North Caroliner: Couldn't Be Finer

I travel a lot, relative to those who don't travel as much as me. In US though my travels have mainly been confined to the North East, except for the occasional trek south for spring break or to visit my brother here in NC. This time I'm in the South though, I'm here not for pleasure, but business. That's right, it is a straight-laced, no nonesense, keep your hands where I can see them and four on the floor assignment. That assignment? Well, I've already told you. Gosh, you could at least pretend to read the blog.

Tuesday: Finally got to Fayetteville at midnight. Charlie dropped me off then headed out to Wilmington. In the morning I went out and tried to start the Saturn and Fiat. Neither car started up. After hanging out with the tow truck guy as he took an hour to super-jump both cars, I was off to get the Fiat's oil changed. Spent the rest of the day looking for a place that would change the oil on the Fiat. Apparently due to a low muffler, no one wants to use their lift on it or drive it over their pit - I know, it is a mystery to me too. Take nap. Get internship.

Wednesday: Spend the morning calling garages to see if they'll change the Fiat's oil. Find out that people with thick Southern accents have trouble understanding me. A lot of trouble. Like, I could have been speaking Swedish. Finally find a place to do it. Change oil in Fiat. Put Fiat in storage. Take nap. Change oil in Saturn. Change air filter in Saturn. Replace light on Saturn.

Thursday: Buy coffee. Bring Saturn in for check-up. Go shopping.

Now, what does the first part have to do with the rest? Well, I've had the opportunity to interact with a lot of service people the past couple of days and I can tell you that either I have an inaccurate memory of how people in the service industry act in US or service is just nicer in the South, because except for a silly high schooler at a sporting goods store today, everyone was real nice. They weren't even the more formal "let me serve you" nice, but the friendly, chummy kind. It was... nice.

How much does service change when you go to a different place?