Soapbox Series: Thank You Rite Aid (Soapbox Series #9)

The Soapbox Series is a periodic post that allows me to vent, share, or comment on ideas, experiences, and topics that go beyond the literacy and reading mission of the blog.

As regular readers know, this has been a November to Remember around here. My grandmother passed away in early November, followed by my Dad on November 12 … and a certain little girl turned 10 on the day of my grandmother’s funeral.

One of the blessings that has emerged from this is that we Kellers spent Thanksgiving together. We haven’t had the three of us (with our families) together in one place in more than a decade. So to have everyone at our house for the weekend was just an incredible, memorable event.

My brother brought some of his family’s favorites, my nephew made his famous peanut-butter pie, my Sister-in-law made her much loved day-after Turkey chili. And I took lots of pictures!  So as a way to capture that memory, I decided to make recipe scrapbooks for my Mom and brothers for Christmas. (shhh!)

Well, I ordered my pictures online at the Rite Aid Photo Center. Long story short, the envelope arrived but they didn’t, a second order for store pictures went kerplooey (half made it, half didn’t), then the albums “disappeared” from the account.

Rite Aid to the rescue … I (obviously) sent a couple emails to the “Help Desk” at the various points in the saga to ask what now and what next. And what happened? I got phone calls … from real people!

Brian and the two Tims went OUT OF THEIR WAY to make sure not only that I got the photos, but that they had enough details about the glitches to fix them. They were GENUINELY interested not only in improving my experience, but ensuring that they don’t happen again. They gave me their phone numbers and also promised to follow up “with email, so we don’t disturb your holiday” to give me an update re: photo uploading.

Talk about effectively blending technology and good, old-fashioned customer service.

Thanks Rite Aid! You saved our holiday.