Ok, this is a really weird one. Which says a lot cuz I'm a weird guy. But I do have common sense, I have a heart somewhere in there and that's why I'm not giving a one star review.
The old guy is really nice. Really nice. BUT... he has singlehandedly forced me to go to another place to source my water. In fact, he gave me the exact coordinates and name of the place! And here's how that came about....
First time I went in to get water, it was ok, the lady there was nice and she sold me a couple bottles. I learned later they were actually way overpriced by A LOT. OK, whatever, I didn't even hold that against em, I was in a pinch and not paying attention. This is kinda where this bizarre story starts... So, turns out she didn't have one of the halves of the velcro that makes velcro work so you can stick the cap to the bottle while its being used. So I said no problem, my wife has velcro at home. This turned out to be what would eventually turn me away from them. Weird reason huh? Well... I'm not there yet and that's only half of it...
The next time I came in... and the time after that... and the time after that... and then... what WILL BE and IS NOW the final time I will ever step foot in this place... EVERY ONE of those times the old man would say "oh.... so I see you go to the other water guy down the street huh? He uses that black velcro you got there on these bottles" Having that not been the case and having spent waaaaaay too much on water bottles from HIS STORE, the first time I politely explained "no, you were out of the velcro halves the day I bought my bottles so my wife put on this other black velcro to keep these caps on". He goes "oh.... cuz the guy down the street has the same ones". The other guy he's referring to is a competitor. I'm like... ok, I don't care. I just wanna buy water and go home.... the first time. The 2nd, 3rd times I was like wtf is this dude's deal? 4th and 5th times I had predicted what was going to happen and he delivered. Like clockwork. Call it being chummy, call it good ol' IB lifers doing their thing... I call it incessant and annoying.
So this happened FIVE TIMES. OK, now a little about me... I have a short temper, I'm impatient but again I have a heart... so I let this guy scold me 5 fucking times before I finally, on the 5th time he does this (and I had learned to come to EXPECT this every single time I walk in there) point blank say to him "you know we've done this 5 times now? Every time I come here you accuse me of going somewhere else to get water and I have to explain to you every single time that's not the case." he says.. again... for the FIFTH TIME.. "oh... the guy down the street has the same velcro". So I felt no other choice but to finally say...
"oh yeah? Where is this place?"
He tells me exactly where... "down the street..." and motions to the approximate area"
I say "over that way?" and point to the ocean... "What's the street?" I ask... he tells me. I ask what's the name of the place... he says "IB Clear Water".
And that's how Aunt Ellen's lost my business and gained IB Clear Water a new customer. By an old man who can't just let me come in and get water. He had to bug me each time for something I didn't do. He ran to the door when he saw me parking in their parking spot out front to make sure I was coming in there which made me feel like i had to hurry and show him my bottles (ok that one's on me, again I'm somewhat self-conscious at times, impatient and have learned to expect the worst from people) and then got the dreaded and now fatally repetitious "oh... so you went to the other guy huh?"
No. For literally the fifth... fucking... time... no I didn't go to "the other guy". But you can bet that now I definitely will. IB Clear Water, you just earned yourself a new customer and you have nobody but the nice but super nosy old man at Aunt Ellen's to thank.
I should also mention that there's bizarre and incredibly dusty hippy dippy stuff strewn about the place. They can't decide if they're a self-help spiritual wellness center, a gem and stone shop, a book store, a water store... hell, I'm pretty sure the old man thinks he works at IB Water at this point because now he's literally sending customers there. I'll go ahead and leave out the awesome time he ripped off the cap of my primo bottle instead of just pointing the nozzle in the hole. He did this to try to sell me one of their punch through caps that works with primo machines. I didn't even have a chance to say no I'm not interested. He just went and did it. Rendering my primo bottle ruined and is now a pain in the ass
I wish nothing but the best for em, I can tell they're nice enough people. But holy shit. Wtf was that all about? How I let it get to 5 times, I just don't know. I think cuz they do seem like nice people and I didn't have the heart to bail. But after the last time I can't help it. I'm done. Just leave customers alone, old dude.This is what happens. Sorry. But not really. read more
