I thought the idea was that if you were unsatisfied with the service you went somewhere else? As a customer you don´t decide the customer service of the shop but only where you place your money. Its the shop owner that decide the level of service.
I have worked at a customer service with a mobile phone company. I delivered the customer service that was a compromise between the means the company gave me (time, tools etc.) and what I as a person could answer for. Sometimes that meant I gave the customers better service than the company on paper wanted me to give (used more time/more money on the customer) and sometimes I gave less.
I remember one time where a customer wanted a new sim card. Its normal because this new type had some advantages for the customer (like room for more numbers in the phone book). But the customer gave me the reason it had better reception. If that had been the case of course I would have given it to him right away but it isn´t. I told him that he shouldn´t expect that with a new card and then it turned ugly. He told me that our largest competitor had offered him new cards on the phones he had with that company and asked me what I had to say about that. I told him that they had misinformed him and he would discover that when he recieved them (note I hadn´t said to him I wouldn´t give him the card for free. I still considered it based on his history). He then told me that he knew the CEO of the company (not unlikely based on the info I had on him) and if he didn´t get the cards he would have a word with him and he was responsible of a couple of hundreds telephones at the company where he worked (he called as a private customer) and asked we what I thought about that. I told him that based on his history, the reason for wanting the card and the indirect threats I had desided not to give him the card (he could buy it for $50). And made it clear for him that if it hadn´t been for the threats I would probably have given him the card.
I think thats great customer service because the customer isn´t always right and when they insist on being wrong (either by lying about the reason for the service they want or using threats) they have the "right" to know that.
Well that's cool and all, but we're talking specifically about restaurants/dining right now.
No one ever said "the customer is always right, no matter what" (not even in this thread).
But there is a very simple, basic level of service and courtesy that should be on display at these places.
Some tech/phone support thing to an asshole customer on the other end demanding this and that has very little to do with walking in to a place (to spend your money) and getting greeted with indifference or outright disdain by some snot-nosed teen who is there to make you a sandwich or whatever.
That's what we're kinda discussing here.
I think we'd all agree that manners and courtesy have taken a flying leap over the years
And it's kinda gotten to the point that I'm actually somewhat taken aback (and might do a double-take) when someone (particularly in the food/dining industry) acts halfway friendly or seems genuinely concerned or into my order, comfort, experience, needs, etc.
I am SO nice in public to people (other shoppers, diners, employees of stores, restaurants, etc.) that I absolutely blow a gasket when its not returned. No, I don't want my butt kissed or to be groveled over (that's lame too), but don't act like you hate the ground I walk on just because I come in to order a chicken club or whatever.
Most telling? It's ALWAYS, ALWAYS ALWAYS teens and young 20-somethings. In all my years of dining and shopping, I've never had a 25-30+ employee act like an ass. It's kids. Always, 100% of the time.
And it's gotten worse in the past decade or so. Absolutely so.
Same here. Actually it seems like xionja is living close to the cool laid back liberal intellectual north-eastern US life you only see in films and old "the real world" reruns.
If you don't like that, then a) request earlier shifts or b) pursue employment in another field.
I did, no more BK. There we closed at 9:30 (we were in a mall) and usually tried to look like we were already closed (never actually turned anyone away) by bringing the gate down a foot and be sweepin the floors, around 9:20. As soon as 9:30 hit the gate was down and half the lights were off. Now I work in an ice cream place/cafe, and we close at 10. I have absolutely no problem serving somebody up to 10:30 if they come up to the window. I've had people come up and ask for something after we had the windows shut and locked so I went outside and took their order. I guess the atmosphere you work in plays a big part in how you feel about serving people. I like it, because my first day working there was slow and the boss asked me to help decide what new flavors to order by tasting the samples the Perry's rep had brought.
Most telling? It's ALWAYS, ALWAYS ALWAYS teens and young 20-somethings. In all my years of dining and shopping, I've never had a 25-30+ employee act like an ass. It's kids. Always, 100% of the time.
And it's gotten worse in the past decade or so. Absolutely so.
I've never had a 16-18 year old nuclear physicist act like an ass. It's always been those 30-60 year old nerds almost 100% of the time! Imagine that!
