As more and more jobs are outsourced overseas, it’s becomes more difficult to find good customer service. Do you know how rare it is to call a company and speak with a real person? No matter what country they are in?

I really hate those automatic recordings.

Anyway, that isn’t what this is about.

Last weekend, I went to a local big box store to buy diapers. We are considering potty training, but G does not seem ANYWHERE CLOSE to being ready. Since boys are notoriously harder to train than girls, I am not going to panic or push it until NEXT summer. Leaving us in diapers for a whole ‘nother year.

awesome.

ANYWAY.

So it’s very difficult to find the diapers we like (Pampers Baby Dry) in the size we need (size 6) in a box. The box works out to be cheaper than buying by packages, but only if I get it from someplace like Target or Walmart. If I buy it from Publix (our local grocery store), it’s a good 3 or 4 dollars more expensive. I clip coupons and watch for sales. Because we have tried other diapers and they give G a rash. These do not.

GOD, JUST GET TO THE POINT ALREADY. GAH!

The big box store was having a sale on diapers. Since we needed diapers, I went traipsing over there, intending to buy whichever package was on sale. But lo!: they had size 6 diapers in a BOX. And, even better, there were TWO boxes on the shelf! So I bought both, for $19.99 each.

I got home and they sat in Grayson’s room, unopened, for three days.

And then, when we were playing in there, I noticed something funny.

Can you spot the difference?

There are FOUR less diapers in the box on the right!!

So I called Pampers and explained the situation. The girl, flummoxed, explained that it was VERY strange, since they only sell 68 count boxes, NOT 64 count boxes. Perhaps the 64 count box was old? Or maybe it was going to be the new count of the size 6 box, to save money? She didn’t know, but would it be OK if she sent me coupons toward my next Pampers purchase?

WHY YES, I LIKE COUPONS. smile-y face, pink puffy heart.

Then baa got me thinking. The big box store RARELY has boxes of size 6. Perhaps they only order 2 at a time. Perhaps other crazed mothers such as me buy them out whenever they find them, knowing how hard it is to locate those elusive size 6’s. Other giant baby mothers who need the extra diaper to cover their child’s hootinanny. Perhaps the 64 count box was “discovered” in the back, and wasn’t necessarily a recent order.

But still! I’d paid the SAME price for both of these boxes. That didn’t seem right.

So I called the big box store next. And lo!: I explained the situation to the manager. And she told me to bring in the box of 64 and she would exchange it for a box of 68. Ah, I politely explained to her, but that was a problem. Because y’all RARELY carry the size 6 box so I was SURE I’d bought the last two and there wouldn’t be another one on the shelf.

She, the manager, was very nice, but sounded very busy. Still, although this store is NOTORIOUS for handling customer service issues poorly, she told me if I would bring in my receipt, she would give me 10% off the price of the diapers I’d purchased. She didn’t have to do that. But sure enough, that is what happened. $1.90 credited back to my account.

SCORE!

So! ::briask clap:: Let this be a lesson to you, kittens. Either pay attention to what you purchase on sale … or make a stink afterwards. (And if you have a giant baby, like I do, who needs size 6 Pampers Baby Dry diapers … aim for the 68 count at $19.99 or less.)