Opening Doors

The road to my future new, red front door is a long and winding one. It has gone something like this over the past 3 weeks:

1. Choose door with Door Salesman.
2. Man is assigned to come measure door for installation. He will call and set up an appointment.
3. Measuring Man leaves message.
4. I call back and leave him a message.
5. I call back again and leave him another message.
6. I call back again and leave him yet another message.
7. I go to the Lowe's store and go postal.
8. Clerk calls Measuring Man and hands me the phone. Measuring Man stumbles over his excuses. Makes appointment to come to my home.
9. Measuring Man sends someone else to measure my door.
10. Measuring Man does not send in measurements to Lowe's.
11. Measuring Man is contacted to see why Lowe's does not have measurements.
12. Measuring Man says FAX MACHINE MUST HAVE LOST THE MEASUREMENTS.
13. I go to the Lowe's store and go postal.

I must be doing something wrong. You see, all I want to do is give Lowe's my money for a new, red front door.

And then comes the good part. I walk to the desk that sells doors and my Salesman sees me and knows my name: first and last. (And my name is not an easy one to pronounce or remember.) He knows about my problems with Measuring Man: the entire timeline. He cares that I have not been treated right. He is going to fix the problem.

Then he is going to blow the smoke off of his six shooters, return them to his holster and tip his white hat. Because, seriously? Lowe's door Salesman is my new hero.

He walks me through every step of my new door. He promises to make sure Measuring Man shows up on time and stays on task. Helps me pick the right hardware and peephole. Walks it all up to the cashier and calls me "ma'am" at least 100 times. His mother raised him right and his employers should give him a raise. He has overcome a three-week nightmare and replaced it with impeccable customer service.

Instead of giving into the Ugly Cry one more time in Lowes, I'm now making plans for new patio doors. Because I have a Salesman I can trust. And I will soon have a new, red front door to prove it.