Most telling? It's ALWAYS, ALWAYS ALWAYS teens and young 20-somethings. In all my years of dining and shopping, I've never had a 25-30+ employee act like an ass. It's kids. Always, 100% of the time.
And it's gotten worse in the past decade or so. Absolutely so.
Hey, just because it's your damn demographic, don't rake me over the coals.
First off, I never said YOU. You're probably an okay guy in a restaurant, as long as you didn't talk politics to the customers.
But seriously, that's no wild-ass claim on my part: I think most people 30, 40 and up came from a time (the very rear cusp of it) where you were still somewhat taught to behave in a certain way, say "please", "thank you", "sir" and "ma'am" (where appropriate, of course), etc.
I'm not blowing smoke: while maybe not EVERY single 30+ waiter/waitress/salesperson I've dealt with over the years has been whistling show tunes and bouncing around in sheer joy to be serving me, they WERE polite, efficient and always did/do their jobs well. I've NEVER had a problem with a 30-something year old waiter or waitress, Shawn. EVER.
If you want to post an eyeroll smiley or not believe that, then I can't help it. But it's true.
Time and again (Subway, Chili's, Outback, various fast food places, pizza delivery, etc.) it's been youngsters I've needed to choke.
Sorry if that reflects badly on you, but it's not my fault.
So the and the "16-18 year old nuclear physicist" reference kinda suck wind and go straight down the drain because a) such a thing doesn't exist and b) well, because I'm right.
Does "getting older" mean I automatically become aware of - or sensitive to - shitheaded behavior? xionja, even when I was your age (or Shawn's) I didn't act in the way I speak about seeing these days.
Maybe the way I was raised? Probably. I was always a real "please", "thanks", "come again", "how was your dessert?", etc. kinda guy. Even on my worst days (raging headache, girlfriend woes, etc.) I didn't take it out on customers.
Yeah, I'm getting older. And less tolerant of bullcrap and snottiness. Damn right.
Perhaps when you were youger, you were probably(i dont know though) a little more immune to the behavoir,(rude/polite, whatever) of teenagers, young people in general. So people who were your age now, when you were youger could have perceived your generation as rude and unapreciative, as your generation now percieves mine, and how mine will probably percieve the teenagers in 20 years.
This is all hypothetical, maybe we are getting eviler.
This is all hypothetical, maybe we are getting eviler.
We are. When I was in Elementary School, if you saw a big kid you froze stiff, because they'd either take your stuff or push you or something. By the time I got to my later years of High School I had first graders telling me to go %*#@ myself.
Haha...EXACTLY! He nails it. There has been a HUGE shift! The things little kids know, do and say - compared to when I was their age - is mind-blowing! I didn't know any of these words and jokes and any of the mechanics of sex, drug use, etc.
Cinemax, video games, even a more vulgar network TV, etc. have made 8-year-olds today MUCH more "in the know" about questionable subjects than I was aware of at 8.
BELIEVE that!
I don't know, xionja...I never bought into that whole thing so, even as a kid, pre-teen and teenager, other kids and teens acting that way usually embarrassed or angered me. I never really was a hellion and I certainly wasn't disrespectful or ill-mannered, particularly to grown-ups.
To this day, I cringe when I hear people (say, at a ballgame or whatever) cussing and talking graphically about sex or whatever and they're my age (30's or so) and I look around and see older women or children. I've actually confronted people on planes before, admonishing them to "watch their language" because they were sitting behind me and here I am next to a woman and her small kid and all I hear from behind us is "f***", "blowjob", "motherf***er", "gettin' some p****", etc.
No excuse.
Yeah, I cuss like a sailor here sometimes (out of anger or making a point or just because it adds a rich texture to what I'm trying to say ). But in public, with others around and in certain company (kids, senior citizens, couples, families, women, etc.)? No way.
People ARE "eviler".
Certainly less courteous and well-mannered.
Shawn, I never said anyone was an asshole who objected to someone coming in and ordering a steak at 10 minutes. But it's their job, so...
