今年も記事にするかプチ悩んだけど、せっかくだから載せちゃうことにしました。
↑
去年の記事からコピペ♪
前期高齢者になった翌年にも、岡山の先生からプレゼントを頂戴しました。
送り主からは「本人がいないと受け取れないから、確実に居て欲しい」と言われていました。…で、26 日なら桶。という話になっていたんですが、なぜか今日 24 日に FedEx で普通に届いて、うちのスタッフが普通に受け取って居住区への階段の途中に、郵便物とかと一緒に置いといてくれました。
ブツと一緒に入っていたラベルが… 知らない名前。
「ナカムラ・タケシ」って、いったい誰？？
…って、よく見たら… 一番最後に岡山のクリニックのご３名様のご芳名が。
以上の経緯はともあれ、今年もまたたいそうなシャンパーニュを頂戴しました。
クリュグの 2008 年ミレジメです。確か 2008 年って 2012 年同様に良年のはずです。
岡山の先生と岡山の先生、それに師長さん、ありがとうございます。
本当に嬉しいです。
このクリュグ様 2008 も昨年同様、さっそくワインセラー室内に設置されたワインセラー（二重にして確実に温湿度キープ）の、最も温度が低いであろう一番下の段へと収容しました。
今年もまた素晴らしいものを… と、ちょっと焦りながら近所の酒屋 K&L のオンラインで調べました。
（K&L は場所は近所でも、全米トップ３のオンライン酒屋です）そしたら… 100点だって。
ワイン・スペクテータ（俗に言うパーカーポイント）では 99 点、ワイン・エンスージアストでも 97 点。
I struggled again this year with what to give you for your birthday, but since it's a special occasion, I decided to send you a gift. Both of us turned into early-stage seniors last year, so it's a bit of a complex feeling as we gradually become veteran (?) seniors. With those sentiments in mind, I sent you a present, my dear same-age friend.
ReplyDeleteThis year, AmEx also mentioned, "The recipient needs to be there to receive it, so make sure they are available." That's why I let you know about it beforehand. That said, I thought I had scheduled delivery for the 26th, but according to you, it arrived on the 24th via FedEx, and your staff received it as usual. Such practical handling is so typical of AmEx, and it somehow reminds me of BMW in a strange way. I wonder if I'm fated to deal with companies like that, which are hard to figure out whether they are meticulous or vague! (Hahaha)
As for why I chose the 2008 vintage of Krug, I remember you requested, "Please no more ridiculously expensive champagne like last time." So, I picked something just a little more modestly priced. However, price was secondary. You've always been so thoughtful towards us, and I wanted to repay even a fraction of that kindness. And of course, since we're the same age, I wanted to convey my wish for you to stay healthy for many years to come.
Please enjoy a wonderful second year as an early-stage senior!
P.S.
ReplyDeleteAt 14:23 Japan time yesterday, I received the following email from the Centurion Service Center:
“We would like to inform you about the gift.
The supplier has informed us that, due to a delivery issue, the gift was delivered ahead of schedule on Tuesday, September 24th, just after noon local time. We deeply apologize for not being able to inform you in advance, and for failing to deliver the gift on your requested date.
We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused by this situation, especially as it was intended to be a special gift. We will do our utmost to prevent this from happening again.
We kindly ask for your understanding.”
The moment I read this, my blood rushed to my head, and I immediately sent the following email:
"I was told that the recipient had to be present to receive the gift, so I made sure they were available on the 26th, as they were busy. Despite these arrangements, the gift was delivered two days early on the 24th via FedEx, and not even to the intended recipient, but to one of their staff members. It was left with other mail and packages! What was the point of specifying the delivery date and confirming the recipient if this was going to happen?"
As you are well aware, AmEx's customer service can be quite inconsistent, but even so, I cannot tolerate this continued mishandling of such important arrangements for two consecutive years. I’m considering escalating this issue to a higher department since there seems to be no point in asking the Centurion Service Center concierge for improvement. In any case, I apologize for the inconvenience this has caused you. I can only hope next year won’t be worse (cry).
Yamada Denki sensei,
DeleteI think the delivery system in the States is uncontrollable, unstoppable and uninformative even for Centurion Services… I am a bit concerned you disclosed this failure by Amex Centurion in English so the rest of the world can read and know how Centurion performs. :P
Actually, Tuesday 24th wasn’t a busy day since our operation manager got pneumonia and charged in ICU last week… he discharged from the hospital Monday then the POS system (credit card reader) supported by Chase Business broke – the SSL (machine’s internal security) has been expired and they don’t know how to fix… after all everything, including the manager’s health, has been settled by today 26th so today was relatively a busy day for catching up the online orders. However, receiving something positive during those two devastating periods was a great relief and I certainly was delighted. Thank you again for your attractive, charming yet expensive gift. I honestly appreciate it.
You may have certain reasons behind calling the delivery system in the U.S. "uncontrollable." Indeed, Japan's delivery system is highly reliable, offering meticulous services and on-time deliveries as standard. On the other hand, in the U.S., due to factors such as the difference in geographical scale (with vast territory and a broad delivery range, making it more susceptible to weather and traffic issues), the number and quality of delivery companies (with many companies like FedEx, UPS, USPS, each operating under different rules and systems), system differences (services like detailed time slots and recipient verification are not always standard), and labor shortages and working conditions (particularly post-COVID, the delivery industry has faced labor shortages), it’s true that the U.S. delivery system may not be as finely controlled as Japan's.
ReplyDeleteTaking such circumstances into account, could it have been any different if Centurion Services in the U.S. itself had handled the situation, even if it was uncontrollable by Japan’s Centurion Services? After all, I believe that even in the U.S., there must be a demand to ensure that important items are securely delivered to important people.
To be honest, I’m not really worried about having disclosed this failure by AmEx Centurion in English. If anything, I hope the world reads it and sees how poorly Centurion is functioning, and that it leads to some improvement in the services. This is my small prayer as someone who has been a Centurion cardholder for the full 22 years since it was introduced in Japan.