Grrrr!

I totally get that it's a busy season for service-oriented/retail stores. I get that we're all stressed. And I REALLY get that sometimes "the customer is always right" is total BS. I've worked in service: Emigration Market as a cashier, at a gift store, Einstein's Bagels, as a server....so believe me, I have totally been on the receiving end of an irrationally upset customer who is taking it out on the wrong person. Sometimes things go wrong that the employee you are face to face with has nothing to do with...yet, they get to break the news and deal with it.

ANYWAY- do you get, now, that I really feel like I have a pretty solid, rational grip on the way service-oriented jobs work and how H-A-R-D it can be at times?

Story time.

1. Yesterday, I went to a new restaurant in Logan. It's not a sit-down-and-be-served restaurant, more like a mix of fast food/restaurant. My point is, it should be pretty quick. RJ was working late at school, so I thought I'd call in my order and do a quick to go order. Upon clicking on their website, I saw a link to order online. I'm a bit of a social anxiety type (seriously, I took medicine for it!), so I'd waaaay prefer to take the time to type in an order than call someone. Typed it in, after making an account, and got a confirmation email. My order would be ready at 6:40. Perfect.

Walked in at 6:54, thinking my food is going to get yucky and cold soon because I'm late...it's crowded and I was immediately thankful I ordered ahead. (P.S. I had my two year old with me,...not their fault at all, but definitely added to the chaos. I could only distract him with, "Can you find something red?" for so long. Soon, he didn't even want my phone. That's big.)

I waited behind one customer at the take out register. She was FURIOUS. She told the manager that she's waited an hour for one meal. He apologized and promptly handed her coupons. They finished and he walked away. I stood there for at least a few minutes while workers were buzzing all around. It occurred to me that maybe I should be in the other line....even if I am at the (labeled) take-out register, and I...have a take out order...(makes sense, no?)...

Finally a worker makes eye contact, so I ask if I'm in the right place. She says, nicely, "Yes!" Then keeps doing something else. So I wait...

Finally, the same worker comes to the register and asks how she can help me. I tell her my name. She turns around, looks at a take-out bag with a receipt stapled to it. Then does something else. So...I assume it's my order and she's finishing it up.

Nope.

As I wait, I see a former coworker. As we chat, she mentions that she and her husband ordered ONE meal to share and it's been 40 minutes!!! After we chat, her husband asks the worker to check on their meal. She apologizes for the wait and says their order must have been skipped. He was not rude, but definitely angry and wanted a response. She hands over more coupons. (Seeing a pattern?)

I'm still waiting.

Finally, I get the same worker's attention and ask again about my order. It's 7:10 at this point. My food was supposed to be done half an hour ago! She says she'll check. As she turns around, a fellow worker calmly says, "Can you help me make this salad?" And she proceeds to calmly...as in, not appearing to be in any hurry....make a salad. Where is my damn food! Will is all sorts of DONE by this point, bless his heart.

Salad's done (whew!), she turns back around, grabs some receipt tape and says, "We have no record of your order, so we'll need to make it. What did you have?" UGH! I just said I was kind of in a hurry (to get my hungry, tired toddler and his about-to-freak-out mom the hell out of there!) and I'd come back another time.

My thoughts:

• I'm not sure where the breakdown happened, but there were at least three hungry, dissatisfied customers. Mine wasn't a fluke. Again, working in service, I get that sometimes there's a fluke and an order doesn't make it to the kitchen.
Three...plus? Something's not right.

• No matter the issue, there was a lot of time wasted in getting the "we have no order for you" memo to me.

• I don't mean to be all high and mighty, (but here I go! Ha!) but I feel like if you as the worker are checking on something for a customer, that takes priority....not making a salad with another worker who appears to have it under control. Especially when the customer is right there, can see/hear you, and has been waiting forever!

• I hate the bullcrap of if you complain and get angry, you'll get free stuff. I used to have a manager that would hand out free coupons the moment a customer seemed dissatisfied in the slightest. Then I had an awesome manager that was reasonable if a customer was dissatisfied; he calmly explained things and mellowed things out. He would definitely give coupons in some situations, but not right away, and not without sorting the situation out.

Venting about that...complete. Next story coming...probably tomorrow. I'm still solving that one.

If you're still with me through this LONG post .....Opinion?

(P.S. I typed most of this on my iPhone from the WalMart parking lot while RJ ran into get three things and quickly regretted stepping into the December-at-WalMart mayhem!)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone