Last night I had dinner at one of my favorite local restaurants, Truffles. The fare at Truffles is not particularly exciting, though it rates highly in the company of its Bloomingtonian culinary companions. For several years I have been a regular at Truffles, though usually I go on Thursday nights for half priced martinis and a small bite. Last night, however, I opted to go all out and have a full meal (not off the less expensive bar menu) and a very pricey bottle of wine. My dining companions, too, ordered a very nice (albeit inferior) bottle of wine and two main courses and an appetizer. So, and not that how much we were spending should matter, our table should have received impeccable service. Our server was a young man, dishevelled in appearance, who knew nothing about fine dining table service. Let me count the ways:
1. Only once did he appear to fill the wine glasses. All other times we were left to serve ourselves.
2. The "tasting" portion of the wine was barely enough to wet my tongue, much less evaluate the quality of the wine I ordered.
3. Plates were not removed at the same time. Even worse, at one point all plates were removed except one belonging to a female in our party.
4. Knives used for appetizers were not replaced with clean ones, but were merely repositioned in the setting (this isn't denny's).
5. Bread was not brought at the beginning of the meal, but rather as what seemed to be a separate course between appetizers and main courses.
6. After telling the boy that we were *not* interested in dessert, he brought out dessert menus anyway.
7. Niether he nor the hostess offered to take our coats.
8. I was made to hand the boy my dirty plates when he could have cleared the table himself (and, in fact, that is his job).
This does not exhaust the ways in which we were given bad service last night, but it is all I care to list. I'll omit what was the worst infraction (committed by the hostess). Let's just say this: never become friends with the service at a fine dining establishment unless you want to witness egregious breaches of the implicit contract between diner and restaurant. Being my friend does not grant license to embarrass me in front of my friends by making me look like a niggard. Lest my reader consider me a snob for my complaints, let me remind you that this is a place that proclaims to be one of Bloomington's "fine dining" establishments. That means more than that the food is good or expensive; it means that service should be on a par with the image of the restaurant (so at Denny's I would never bitch about having to use the same spoon for my chili and my, I don't know, grits or something; nor would I balk one bit at helping out the server by handing him my plates). But when you are spending 30-40 dollars per person, a certain level of service and professionalism is reasonable to expect. Truffles is a disappointment in this respect, and, hence, Tallent remains my favorite restaurant in Bloomington (and in my nationwide Top 10).
Addendum: There is not so much as a sliver of truffle, black or white, to be found in any dish on the menu at "Truffles".
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Sunday, December 10, 2006
How Verizon Screwed Me
The wound is still fresh, so I'm going to try to make this a short post, long enough to convince you not use use Verizon's wireless service. I apologize in advance to casting aspersions on the company that helped to create my roommate, Matt Dunn.
First some terminology:
1. rerate: this refers to a counterfactual retroactive re-evaluation of charges. For example, you may rerate last month's bill *as if* you had a different plan, even though you did not. A rerate does not entail an extension of one's contractual obligations to Verizon, nor does it involve changing one's plan. You remain on the same plan, but a past bill is adjusted as though you had a different plan.
2. retroactive plan adjustment: I use this cumbersome terminology because I forget the jargon. Let's call it 'RPA'. RPA is like a rerate except that it does involve a plan change (albeit retroactively) and it typically accompanies a one-year extention of one's contract. So, if you opt for the RPA, you can, in effect, go back in time to change your monthly minute allocation, but it comes at the cost of an extension of contract.
Here's the story:
In August I had a $270 cell phone bill. I was shocked, so I called Verizon to see what I could do. They offered me an RPA, which I took (having not known about the rerate option (a special favor they do for some, but not others)). So, I retroactively signed up for 900 minutes per month and sold my soul for another year. I had assumed, commensurate with the RPA, that I remained on the 900 minute plan, and the customer rep. told me that I would need to call to be put back on my original 400 minute plan. I never called to change the plan back.
Fast forward to November. I get a cell phone bill for over 80 dollars. This makes me wonder how I could have possibly talked for more than 900 minutes. I call Verizon and the customer rep. tells me that I never had a 900 minute plan, that in fact what took place in August was a rerate. This frustrates me for the following reasons:
1. I had hoped, in August, to switch to a different carrier, but did not because I thought that I was bound by contract as a consequence of the RPA.
2. I now cannot switch companies since I do not want to enter into a contract in December, for I may not even be living in the country come September.
