Auuugh.

So, when last we left our intrepid heroine, she had been guaranteed -- guaranteed -- that her certified letter would absolutely positively be delivered Tuesday morning. Absolutely positively. Although the package also meant for delivery yesterday was kinda in question.

We can all guess what happened next, right?

After a series of irritated calls from both the shipper and me (this package, incidentally, should have been delivered last Wednesday) the package arrived today. I signed for it happily enough and looked hopefully at the delivery guy. "And my certified letter?"

"I don't have any certified mail for delivery today."

Back to the phone again.

Here's how NOT to respond with customer service

Whoa.

1. Listen to my calm explanation that the first attempt at delivering this certified item failed, and that a guaranteed redelivery also failed, and I'm calling both to report that the redelivery failed and to make sure that the certified letter is in fact at the Colonial Drive location before making an effort to go there. Add that the local post office has already told me that I need to call you to guarantee that another redelivery attempt will NOT be made, and respond with saying that you don't understand what the problem is or why I am calling.

2. Explain the problem with picking up items at the Colonial Drive location, noting that this requires either my mother or jcbemis to come out to my house, pick me and my wheelchair up, and drive me to the Colonial Drive location (on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, no less) and that yes, this IS a problem since neither of them live next door and this is a major inconvenience for both, especially given that this is only happening because the Post Office a) failed to make an actual attempt to deliver the certified letter and b) failed to make the requested redelivery attempt. Explain again that my main concern is making sure that the letter is actually there before asking either one to take me.

3. Tell me that the Post Office "should" be able to arrange to have the item picked up at a location "more convenient to you" even though one of your other representatives just told me that no, the Post Office cannot do that. (This has been verified with the local Winter Garden post office - it's one of the running complaints thanks to the inaccessibility of the Colonial Drive location. The Post Office has told us that no, we can't arrange for items to be picked up at the Winter Garden location - they have to be picked up at Colonial Drive even though we can't get there.)

4. Tell me that you don't understand why I have to arrange for a ride for something that will only "take me two minutes to pick up."

(I'll also add that based on my very limited experience at the Colonial Drive location picking up this letter will take far more than two minutes, leaving aside the commute time for my rides.)

5. When this response creates fury and an explanation from me of just WHY the Colonial Drive location is completely inaccessible to me (really. It might as well be on the moon) say, "Well, I can't guarantee anything. We're not God, we're not Moses, we're not Jesus.....we're not robots."

No, she really said that.

6. Robots would have had better customer service.

7. Tell me that "I'm going to be frank with you. Nothing I can say is going to make you happy," and transfer me to a supervisor....

8.....who tells me I need to talk to the local post office.

9. "They told me to call you!"

*************

The local post office, however, called back while I was typing the above. They have the letter, and agree completely that I can't come out to their location ("We're hoping soon though") so they are driving over to deliver the letter now.

Yay!

*************

On a related note, Florida, this is why we need State Road 50/Colonial fully sidewalked.

ETA Letter arrived and drama over. YAY!

Awareness

Yesterday's 800 number post office person told me during our conversation that she has a sister in a wheelchair and was therefore completely aware of why picking things up at a post office can be a problem. Conversation = calm and friendly.

Today, I didn't even have to explain to the Colonial Drive mail guy why getting there was a problem -- he goes there daily; he knew. Conversation = calm and friendly.

Today's 800 number post office person, though? Has not seen the location; does not use a wheelchair, and did not understand why going to a post office can be a problem. Conversation = started calm and friendly; rapidly sank to sarcasm on her side and hostility on mine.

It's a familiar pattern, alas, and not just for disability issues.

RIP, Anne McCaffrey, 1926-2011

Various reports from around the internet and Twitter are confirming that Anne McCaffrey died yesterday at the age of 85; her son is requesting that those who wish to offer a memorial donate to an animal charity, specifically those focused on cats and horses.

The first Anne McCaffrey book I encountered was Dragonsinger, when I was back in the U.S., feeling that I would never fit into school or indeed anywhere. I found some of its references to the other books in the series bewildering, but I was enthralled enough to hunt down all of the other dragon books then in print, adoring all of them except for The White Dragon. Moreta came out a few years later, and I snatched up that one too. I stopped reading the series shortly after that (I think after Dragonsdawn) but I kept the books: I wanted to dream of riding dragons. And maybe owning one of those little fire lizards.

Oddly enough, though, these dragon books, however much they resonated with me, and however popular they became, were not McCaffrey's best books: that distinction more probably belongs to Crystal Singer, with its harsh depiction of a universe focused on privacy and exploitation, or one of the other books in which she tried to leave the dragons behind.

But, as she told us, once you impress a dragon, that is a lifetime bond.

Ms. McCaffrey, thank you for bringing us dragons.