Don't Sell me Hamburger and tell me it's Filet Mignon

Don’t Sell me Hamburger and tell me it’s Filet Mignon

Do you know what the problem is with the world today? No, it’s not governments or oil companies and it’s not even the thieving, lying politicians, it’s We the People. Yes, you read that correctly, we have no one to blame but ourselves. We take whatever is dished out at us, we grumble and growl to each other, but what’s worse is that we do nothing about it. Maybe it’s because we think there's nothing we can do or maybe we are just lazy but it appears to me that we take it on the chin, over and over and over again.

A few weekends ago, as I was floating about on the lake, I heard the radio announce that Bad Company, a rock band from my misspent youth, was going to play at the Mountain Arts Center in Prestonsburg, Kentucky. I only had to hear the announcement once to know that I wanted tickets and good tickets at that. My son’s father had always loved the rock band Free and Bad Company was the next best thing because the lead singer of Bad Company, Paul Rodgers, was the lead singer of Free. And as a birthday gift for Dad, we decided to get tickets for this concert. Even though the concert was a month away, the first thing I did on Monday was to begin a futile attempt to phone the ticket office to get really good seats.

After an hour of hearing nothing but the drone of the phone’s busy signal, and with a bit of swearing on my part, I got into the car and drove the 28 miles to the office to purchase the tickets. When I approached the ticket agent I asked her point blank, “We are talking about Bad Company playing here, The Bad Company from the UK, Bad Company that was created by former band members of Free, Mott the Hoople and King Crimson”? She said “Yes ma’am, the real Bad Company” she assured me so I bought the tickets. I was in 7 th heaven too, center row floor. Maybe a bit expensive at $32.50 a pop but they were really good seats. Things were great and I was good to go, or so I thought.

The night of the concert we had to close up shop early to make the drive. The concert was scheduled for 7:30 PM and as I mentioned it was a bit of a drive. So work stopped at 5 on the dot and we were out the door and on our way by 6:30. As we entered the parking area I caught a glimpse of the digital marquee and was puzzled because it was not listing Bad Company, it was listing Greg? Howe. Okay maybe it wasn’t Greg, because everything that happened after this point is a blur, but the last name was definitely Howe and as we entered the main door I saw the sign again. Okay I knew something was amiss, so I walked over to the ticker counter with a big question and that’s when the fun began!

“I have tickets to see Bad Company, who is playing?”

“Bad Company.”

“But the sign says ? Howe.” I noticed that the lady glanced toward the other agent.

“Yes, he was the replacement singer after ….”

I have no idea what she said after this, all I knew was that I had bought tickets for Bad Company, I was reassured after a lengthy conversation before the purchase of the tickets that I would be seeing Bad Company and now I was being told I was going to see the guy who carried the backup drums for the manager in training. Or at least that’s how I felt about what she was telling me and while I managed to maintain my temper, I was fit to be tied!

“But this is not who I paid to see, I bought tickets for Bad Company, you advertised it as Bad Company the M.A.C. web site advertised it as The one and only Bad Company, but you’re telling me that…” It was about here that I noticed, from the corner of my eye, the other ticket agent slipping out the door and after a few minutes I was joined by the manager of the Mountain Arts Center and the promoter of the concert, a man every bit of 7 ft tall, by the name of Gorman Collins Jr. Mr. Collins owns one of the major radio stations in the area and I suppose they had called out the big guns to pacify me cause there he was explaining away that I had to be mistaken regarding what I had heard advertised. However, what he didn’t know at that time was the ticket agent had already admitted that the radio stations had promoted the concert at first as Bad Company but had later added the part about the Howe dude. The next thing I know Mr. Collins is digging in his pockets trying to find enough cash to give me a refund, all the while telling me what a good concert I was going to miss, and that I really should stay and watch it and this was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

“Mr. Collins, I am sure that it will be a fine concert but it is not the concert you advertised or that I paid for. You are trying to sell me hamburger and tell me its fillet mignon and I’m not buying it. I’ll take a check.” With check in hand, my party and I left the MAC, but on my way out I told everyone that I met what had happened and that they would not be seeing the concert that was advertised and do you know, they too were under the impression that they were there to see Bad Company and not the warm up band. I didn’t check the news the next day to see if there had been a riot but if there was a crowd demanding their money back then I sure can’t blame them.

I have been complacent long enough, I am sick and tired of taking it on the chin time after time, of being sold hamburger and told that it's fillet mignon. As a matter of fact, I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it any more at all! If you get my order wrong at the drive-thru, I’ll be back. If you cook my steak medium well and I have ordered it rare, you will take it back until you get it the way I ordered it even if it takes the whole cow to do it. If I patronize your business, regardless of what it is, you will treat me with respect because without me and people like me, you would be filing bankruptcy or standing in the unemployment line. So businesses had better straighten up and get their employees in line, and make sure the customer is once again always right. Because this could be the start of a movement, there are lot's of people out there who may be tired of taking it on the chin too. They may be ready to let you reimburse them for your mistake, but even if they aren't just keep in mind that I am out there and I am a red headed force to be reckoned with and I’m not taking it anymore!