You won't believe what a waitress said to a customer...

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Rikkitic

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#1415444 28-Oct-2015 12:33

I don't have a funny story but now that we are back on topic I do have a complaint about mindlessness. I went on a shopping expedition yesterday and was yet again repeatedly asked at the checkout counters 'how are you today?' Sometimes, very occasionally, this is done in such a manner that it actually leads to a brief discussion of pleasant inanities, but most of the time it is done in such an obligatory, disinterested, by the numbers fashion, that I actually feel insulted and would much prefer if they just remained silent. Or what about a simple 'hello'? When this happens a few times, I am not particularly bothered. Just another corporate insincerity to ignore. But after awhile it does start to grate. I actually prefer sincere rudeness to transparently phoney manufactured interest in how my day is going.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

mdooher

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#1415458 28-Oct-2015 12:47

Since we are on the subject of service, see if you can guess where this happened to me:

How can I help you today?
   Id like one of those please.
ok what bread would you like?
   whatever bread is in that picture
do you want ham?
   does the one in picture have ham?
yes
   then yes
do you want it heated
   is the one in the picture heated?
yes
   then yes
what cheese would you like?
   what ever cheese is in the picture
what sauce would you like?
   what ever sauce is in the picture
what salads would you like?

I think you can see how the rest of the "service" went. I know they have a script but surely they can deviate...just a little

Oh and I have never been into one of these stores again

Matthew

eracode

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#1415530 28-Oct-2015 14:39

Rikkitic: I don't have a funny story but now that we are back on topic I do have a complaint about mindlessness. I went on a shopping expedition yesterday and was yet again repeatedly asked at the checkout counters 'how are you today?' Sometimes, very occasionally, this is done in such a manner that it actually leads to a brief discussion of pleasant inanities, but most of the time it is done in such an obligatory, disinterested, by the numbers fashion, that I actually feel insulted and would much prefer if they just remained silent. Or what about a simple 'hello'? When this happens a few times, I am not particularly bothered. Just another corporate insincerity to ignore. But after awhile it does start to grate. I actually prefer sincere rudeness to transparently phoney manufactured interest in how my day is going.

What about when a retail assistant notices you standing at their counter and they greet you with "You alright there?".

Arghhh!

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

mdooher

Hmm, what to write...
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#1415531 28-Oct-2015 14:40

eracode:
Rikkitic: I don't have a funny story but now that we are back on topic I do have a complaint about mindlessness. I went on a shopping expedition yesterday and was yet again repeatedly asked at the checkout counters 'how are you today?' Sometimes, very occasionally, this is done in such a manner that it actually leads to a brief discussion of pleasant inanities, but most of the time it is done in such an obligatory, disinterested, by the numbers fashion, that I actually feel insulted and would much prefer if they just remained silent. Or what about a simple 'hello'? When this happens a few times, I am not particularly bothered. Just another corporate insincerity to ignore. But after awhile it does start to grate. I actually prefer sincere rudeness to transparently phoney manufactured interest in how my day is going.

What about when a retail assistant notices you standing at their counter and they greet you with "You alright there?".

Arghhh!

How about, "Are you being fixed?"

Matthew

MikeB4

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#1415541 28-Oct-2015 15:03

mdooher:
eracode:
Rikkitic: I don't have a funny story but now that we are back on topic I do have a complaint about mindlessness. I went on a shopping expedition yesterday and was yet again repeatedly asked at the checkout counters 'how are you today?' Sometimes, very occasionally, this is done in such a manner that it actually leads to a brief discussion of pleasant inanities, but most of the time it is done in such an obligatory, disinterested, by the numbers fashion, that I actually feel insulted and would much prefer if they just remained silent. Or what about a simple 'hello'? When this happens a few times, I am not particularly bothered. Just another corporate insincerity to ignore. But after awhile it does start to grate. I actually prefer sincere rudeness to transparently phoney manufactured interest in how my day is going.

What about when a retail assistant notices you standing at their counter and they greet you with "You alright there?".

Arghhh!

How about, "Are you being fixed?"

At least being greeted with a conversation starter is way better than standing there wait whilst they finish their conversation on the phone or trying to find someone to assist

graemeh

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#1415544 28-Oct-2015 15:12

"Your call is important to us..... estimated time to answer is 7 minutes"

Obviously not important enough to put more resources into the call centre.

Burger King is impressive though, you order a combo pictured with a chocolate sundae and they ask you "would you like Coke for the drink and Chocolate for the Sundae" instead of asking you want for the drink and the Sundae when I expect most of their customers go for Coke and Chocolate.

eracode

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#1415545 28-Oct-2015 15:14

MikeB4: I have no problem with humour and will laugh at myself easily, I just get defensive if I feel its unfair especially around speech, understanding, etc etc as there are many hidden causes and reasons for that.