But rest assured: I don't do that. I have a little built-in rule-of-thumb regarding restaurants, closing times, etc. I won't go to a sit-down place any less than 45 minutes before closing and I won't go to a fast food place less than 15 minutes before closing. However, those are the extreme, "1% of the time" examples, as I'm almost always WAY earlier than that.
I think I can count on one hand the number of times I've even gotten NEAR that little self-imposed cut-off point.
There's always a 7-11 or something around if it gets TOO late and restaurants are closed (or minutes from closing). I promise to never come bopping in to your place at 2 minutes 'til and order one of everything. Cool?
Boston sucks if you try and eat after a hockey game at the fleet center... EVERYTHING is closed... But, we found this italian restaurant on the outskirts of the north end called "La Dolcé Vita" (The Sweet Life). They close at 11 and we got there around that time... the place was empty except for this one group of people who knew the owner... But the old guy who owns the place saw that we were hungry and told us to come in and eat.
Now every time we want to eat after a game, we go there.
Nice place, not cheap either... we only go there once in a while... they were all very nice about serving us and because of that we are very happy customers... It works both ways, sometimes if you bend the rules you can get back a lot more...
now for a more practical example: last summer I worked in the deli of a supermarket and sometimes I would close by myself the deli closes 15 minutes before the store closes, but if anyone ever asked me to get them something while I was closing I would try to do my best and get them what they wanted... now sometimes that just wouldn't be possible and people would be mad that i helped someone else and not them, the customer didn't understand that some things are messier then others and that I couldn't do everything...
another example from the supermarket was when some firemen pulled into the lot 15 minutes after closing and after the assistant manager (who was closing) wouldn't let them in (everything was closed up and the floors were mopped) he got pissed... every engine company that used to shop at the store stopped... for a week... turns out the guy who tried to get in lied to the rest of the companies about what had happened... apparently he was an asshole anyways, or at least a lot of the other firemen made that remark after they came back and got the 'real' story... now when his company comes in to shop (and they do now) he stays in the truck...
Comments
I have worked at a customer service with a mobile phone company. I delivered the customer service that was a compromise between the means the company gave me (time, tools etc.) and what I as a person could answer for. Sometimes that meant I gave the customers better service than the company on paper wanted me to give (used more time/more money on the customer) and sometimes I gave less.
I remember one time where a customer wanted a new sim card. Its normal because this new type had some advantages for the customer (like room for more numbers in the phone book). But the customer gave me the reason it had better reception. If that had been the case of course I would have given it to him right away but it isn´t. I told him that he shouldn´t expect that with a new card and then it turned ugly. He told me that our largest competitor had offered him new cards on the phones he had with that company and asked me what I had to say about that. I told him that they had misinformed him and he would discover that when he recieved them (note I hadn´t said to him I wouldn´t give him the card for free. I still considered it based on his history). He then told me that he knew the CEO of the company (not unlikely based on the info I had on him) and if he didn´t get the cards he would have a word with him and he was responsible of a couple of hundreds telephones at the company where he worked (he called as a private customer) and asked we what I thought about that. I told him that based on his history, the reason for wanting the card and the indirect threats I had desided not to give him the card (he could buy it for $50). And made it clear for him that if it hadn´t been for the threats I would probably have given him the card.
I think thats great customer service because the customer isn´t always right and when they insist on being wrong (either by lying about the reason for the service they want or using threats) they have the "right" to know that.
No one ever said "the customer is always right, no matter what" (not even in this thread).
But there is a very simple, basic level of service and courtesy that should be on display at these places.
Some tech/phone support thing to an asshole customer on the other end demanding this and that has very little to do with walking in to a place (to spend your money) and getting greeted with indifference or outright disdain by some snot-nosed teen who is there to make you a sandwich or whatever.
That's what we're kinda discussing here.
I think we'd all agree that manners and courtesy have taken a flying leap over the years
And it's kinda gotten to the point that I'm actually somewhat taken aback (and might do a double-take) when someone (particularly in the food/dining industry) acts halfway friendly or seems genuinely concerned or into my order, comfort, experience, needs, etc.
I am SO nice in public to people (other shoppers, diners, employees of stores, restaurants, etc.) that I absolutely blow a gasket when its not returned. No, I don't want my butt kissed or to be groveled over (that's lame too), but don't act like you hate the ground I walk on just because I come in to order a chicken club or whatever.
