Customer service?

CrimsonHaze · Post by **CrimsonHaze** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 5:57 am

Do you believe in it?

After the last 5 or 6 years of working with the public in 'customer service' jobs, I am 100% disgusted with the general population of adults. I would think, especially in a restuarant, you wouldn't want to piss off the person handling your food. I never messed with anyone's food during my 2 year stint in a restuarant becuase I believe in Karma and I knew if I did it would happen to me. My co-workers were not so worried about it. Also, why would you want to make the person handling your money mad? Why would you want the person who is doing a service for you that you are either too stupid to do yourself or you are just damn lazy to get pissed off at you? I have learned that no matter how wrong you are, you will get what you want if you pitch a big enough fit. Even if you get someone fired for it. I hate poeple in general now becuase of this and I am saddened that the world has gotten so fucked up in the head that and ADULT behaving like a TODDLER will get special treatment and given incentives for their foolishness.

Anyhow, totally pointless I am sure, but I just had to rant and hopefully get some feedback about it!

Happy Friday!

Ranger Genius · Post by **Ranger Genius** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 7:54 am

Sounds to me as though you've worked under bad management. I ALWAYS side with my people when there's an issue, because no customer's business is worth making my staff disgruntled, and if it works once, they'll just use the same tactic on us again. There's a difference between providing good customer service and just bending over and taking it.

We had a guy claim that he left part of a $200 accessory kit to his swarovski spotting scope in our store on a sunday; a day only one employee (and one whom I trust implicitly) was present. He implied that she had stolen it (big mistake; she had mentioned that the store had a "new manager," and he assumed that meant I had come from somewhere else, not that I had worked with and knew my staff quite well). I told him that if he believes he lost something in our store (he didn't, or we would have found it by now), that I didn't see how we could be held responsible, and told him flat out that I wasn't going to listen to any more accusations against my staff. He got all pissed and asked for my District Manager's number, which I gave him. Rory (my DM) later called and said that he felt really guilty about how rude he was to the guy. Again, he trusted his staff and sided with us. Even if he wasn't sure what had really happened, I'm sure that he knew if he undermined me and gave the guy what he wanted, I'd have been pretty unhappy. And you don't do anything to make the manager of your best store unhappy if you can avoid it.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 9:38 am

Dang RG, if I had ever worked for you, I might not be the bitter mess I am today.

pinemom · Post by **pinemom** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 9:44 am

on that note...Ive worked for both types...and plainly I dont tend to stay in a job that puts up with bullshit patrons...But I deliver the UTMOST of customer service!
As a fine dining waiter, I treat every single one of my guests as they are royalty...as it should be...it even gets on my nerves when even the best of "owners" pronounce that this customer or that customer is VIP...In my book EVERYONE is VIP!They get all the stops, all the attention and especially every last bit of my energy to insure they've had the best dining experience they've ever had in their life!
Bring em' back!
then I do it all over again!

Post by **AntiM** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 9:49 am

Utahns are notoriously bad tippers, so whenever I can, I give the server at least 20%. We once saw a table of four leave a $2 tip. Bastards! And at 20% the math is easier, hehe.

Archantael · Post by **Archantael** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 10:48 am

The customer is not always right:
http://positivesharing.com/2006/07/why- ... er-service

Southwest Airlines in the case outlined in the story I linked to got it right.

Post by **mdmf007** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 10:49 am

Utah also has the worst bars. with the exception of club Splash in SLC, gottrashed there - very slowly mind you with the drink rules but had a blast nonetheless.

later

Post by **AntiM** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 11:01 am

How long ago? The Utah laws have loosened considerably. Yes, bars serve 3.2 beer and little else, but a "private club" serves real drinks and you buy a temp membership for as little as $5.

We can get mixed drinks at places like Friday's with food service, and tell you what, I had a pomegranate martini which knocked me on my ass! I don't know why they let up on the chains, but hey, I'll drink to that!

There are stranger liquor laws back east though, Jack Daniels is made in a "dry" county; you can tour the distillery, but you can't have a drink.

BAS · Post by **BAS** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 11:45 am

Reading the article reminds me how, when I was working in the Operating Room Central Supply section of the hospital, when one of the Operating Rooms called down for an item we simply did not have available, I would do my best to explain to them that it wasn't available, and I always got into trouble for "providing bad service". I later found out that my co-workers would always promise the operating room staff the item would get to them right away, and ignore the request. The hospital's philosopy was to always side with the higher ranking people, and false good service was preferable to honesty. After all, it wasn't like anyone's life was on the line or anything, right?

B.

K-mom · Post by **K-mom** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 5:54 pm

thnx for the link Archantael thats going to come in handy.

I didnt realise that liquor laws etc. varied from state to state. So is Utah really the most strict? and what exactly is a 'dry' county, is that like prohibition?

BAS · Post by **BAS** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 6:43 pm

Yeah, you can't buy alcohol in that county, so you have to go to another county to do your drinking. It helps to promote drinking and driving, or something like that....

B.

The CO · Post by **The CO** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 9:00 pm

I still have my membership card from the Dead Goat Saloon from 2002. Heard it closed down... how sad.

Post by **AntiM** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 7:38 am

K-mom wrote:thnx for the link Archantael thats going to come in handy.

I didnt realise that liquor laws etc. varied from state to state. So is Utah really the most strict? and what exactly is a 'dry' county, is that like prohibition?

Dry counties are exactly that, you can't buy booze. For the record Utah does not have dry counties. States such as Tennessee and Kentucky do though. Utah is not the strictest state, although it used to be. Still no drive thru bars!

For future reference for travelers driving to Burning Man through Utah:
You can buy 3.2 beer and malt beverages in grocery stores, gas stations and bars. You can buy mixed drinks (etc) at restaraunts and private clubs (bars with a membership fee). You can buy wine and string beer and real booze at the state run liquor stores which are closed on Sundays and holidays.

Wait until you hit West Wendover NV and hit the Discount Liquors store on the west edge of town.

BAS · Post by **BAS** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 7:49 am

Wait until you hit West Wendover NV and hit the Discount Liquors store on the west edge of town.

NOW you tell me!

(Of course, I am not certain what time of night it was by the time we hit Nevada... is it an all night store?)

B.

Post by **AntiM** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 7:51 am

BAS wrote:
Wait until you hit West Wendover NV and hit the Discount Liquors store on the west edge of town.

NOW you tell me!
(Of course, I am not certain what time of night it was by the time we hit Nevada... is it an all night store?)

B.

Erm, don't know. There's a Smiths or Albertsons on the west side too, I think they're 24 hours? They sell booze too, just a smaller selection.

pinemom · Post by **pinemom** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 8:03 am

funny how threads always drift.... to alcohol.......hehheee

BAS · Post by **BAS** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 8:03 am

That's okay. I should probably buy the booze before leaving, anyway. Support the locals stores and all that.

...besides, I'll forget by the next time I go through that area, anyway....

Thanks, though!

B.

Box Burner · Post by **Box Burner** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 9:26 pm

AntiM wrote: There are stranger liquor laws back east though, Jack Daniels is made in a "dry" county; you can tour the distillery, but you can't have a drink.

I bet the county has a vested interest in letting the distillery continue to operate. But it wouldn't be taxes.

The CO wrote:I still have my membership card from the Dead Goat Saloon from 2002. Heard it closed down... how sad.

I have never gone to bars much but I did like the Dead Goat. Too bad they closed.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 10:01 am

I'm pretty sure that you can't buy liquor between 2 and 6 am in California, even at 24 hour stores.