Name Brand

My dry cleaner is very personable. The employees learn everyone’s name. You don’t have to give your name when you go in to pick up your clothes. Been this way for years. It’s a nice touch. ‘Til now. They hired a new woman who doesn’t know everyone’s name yet – I get that. But I was in there last week waiting for her to retrieve my shirts (after I had provided her my name) and a woman came in with a little dog. First of all, why is a dog in the dry cleaner? I personally am against dog hair on my clothing. But no, there’s more. The clerk knew the dog’s name! “Hi Charley!” the clerk shrieked as the woman came into the shop. I asked if the dog was a paying customer (it wore a little jacket thing). The clerk said, no, they did not dry clean Charley’s jacket. (Yes, I’ll admit, it’s none of my business knowing where a dog gets his jacket cleaned. But I was trying to make a point.)

I have a plan to help this woman learn my name. I have a name tag I can pin to my coat. I’m going to wear it into the dry cleaner the next 5 times or so I go in there. Come mid-April, I’m going to stop wearing it and see if she remembers my name.  If that doesn’t work, I’ll leave some pictures of my late dog in my dirty shirt pocket. At least she’ll learn the name of my dog…