3. I was lied to in August about the action taken on my account.
The rep. talks to her boss and offers me two options:
1. Accept an RPA and, therefore, extend my contract by a year from that day.
2. Maintain my plan and pay the overcharges on a 400 minute plan.
I maintain my cool because, as mother says, you catch more bees (or flies) with honey than with vinegar. I tell her "I do not want the RPA because I may not be here in a year," (at which point she offers the second option). I respond to her offer thus, "So are you telling me that I will have to pay the overcharges because your company misinformed me about my plan, therefore leading me to believe not only that I had a 900 minute plan but that I also am bound to stay with Verizon?" She responds in the affirmative and apologizes. So here we have an odd case where the company admits that it is not my fault that I was charge overage fees, admits fault, and yet does nothing to rectify the mistake short of offering me a deal (RPA) that essentially screws me. I hate Verizon and will certainly find another service provider once I am in a position to sign my soul away to another company. Do not use Verizon. Cingular's phones are cooler anyway.
First some terminology:
1. rerate: this refers to a counterfactual retroactive re-evaluation of charges. For example, you may rerate last month's bill *as if* you had a different plan, even though you did not. A rerate does not entail an extension of one's contractual obligations to Verizon, nor does it involve changing one's plan. You remain on the same plan, but a past bill is adjusted as though you had a different plan.
2. retroactive plan adjustment: I use this cumbersome terminology because I forget the jargon. Let's call it 'RPA'. RPA is like a rerate except that it does involve a plan change (albeit retroactively) and it typically accompanies a one-year extention of one's contract. So, if you opt for the RPA, you can, in effect, go back in time to change your monthly minute allocation, but it comes at the cost of an extension of contract.
Here's the story:
In August I had a $270 cell phone bill. I was shocked, so I called Verizon to see what I could do. They offered me an RPA, which I took (having not known about the rerate option (a special favor they do for some, but not others)). So, I retroactively signed up for 900 minutes per month and sold my soul for another year. I had assumed, commensurate with the RPA, that I remained on the 900 minute plan, and the customer rep. told me that I would need to call to be put back on my original 400 minute plan. I never called to change the plan back.
Fast forward to November. I get a cell phone bill for over 80 dollars. This makes me wonder how I could have possibly talked for more than 900 minutes. I call Verizon and the customer rep. tells me that I never had a 900 minute plan, that in fact what took place in August was a rerate. This frustrates me for the following reasons:
1. I had hoped, in August, to switch to a different carrier, but did not because I thought that I was bound by contract as a consequence of the RPA.
2. I now cannot switch companies since I do not want to enter into a contract in December, for I may not even be living in the country come September.
3. I was lied to in August about the action taken on my account.
The rep. talks to her boss and offers me two options:
1. Accept an RPA and, therefore, extend my contract by a year from that day.
2. Maintain my plan and pay the overcharges on a 400 minute plan.
I maintain my cool because, as mother says, you catch more bees (or flies) with honey than with vinegar. I tell her "I do not want the RPA because I may not be here in a year," (at which point she offers the second option). I respond to her offer thus, "So are you telling me that I will have to pay the overcharges because your company misinformed me about my plan, therefore leading me to believe not only that I had a 900 minute plan but that I also am bound to stay with Verizon?" She responds in the affirmative and apologizes. So here we have an odd case where the company admits that it is not my fault that I was charge overage fees, admits fault, and yet does nothing to rectify the mistake short of offering me a deal (RPA) that essentially screws me. I hate Verizon and will certainly find another service provider once I am in a position to sign my soul away to another company. Do not use Verizon. Cingular's phones are cooler anyway.
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Christmas Blog
I've been pretty good all year. Allow me to list some of the highlights:
1. I won the Samuel Westfall Graduate Student Travel Fellowship
2. I got all 'A's
3. My summer was productive: I maintained a garden and started learning a new language
4. I forfeited my spring break to dogsit for a friend
5. I volunteered my time to become Co-director of IU's Human Intelligence Website
6. I made several gestures of goodwill, though not all were appreciated
7. I did my roommate's dishes when he was too hung over to do them himself
8. I never missed a day of work
9. I more or less donated my bed to two young ladies who did not have one
10. I vowed not to download music or movies illegally (and I haven't since then)
11. I housed a homeless person for the better part of 3 weeks.
Anyway, I guess what I am saying is that the christmas season is upon us and it is a time not only for self-reflection, but it is a time to think about others. Therefore, I provide a link to my Amazon Wishlist.
My Amazon Wishlist
1. I won the Samuel Westfall Graduate Student Travel Fellowship
2. I got all 'A's
3. My summer was productive: I maintained a garden and started learning a new language
4. I forfeited my spring break to dogsit for a friend
5. I volunteered my time to become Co-director of IU's Human Intelligence Website
6. I made several gestures of goodwill, though not all were appreciated
7. I did my roommate's dishes when he was too hung over to do them himself
8. I never missed a day of work
9. I more or less donated my bed to two young ladies who did not have one
10. I vowed not to download music or movies illegally (and I haven't since then)
11. I housed a homeless person for the better part of 3 weeks.
Anyway, I guess what I am saying is that the christmas season is upon us and it is a time not only for self-reflection, but it is a time to think about others. Therefore, I provide a link to my Amazon Wishlist.
My Amazon Wishlist
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