“Mistakes are part of the dues one pays for a full life.” Sophia Loren
If today’s inspiration is true… my goodness I’m going to have an amazingly full life, even if I never make another mistake… ever again!
You know that feeling you get when you’re driving on the interstate and the state trooper speeds up on your tail… YEP!
Let’s back up… (not into the cop – haha) – but I started my day 20 minutes behind… and it turned into 3 hours! But along the way I had some amazing customer service. I rarely leave the marina at this time of year, other than to go home… or the dentist. I still have one more cavity to fill. Ugh.
Anyway, I was pretty excited today – I was taking my car into get it’s standard service. Instead of interrupting someone else for a ride, I thought… I’ll just schedule a loaner car. I could have waited for the car, but waiting 3 hours, that’s not much fun. (it’s ironic that I didn’t want to waste 3 hours – read on)
SO…. I arrived at the dealer and the dude said “we need your license and insurance” – crap. Insurance… I never remember to put that in my car. BUT, being a pro at “not remembering” I knew my agent could email it.
Start Pacman song when the ghost eats you…
“Um. Ma’am your license is expired”
No clue. This is the embarrassing part… I had absolutely no idea it was expired. I haven’t had any reason to even look at my license in 10 weeks! The last date it was valid.
However, the nice lady helping the dude said, “we have a plan for this… we’ll just take you to the DMV.”
Score! I knew I needed to get my tabs renewed, so this works out perfect!
So… about 30 minutes later I was dropped off at a DMV… and waited. It was a very nice DMV. But I got to the window and … keep that Pacman/Ghost theme handy… “We don’t renew licenses here.” Here’s a purple piece of paper with all the area DMVs that create licenses. Well, as long I waited in line… let’s renew my tabs. I mean they expire this month. Look at that, I’m ahead of the game! (If only I could drive – haha)
Next call, to the dealer…. who picked me up and transported me to DMV number 2… well, sort of.
I was dropped off at a police station/government looking building, I went inside and some woman at the desk said, “the DMV is across the street and down the block” — SWEET, it’s a great day for a walk!
I trotted over… walked inside, grabbed my number and then looked at all the lifeless souls sitting in chairs. It was your “normal” DMV straight out of central casting…. I looked at my ticket, #94… then I caught a glance of the “now serving number”…. enter music from shower scene in Psycho… the sign was showing #73.
CRAP.
I found a chair right next to the door… it looked sort of clean, but I really wanted some hand sanitizer, FYI… I thought of asking the workers if they had a refill for the dispenser on the wall, then I thought, “I’ll just stay sitting and not touch anything.”
I waited… waited… waited… FINALLY 94!
I trotted up to the window… “you need to fill out this form – just step aside… 95, 96… 97, 98” – lots of thoughts went through my head. But much like the hand sanitizer… I thought “thank you” was my best course of action.
LONG story short… I finished the form. Then… “we need to check your vision” was said by the woman behind the counter. UGHHHHH… My contacts are at the very end of their useful life. If your wear contacts you understand what that means. If you do not, contacts steadily get less effective. In my case, they work “fine”, but seeing detail like names on street signs is a little sketchy at distances. SO… I just rattled off some letters, hoping I’d avoid the Pacman theme…
HARPS! And a chorus of angels! “You Passed”
I almost burst into tears… but instead I called for a ride, and made it back to the dealer to resume my loaner car pick up.
What does this have to do with the State Trooper? I really did have one follow me on my way to the car dealer… and all I could think of on my ENTIRE 3 hour saga to the two and a half DMV’s was, this was SOOOOOO much better than finding out my license was expired from the State Trooper on the interstate!
What did I learn?
1) Have a plan for your customer if they “forget” something… like renewing their license… dang, I’m dumb.
2) Have a plan for your customer when they need a “copy” of something like emailing a copy of their insurance… shrug.
3) Have a plan for your customer if they arrive at your place of business and you can’t help them (the purple sheet of paper)…
4) Renew your license before it expires.
What an adventure… if you’re entertained, join my tribe! start here
