Service with Sarsaparilla

As a young boy growing up in North Baltimore, Sarsaparilla was a real treat. It meant something when Dad took us to Belvedere Square after church on Sunday, to reward my little brother and I with ice cold bottles of Sarsaparilla for being good throughout mass. The bottles are shaped like real beer bottles and for my little brother and I, drinking from them made us feel like we were grown-ups. This, coupled with the fact that the contents are delicious, made Sarsaparilla a staple of my childhood.

Since growing up and moving out to Chicago many years later, I had left Sarsaparilla behind me, not by choice, but I just never saw it anywhere besides Belvedere Square. To my surprise, as I was killing time in World Market the other day, I came across an entire shelf of Sioux City Sarsaparilla! I immediately became overwhelmed with nostalgia and the good old days of my childhood, and so I ended up buying two 4-packs on the spot.

Once I got home, chilled my Sioux City, and popped top, I relaxed and went about my daily business, paid some bills, returned some emails, shopped on iTunes, stared blankly out the window, etc. However, I noticed on my receipt that I had been charged for three (3) 4-packs of Sarsaparilla when I actually only had bought two (2). This bugged me, not because I was out the $3.99 but it was the fact that the cashier at World Market was so wrapped up in talking with another employee about his new haircut that he overcharged me for my juice. I'm not sure he even looked at me while ringing me up and executing the transaction. So you can see how this burned me up.

So I went back about two weeks later with my receipt in hand and was determined to get my missing 4-pack. I figured this would be more sensible than having $4 put back on my card. I approached the floor supervisor with my issue and she told me to grab one off the shelf and explain my situation to the clerk in the checkout line on my way out. This I did, and with a few unnecessary pen strokes (why do you need my full address and phone number, World Market?), I was out the door with my 4-pack of Sarsaparilla.

Looking back, I am disappointed in my original transaction and the lame customer service experience I received at the time of my checkout, but I have to say I'm somewhat impressed with the level of service I received when I brought my problem BACK to World Market Management: my Sarsaparilla was given to me with no questions asked. I wonder what would have happened if it cost $59.99 per 4-pack? How would you have handled that, World Market?

Finally, note to self when I have kids someday: mass on Sunday, followed by chilled Sioux City Sarsaparillas for my kids (and me). Now I just need to find a makeshift Belvedere Square in the Chicagoland area . . .