I expected to become more patient as I get older, and in some ways, I am. But what I thought was an efficient bit of scheduling on my part last week didn't turn out as planned, and I spent a maddening 30 minutes sitting in my dentist's waiting room.
It seemed like a solid plan: teeth cleaning appointment at noon and haircut at 2 p.m. Even though the dentist is in Shorewood and the haircut is in St. Francis, I figured I'd have plenty of time for a leisurely lunch in between. I'd even hoped to visit City Market as a treat to myself for the dental unpleasantries I was expecting to endure.
You see, I had my morning planned out to a tee, cranking on some Bar Month stories and arriving at the dentist at 11:55 a.m, which I did. And then I sat. And waited. And waited some more.
At 12:20 p.m., I asked the receptionist if the hygienist was almost ready for me. She assured me she was. At 12:25 p.m., I told the receptionist I would have to leave if she didn't start soon. At 12:30 p.m., she took me in, hastily cleaned my teeth and sent me on my way, $162.50 lighter in my wallet (but without any cavities).
I don't know, something about waiting a half an hour for an appointment bugs me. I mean, I left work for this, and if I didn't have the flexibility of being my own boss, I could've been screwed in this situation. I would never leave a client of mine waiting for 30 minutes, and if I did, I would've surely knocked a little something off the bill at the end.
Anyway, I figured I wouldn't have time for lunch if I was to arrive in St. Francis in 30 minutes. At best, I could afford 10 minutes to a quick bite, which is almost impossible given the time it takes to get one's food, even at a fast food joint. And then I remembered that Jimmy John's was more or less on the way.
I hit the Jimmy John's on Kinnickinnic Avenue and ordered my regular: the #4 (Tom Turkey) with cheese, no tomatoes and light mayo. I swear, they built that sub in record time before my eyes, wrapping it up 20 seconds after I placed my order.
These guys are seriously good at completing orders quickly and correctly. At every location I've visited, it's as if they read my mind as I walked in the door and had the sub waiting. And honestly, the subs are quite good, able to compete with any local alternative and way better than Subway.
It all makes me wonder why every place can't get it together like Jimmy John's. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: in this economy, only the strong will survive, and Jimmy John's helped me get to my haircut with two minutes to spare.
Jimmy John's slogan is "subs so fast you'll freak." Well, consider me freaked (but in a good way). Every franchise -- and dentist -- could learn a thing or two from these supersonic sub slingers.
Andy is the president, publisher and founder of OnMilwaukee. He returned to Milwaukee in 1996 after living on the East Coast for nine years, where he wrote for The Dallas Morning News Washington Bureau and worked in the White House Office of Communications. He was also Associate Editor of The GW Hatchet, his college newspaper at The George Washington University.
Before launching OnMilwaukee.com in 1998 at age 23, he worked in public relations for two Milwaukee firms, most of the time daydreaming about starting his own publication.
Hobbies include running when he finds the time, fixing the rust on his '75 MGB, mowing the lawn at his cottage in the Northwoods, and making an annual pilgrimage to Phoenix for Brewers Spring Training.
