Another example of Customer Service stretched to the very limits comes to mind.
Several years ago a group of 8 of us (4 sportsmen + wives) used to regularly go out for restaurant meals together.
One of the wives would always complain wherever we went , even if she had chosen the venue and her complaints were always about what she perceived as poor customer service.
She targeted waiters (well, they're here to serve us aren't they?) but her interpretation of good service was to get some kind of 'special' treatment and she had an ever expanding repetoire of tricks to allow her to get this.
She would order her meal then when it came she would point to someone else's plate and ask the waiter why theirs looked 'more interesting' than what she had been given. The waiter would not know how to answer, surprisingly and sometimes would offer to change her meal. She would then be satisfied until the next course.
Another stunt she would try was telling the waiter that she was not really very hungry just now and could the chef possibly cook something different just for her as the menu only had full meals on it - whilst reminding him that the lite bites menu should be only for lunchtime not evening meals.
And so it went on - every time we got together until the other 6 of us started taking bets in the taxi about what she would find wrong tonight. Eventually her nickname became Mrs. Bouquet.
At a very posh restaurant she began by announcing as she removed her coat 'I can't believe how cold it is in here !' (it wasn't) Our waiter who happened to be the maitre d' instantly rounded on her and assured us all that the ambient temperature was always carefully monitored in his dining room and that perhaps she might be coming down with something ! Needless to say she had a horrid evening.
At first this was amusing , then hilarious but we became very embarassed by her behaviour and all of us felt so sorry for the waiters who had to put up with her daft requests. She would even call for the manager if she thought a waiter's answer was not satisfactory - so get the poor lad or lass in trouble.
She would chat so long while on her starter that everyone at the table would notice that the main courses were being held up and hers had gone cold, then ask for it to be warmed through. She would also send the waiter away when he appeared with the dessert menu before anyone could order as she wasn't ready for pudding while the rest of us were more than ready and had to grab him back to order.
She enjoyed playing these games very much and seemed oblivious to anything including the company she was with.
It came to a halt when we felt so sorry for one of her victims (a young waiter) that when my husband overheard him getting a telling off for something she had done he called the manager outside quietly to explain and apologise for her rudeness to his staff.
We no longer go out as a group but I know that she still plays these games in shops and restaurants however we do not have to witness it anymore.
The customer service culture gives some people leeway to be rude and sometimes even nasty and is loaded against reasonable staff who have to deal with difficult customers.
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Topic: How rude!! (
Topic Closed)
. After a hard "break free" day at work I cannot be bothered to reply to your post as of course I have been arguing for entertainment purposes with customers all day.