Most telling? It's ALWAYS, ALWAYS ALWAYS teens and young 20-somethings. In all my years of dining and shopping, I've never had a 25-30+ employee act like an ass. It's kids. Always, 100% of the time.
And it's gotten worse in the past decade or so. Absolutely so.
Originally posted by Anders the White
Same here. Actually it seems like xionja is living close to the cool laid back liberal intellectual north-eastern US life you only see in films and old "the real world" reruns.
That's Ithaca
99.99999999999999999999999999999999999% certainly is more accurate.
.0001% of teens and young 20-somethings in the food service industry are tolerable and are halfway human.
Originally posted by pscates
If you don't like that, then a) request earlier shifts or b) pursue employment in another field.
I did, no more BK. There we closed at 9:30 (we were in a mall) and usually tried to look like we were already closed (never actually turned anyone away) by bringing the gate down a foot and be sweepin the floors, around 9:20. As soon as 9:30 hit the gate was down and half the lights were off. Now I work in an ice cream place/cafe, and we close at 10. I have absolutely no problem serving somebody up to 10:30 if they come up to the window. I've had people come up and ask for something after we had the windows shut and locked so I went outside and took their order. I guess the atmosphere you work in plays a big part in how you feel about serving people. I like it, because my first day working there was slow and the boss asked me to help decide what new flavors to order by tasting the samples the Perry's rep had brought.
Originally posted by pscates
Okay then. I was off by a smidgen.
.0001% of teens and young 20-somethings in the food service industry are tolerable and are halfway human.
Hey, I like selling ice cream to people, I'm nice. Add me to that percentile
Originally posted by pscates
Okay then. I was off by a smidgen.
.0001% of teens and young 20-somethings in the food service industry are tolerable and are halfway human.
coming close to reality. pay attention!
Originally posted by pscates
Most telling? It's ALWAYS, ALWAYS ALWAYS teens and young 20-somethings. In all my years of dining and shopping, I've never had a 25-30+ employee act like an ass. It's kids. Always, 100% of the time.
And it's gotten worse in the past decade or so. Absolutely so.
I've never had a 16-18 year old nuclear physicist act like an ass. It's always been those 30-60 year old nerds almost 100% of the time! Imagine that!
Originally posted by pscates
Most telling? It's ALWAYS, ALWAYS ALWAYS teens and young 20-somethings. In all my years of dining and shopping, I've never had a 25-30+ employee act like an ass. It's kids. Always, 100% of the time.
And it's gotten worse in the past decade or so. Absolutely so.
Hey maybe your just getting older
First off, I never said YOU. You're probably an okay guy in a restaurant, as long as you didn't talk politics to the customers.
But seriously, that's no wild-ass claim on my part: I think most people 30, 40 and up came from a time (the very rear cusp of it) where you were still somewhat taught to behave in a certain way, say "please", "thank you", "sir" and "ma'am" (where appropriate, of course), etc.
I'm not blowing smoke: while maybe not EVERY single 30+ waiter/waitress/salesperson I've dealt with over the years has been whistling show tunes and bouncing around in sheer joy to be serving me, they WERE polite, efficient and always did/do their jobs well. I've NEVER had a problem with a 30-something year old waiter or waitress, Shawn. EVER.
If you want to post an eyeroll smiley or not believe that, then I can't help it. But it's true.
Time and again (Subway, Chili's, Outback, various fast food places, pizza delivery, etc.) it's been youngsters I've needed to choke.
Sorry if that reflects badly on you, but it's not my fault.
So the
Originally posted by xionja
Hey maybe your just getting older
Kids my age are getting ruder and having less respect for... well... anything. I can see it, and I'm one of them. Oh well...
But we're not assholes because you want a delmonico steak 10 minutes before the restaurant closes.
Originally posted by xionja
Hey maybe your just getting older
Well, that's usually what happens in life
Does "getting older" mean I automatically become aware of - or sensitive to - shitheaded behavior? xionja, even when I was your age (or Shawn's) I didn't act in the way I speak about seeing these days.
Maybe the way I was raised? Probably. I was always a real "please", "thanks", "come again", "how was your dessert?", etc. kinda guy. Even on my worst days (raging headache, girlfriend woes, etc.) I didn't take it out on customers.
Yeah, I'm getting older. And less tolerant of bullcrap and snottiness. Damn right.
Originally posted by ShawnPatrickJoyce
It was a joke.
You're absolved. Go in peace.
Perhaps I should have gone to church this morning.
Perhaps when you were youger, you were probably(i dont know though) a little more immune to the behavoir,(rude/polite, whatever) of teenagers, young people in general. So people who were your age now, when you were youger could have perceived your generation as rude and unapreciative, as your generation now percieves mine, and how mine will probably percieve the teenagers in 20 years.
This is all hypothetical, maybe we are getting eviler.
Originally posted by xionja
This is all hypothetical, maybe we are getting eviler.
We are. When I was in Elementary School, if you saw a big kid you froze stiff, because they'd either take your stuff or push you or something. By the time I got to my later years of High School I had first graders telling me to go %*#@ myself.
Cinemax, video games, even a more vulgar network TV, etc. have made 8-year-olds today MUCH more "in the know" about questionable subjects than I was aware of at 8.
BELIEVE that!
I don't know, xionja...I never bought into that whole thing so, even as a kid, pre-teen and teenager, other kids and teens acting that way usually embarrassed or angered me. I never really was a hellion and I certainly wasn't disrespectful or ill-mannered, particularly to grown-ups.
To this day, I cringe when I hear people (say, at a ballgame or whatever) cussing and talking graphically about sex or whatever and they're my age (30's or so) and I look around and see older women or children. I've actually confronted people on planes before, admonishing them to "watch their language" because they were sitting behind me and here I am next to a woman and her small kid and all I hear from behind us is "f***", "blowjob", "motherf***er", "gettin' some p****", etc.
No excuse.
Yeah, I cuss like a sailor here sometimes (out of anger or making a point or just because it adds a rich texture to what I'm trying to say
People ARE "eviler".
Certainly less courteous and well-mannered.
Shawn, I never said anyone was an asshole who objected to someone coming in and ordering a steak at 10 minutes. But it's their job, so...
But rest assured: I don't do that. I have a little built-in rule-of-thumb regarding restaurants, closing times, etc. I won't go to a sit-down place any less than 45 minutes before closing and I won't go to a fast food place less than 15 minutes before closing. However, those are the extreme, "1% of the time" examples, as I'm almost always WAY earlier than that.
I think I can count on one hand the number of times I've even gotten NEAR that little self-imposed cut-off point.
There's always a 7-11 or something around if it gets TOO late and restaurants are closed (or minutes from closing). I promise to never come bopping in to your place at 2 minutes 'til and order one of everything. Cool?
Boston sucks if you try and eat after a hockey game at the fleet center... EVERYTHING is closed... But, we found this italian restaurant on the outskirts of the north end called "La Dolcé Vita" (The Sweet Life). They close at 11 and we got there around that time... the place was empty except for this one group of people who knew the owner... But the old guy who owns the place saw that we were hungry and told us to come in and eat.
Now every time we want to eat after a game, we go there.
Nice place, not cheap either... we only go there once in a while... they were all very nice about serving us and because of that we are very happy customers... It works both ways, sometimes if you bend the rules you can get back a lot more...
now for a more practical example: last summer I worked in the deli of a supermarket and sometimes I would close by myself the deli closes 15 minutes before the store closes, but if anyone ever asked me to get them something while I was closing I would try to do my best and get them what they wanted... now sometimes that just wouldn't be possible and people would be mad that i helped someone else and not them, the customer didn't understand that some things are messier then others and that I couldn't do everything...
another example from the supermarket was when some firemen pulled into the lot 15 minutes after closing and after the assistant manager (who was closing) wouldn't let them in (everything was closed up and the floors were mopped) he got pissed... every engine company that used to shop at the store stopped... for a week... turns out the guy who tried to get in lied to the rest of the companies about what had happened... apparently he was an asshole anyways, or at least a lot of the other firemen made that remark after they came back and got the 'real' story... now when his company comes in to shop (and they do now) he stays in the truck...