As for laughing at ones self, now this is not about talk but it was a form of unspoken communication. My first job on leaving school was a Management Trainee for a large Plumbing and Electrical supplier. I was redoing the Showroom layout and during a very busy lunch period ( Showroom was city centre)
I was moving some electric ranges, while lifting a particularly heavy Atlas model my bodily functions took on a mind of their own and created a large very loud release of gaseous emissions, and I mean very big and very loud. The entire show room heard it,I could not control myself and I lost it
completely and collapsed laughing. On retrospect a few days latter I had delayed embarrassment. I was never allowed to forget the incident until I eventually moved to a new job.

Dr. Drobkin was a world-famous cardiologist who earned his undergraduate, graduate, and medical degrees in his hometown and then left for Manhattan where he quickly rose to the top of his field.  Soon he was invited to deliver a significant paper, at a conference held in his hometown. He walked on stage, placed his papers on the lectern, but they slid off onto the floor.  As he bent over to retrieve them, at precisely the wrong instant, he inadvertently farted. The microphone amplified his mistake resoundingly through the lecture room and reverberated it down the hall! He was quite embarrassed but somehow regained his composure just enough to deliver his paper. He ignored the resounding applause and raced out the stage door, never to be seen in his hometown again.  Decades later, when his elderly mother was ill, he returned to visit her. He reserved a hotel room under the name of Cohen and arrived under cover of darkness.  The desk clerk asked him, "Is this your first visit to our city, Mr. Cohen?"  Dr. Drobkin replied, "Well, young man, no, it isn't. I grew up here, received my education here, but then moved away."  "Why haven't you visited?" asked the desk clerk.  "Actually, I did visit once, many years ago, but an embarrassing thing happened and since then I've been too ashamed to return."  The clerk consoled him, "Sir, while I don't have your life experience, one thing I have learned is that often what seems embarrassing to me isn't even remembered by others. I bet that's true of your incident too."  Dr. Drobkin replied, "Son, I doubt that's the case with my embarrassment."  "Was it a long time ago?"  "Yes, many years."  The clerk asked, "Was it before or after the Drobkin Fart?"

So people will benchmark their history as to whether it was B4 or after MikeB4.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

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k1w1k1d

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#1415725 28-Oct-2015 20:11

"Burger King is impressive though, you order a combo pictured with a chocolate sundae and they ask you "would you like Coke for the drink and Chocolate for the Sundae" instead of asking you want for the drink and the Sundae when I expect most of their customers go for Coke and Chocolate. "

I'm one of the Fanta and strawberry sundae customers, so appreciate them asking, rather than assuming.

freitasm

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#1415727 28-Oct-2015 20:14

Scripts, scripts.

I try to be quick at fast food counters - can't understand people who take five minutes to order one standard combo. So I get to the counter and say "One Big Mac combo please, medium coke no ice" and the reply invariably is "is that medium or large?"

Sometimes I say "One cheeseburger please, burger only" and the reply comes very fast: "is that the combo"?

Some of these people are nice but the majority DON'T LISTEN to the customer.

Rage sets in... Loving the self service touch displays available in some stores now.

jmh

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#1415913 29-Oct-2015 08:33

freitasm:

Rage sets in... Loving the self service touch displays available in some stores now.

If they start having self-service who is going to employ all the skilled migrants who can't get IT jobs?

mdooher

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#1415942 29-Oct-2015 09:27

freitasm: Scripts, scripts.

I try to be quick at fast food counters - can't understand people who take five minutes to order one standard combo. So I get to the counter and say "One Big Mac combo please, medium coke no ice" and the reply invariably is "is that medium or large?"

Sometimes I say "One cheeseburger please, burger only" and the reply comes very fast: "is that the combo"?

Some of these people are nice but the majority DON'T LISTEN to the customer.

Rage sets in... Loving the self service touch displays available in some stores now.

I can remember trying to cover all the options and prevent them asking the dreaded "would you like .... with that?"

I never did succeed, there was always something else.

I admit to getting so annoyed when I got the inevitable "would you like fries with that?" I would come out with "Did I ask for fries?
"No"
"Then please don't assume I'm so stupid I can't get my order right the first time".

I know it isn't their fault, they are told to up-sell. But if everyone bit back when it happened then the practice would cease.

Matthew

meesham

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#1415950 29-Oct-2015 09:33

mdooher:

I know it isn't their fault, they are told to up-sell. But if everyone bit back when it happened then the practice would cease.

I doubt it, I understand your frustration but it's drilled into them to upsell and you're just pissing off the person handling your food. Having worked for a particular golden arch themed fast food chain for 4 years while in high school and uni I tried to avoid doing the upsell if it seemed like the customer knew exactly what they wanted, the manager would then hassle me for not doing the job properly. It's all about doing it the company way, they don't want you thinking for yourself.

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