We didn’t get the most expensive tickets, nor the cheapest ones.  We bought the tickets which would have gotten us close enough to stage center, while avoiding taking a second mortgage to finance them.  We were excited.

My wife and I don’t go out so much anymore.  I’m not sure whether it’s the age, the small children, Beijing.  In any case, this outing would have been an exception.  To the point that our nine year old was pre-occupied with it most of the day.

Anyway.  April 13 came.  The babysitter showed up on time.  The kids were already washed and wearing pajamas.  We were washed and dressed up.  We were ready to go.  Then came a phone call.  The friend on the other side of the line, whom we were to go to the concert with, informed us that the concert was canceled.  We doubted, check the web, confirmed, mourned, and then started to question the refunds.  Since we were already dressed up, the kids sufficiently upset that we were leaving them alone, in the dark, with a familiar stranger… we had to go somewhere.  First order of business: trying to get a refund.

As a side note I would state that I was extremely surprised on multiple levels.  At first I thought that Celine Dion was protesting the Tibet situation with the Chinese government.  That proved wrong.  In fact, Celine Dion stated that she supports the Olympic Games, and she actually DID perform in Shanghai just a few days prior to the scheduled Beijing concert.  I then found out that she was worried that the frequent “sand storms” of Beijing (maybe a better word for pollution) will harm her voice.  Indeed, I question the reason simply because the venue was known months in advance, at least by the time we purchased our own tickets…

So we get into the car, and head to the Worker’s Stadium, a major landmark of Beijing.  Trying to lower expectations, I offered to my wife that chances are we will not see money back.  At all.  She started to warm up the engines.  I said, listen, it will take time, negotiations, and some running around to get the money back.  Don’t sweat it.  Paying cash has its advantages and disadvantages.  But she wasn’t listening.  She was already planning moves, shining armors, sharpening teeth and swords and words.

We arrived at the Workers Stadium, wandered about for a few minutes, until someone directed us to the box office.  The area was fenced, with quite a few security guards walking the area.  When we entered, an attendant took our tickets, verified their authenticity, filled up a few forms, had us sign them and sent us on our way to the cashier.  We were out of there with the entire refund (nothing retained for “shipping and handling”), in a matter of three minutes at most.  I was floored.  So was my wife, who now was all wired up for nothing…

So, we didn’t see a concert, but we most certainly saw an amazing show of customer care, effectiveness and efficiency in defusing a potentially volatile situation.

Celine, I was not much of a fan before.  I am now.  Nothing to do with entertainment or voice.  Everything to do with business.