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Do you have a SERVICE! story that I could post?
Contributions! I was standing at a table waiting for the woman to take her coat off and sit down. I didn't mean to, but I was kind of standing next to her, so when she took her arm out of her sleeve she hit me with the coat. Out of respect and I guess instinct I said, "Oh excuse me." She replied with "watch it." All I could think of was "Watch it, yeah. Watch me spit in your drinks." Fortunately for them, i didn't. Needless to say they left me $3 on a 53 dollar check. They even said the "keep the change" line. (Contributed by "StarGazerLily")
I had a client once ask if I give volume discounts.
My friend Mark sent this story: "I went into a donut shop and ordered two dozen donuts. The young person waiting on me asked if I wanted that order to go or would I be eating in."
While working as a bagger at a grocery store, my sister helped a lady carry groceries to the car. As they arrived at the car, the lady declares, "You don't say anything to me. I've been here before and you *never* say anything to me." A) Obviously this person doesn't understand that some of us are by nature quiet people. We'll talk back to people but starting a conversation - even small talk - just doesn't come easily. And B) How is anyone supposed to respond to such a confrontational statement? Given that lady's attitude, I'd say my sister was better off *not* talking to her!
I did not know until I married my wife that most waitresses only receive about $2.00 per hour. In addition to that they have to pay 8% of all food sales in taxes even if they do not receive a tip. That means if a party of six orders a meal costing $100.00 and they do not leave a tip. The waitress serving them must still pay $8.00 in taxes. I have known, and met many waitresses throughout the years. Most are good at what they do and then there are some who are very bad. There is this one waitress who out shines any that I have ever met. Her job is very important to her. But more important to her is the fact that her customers always come first. There have been times when I have actually seen her almost in a gallop running down the isles to get her customers their food while it is still hot. I have seen her argue with the cooks if the plate and food do not look presentable. Many of her customers are amazed when she can remember their names and what they want to drink without them have to tell her. I have sat in the restaurant and watched her as she walked behind the waitress station, crouched down, and rubbed her calfs because they hurt her so badly. I have seen her hold her composure and smile when some patrons have treated her with undeserved disrespect. I have seen her smile as she cleaned up the table after receiving only a dollar tip after having served a table of eight a six course meal. I have seen her down on her hands and knees cleaning up food that people have allowed their children to throw beneath the table. I seen her almost cry when one drunken male customer said "What can I get from you if I give you a five dollar tip." Yesterday I went to the trophy shop and I purchased a large plaque which I had engraved: "A special thanks for your many years of excellent service and for the pride that you have taken in your work as a waitress. It is much appreciated. JOHN Q. PUBLIC" I took the plaque home to be given to the waitress later that evening. About 10:00 p.m. my wife came home from work. She had had a very long day and she was almost in tears because her hips, legs and feet were hurting her so badly. I ran her a warm bath and I rubbed her feet as she lay in the tub almost crying. After she had dried and dressed for bed; with much pride I handed her the plaque which I had made for her earlier that day. My wife is without a doubt the most wonderful, kind, considerate and thoughtful waitress that I have ever known. Roger Dean Kiser
Michele's World My friend Michele - a manager at a Hallmark store - has some tales from the trenches as well. A customer brought a card and an envelope to her and asked if she (Michele) could see if the envelope fits the card. In the time it took for her to ask Michele that, she could've checked it herself! Maybe she didn't feel qualified; I wonder who put it in the envelope for her when she took the card home ... Snotty Thang comes walking over to the counter and says to me, "I'm on my way to a party, can you wrap this for me?" (She had bought something at another store). I reply, "We don't wrap." Her- "You don't wrap?" "No, we don't." Hello? What part of 'we don't wrap?' didn't she understand? So she said in that snobby voice of hers, "Well, do you sell gift wrap?" "Yes." I pointed to where it is. A couple minutes later she came back up to the counter with a roll of wrapping paper, and asks, "Do you have any ribbon?" "Yes, it's right where you got the wrapping paper." Snobby asks, "Oh. You mean I have to pay for it?" Did she think that we would wrap her gift just because there was wrap FOR SALE in the store? An after-holiday experience at the card shop: "This guy