What were your best and worst consumer experiences this week?

Which consumer experiences cheered you recently and which ones made you want to scream or weep?

Here are my best and worst consumer experiences this week:

My best: A visit to IKEA

My last visit to IKEA was terrible. I didn’t get a map or know how to utilize the shortcut option. I didn’t realize it was a maze you needed a map to navigate.

This time, shopping for beds for company, I wasn’t frustrated in the maze.

Although I didn’t buy beds yet, I know what they have so I can compare their beds and sofa beds to other stores.

I had some extra time, waiting for the 5 p.m. traffic to lessened, so I went to the Storage section and bought some storage boxes and stackable desk trays. I also got extra bath towels for my company, which I found in a reduced price bin. And, of course, I had some Swedish meatballs.

My worst: Dinner at Applebee’s

After my shopping trip to IKEA, I had dinner with my sister at Applebee’s.

Usually, I have salmon and mashed potatoes, but since I’ve just eaten meatballs, I tried the California salad. The shrimp was too spicy, a fact I’d apparently missed on the menu.

In addition, it seemed to take a long time for the waitress to bring the checks. We were there an hour and a half. On our other visits, it only took about an hour.

Copyright 2010, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist