It is loaded with B Vitamins and fiber and the recipe is from my longtime friend Tony Lance.