came in on December 30th and asked me if we had any more Christmas cards left. Well before I go on, let me explain something: our boxed Christmas cards were on sale, but the individual cards don't go on sale. So the individual cards had been boxed up and put in storage. Ok, this guy wanted an individual card. I told him the only cards we had left were the boxed cards. He kinda looked perturbed and said ( in that condescending tone I hate) "I don't understand why you just don't wait until after the new year to pack your cards away". Hello?!! Christmas has passed!!" A lady had bought the Panama tree frog Beanie Baby the day before. It doesn't say it's a tree frog anywhere on the item, but that poem about climbing trees is on the tag. She said to me "I think this is the wrong tag on here. Since when do frogs climb trees?" So I went over and checked all the other Panama beanies, and sure enough, they all said the same thing. She asked me to get the manager, who was in the back, checking in a huge order from Hallmark. I really didn't want to bother her over something so stupid. I informed her as politely as I could that the was very busy at the moment. I then said "I'm certain that this is the right tag because there is such a thing as tree frogs." She looked at me, perturbed, and I knew that she knew that I was right, but instead of saying so she declared, "I don't care what you say. You better get your manager out here now or I'm going to report this." Well, I needed to walk away from her because I was ready to leap over the counter and strangle her! I walked to the back and asked Nora to come out to the front to the moment. Nora said "Michele, I'm checking in a big order right now." I said "I'm sorry, but a customer wants to talk to you." Nora went out there and when the customer explained the problem, Nora told her the exact same thing I did: that it was the correct tag and also there is such a thing as tree frogs. Nora said "We can refund you if you'd like," but she said, "No, that's okay." and left. Now, why when I told her that it was the right tag, she got all jumping ugly on me, but when Nora told her that, it was okay? A customer asked, "Do you have Christmas cards for priests?" So I led her over to the section where they were. She picked one up, which had a beautiful drawing of Mary and baby Jesus on it and she asked me, "Do you have some that are a bit more religious?" SAY WHA..?? How would anyone respond to a ridiculous question like that? Before our ornament premiere, we put a few ornaments out, but we covered the ornament displays with sheets. Can you believe that one customer had the nerve to lift one of the sheets and take a couple of ornaments? Like nothing she takes them up to the counter and plops them down to be checked out. I looked at her and not even trying to hide the disgust in my voice, I said, "You can't buy the ornaments until Saturday." "But they're out now." "Yes, but we need the time to put them all out." Um, why did she think the displays were covered with sheet? "Well, can you put these on hold for me until Saturday?" "No." She just looks at me and clicks her tongue and then walked out. After she walked out I turned to Carla and said in disbelief, "Please tell me that didn't happen." "I can tell you, but it did happen." Then she said, which I thought was very funny, "You should have said to her, 'People in hell want ice water, but that doesn't mean they're going to get it.' " Kristin waited on a lady that had bought 3 cards, but she had 4 envelopes. So Kristin left one envelope out of the bag. Sometimes people accidentally grab an extra envelope, you know? Anyway, about 20 minutes later, the lady comes back in, all in a huff and demands, "Where is that envelope?" Kristen picks it up and says, "You mean this?" The customer snatched it out of Kristin's hand and barked, "Why didn't you put it in the bag?" Kristin said very calmly, "We don't give out complimentary envelopes." One of my pet peeves when it comes to the customers at Hallmark (and this happens quite a lot) is when I'm waiting on a customer, and someone else comes walking up to the counter and asks, "Where do you have...." or "Can you show me a piece of crystal (or whatever)?" Um, hello?! Can you not see that I'm waiting on someone at the moment? I just think that is so incredibly rude! Ok in the "I Kid You Not" department, this lady walks into the store today, walks up to me and asks - she is totally serious, mind you - "Do you sell cards here?" One customer was very angry with me because we didn't have a very big selection of Hanukkah merchandise. Why do people get mad at me? It isn't my fault we don't have what people are looking for! Do they really think getting mad about it will make the merchandise magically appear? "Oh yes, ma'am. I can clearly see that you're upset because we don't have what you're looking for. Let me just wave my magic wand and *POOF* Ah yes, here we go!" And even if I did have a magic wand, do you really think I would help someone who was nasty to me? I don't think so! 
Menu Lost in the Translation? ~ Was it something I said? |
