Now, I don't know about you, but as I have gotten older I have become an expert in service and exploits of slow, inconsiderate people.  This is called experience and it collides directly with my patience level.  Middle aged makes me less patient waiting in line, waiting for the waitress to refill my tea glass, waiting for the young man in front of me to make his right turn, and waiting to be helped at the automotive sales counter.  All of these instances have seen an increase in my blood pressure.  I am not one prone to hand gestures or indiscriminant foul language, but I am still able to get my point across when others test my patience.  Maybe that is because when we reach middle age we feel it is time for those around us to learn from our experience and refine their behavior.

There is a part of me that despises anything that is a waste of time and tests my patience level.  Recently, on a trip to Best Buy to purchase a 55" Sony projection television that I had finally convinced my wife we needed, my patience was once again put to the test.   Men in general do not "shop" too long and have a "bag it and tag it" approach to purchasing.  We know what we want and we go after it!  

I waited patiently as four Best Buy young male employees wandered around the middle aged males waiting for a friendly and knowledgeable, "May I help you."  That not happening, I tried to gain the attention of a young man who apparently was a Panasonic employee strategically placed near the televisions to sell Panasonic.  He was not interested in trying to change my Sony decision.  After 15-20 more minutes (which my wife insists was only 5 or 10), I gathered my wife and children and left quietly disgusted in my experience and drove directly to the Circuit City near the store.  At that store we found that several of the middle aged males that had been at Best Buy were now at this store with the same complaint of being ignored by the pre pubescent sales group at Best Buy.  Unfortunately, the help at laceName w:st="on">CircuitlaceName> laceType w:st="on">CitylaceType> was not much better and the prices were higher.  That is another truth, when my patience and wallet collide, my wallet takes the lead.  We gathered back together and went back to the Best Buy store not willing to take no for an answer. 

We immediately went to the television area and found a Best Buy employee and told him we needed help.  In a unsuccessful effort to pass me to another sales person he reluctantly helped me as I told him my decision was to purchase a 55" Sony Projection Television with SXRD technology that they had advertised.  Without looking he said "We are sold out."  Now, this young man did not know how close he was to a raging middle aged man, but I calmly, and with considerable self control asked him to check stock of stores within a 50 mile radius.  He was surprised I knew he could do that.  When he checked he found some at two stores, one 20 miles away and two in his store!  "Oh, we do have some."  Sensing my state of mind he quickly retrieved one from the back room and placed it at the front door for pickup.  I now have my television and it is good.

I wrote a scathing consumer letter to Best Buy and received no response since they obviously do not have a Middle Aged Male Complaint Department and the customer service department is probably run by a 20 something young lady accustomed to the complaints of one of Best Buy's primary customer groups.

Imagine a world where people understand service and the need for a sense of urgency.  Since this little story focuses on my patience level more than my overall opinion of service in different industries, we will have several topics for discussion at a later date.  My daily life finds my patience tested in many areas.  I work to tell myself that I am just impatient, but the more I dwell on the experience, I realize that I am right and those that tested my patience are wrong.