Is the Food Really That Good Here??

I am a customer service Nazi. I am the type of person that believes that when I walk into any establishment that will require any exchange of money for goods or services I should be treated like I have a choice. I don’t necessarily believe that my butt should be kissed (though it wouldn’t hurt) but at the very least treat me as if I could walk out the door and right into your competitor’s wallet. I’ve been to different restaurants, retail shops, etc. and it is no secret or surprise that the more potential financial gain the better the customer service. It as if the cheaper the product the less the employees feel the need to show the customer that he or she is important. This never made much sense to me because if I was buying a Land Rover then what I want is a Land Rover. Very few people walk into a Land Rover dealership looking for just an “SUV.” However, there is a better chance of someone walking onto a Ford lot just looking for a compact that gets good mileage. This is the person that deserves your attention because literally they can find your product anywhere. Same goes for a burger, a sweater, or any other item that is sold in millions of retail and service stores throughout America.

Restaurants are the worst. I believe in rewarding excellent customer service but always feel a little empty leaving a healthy tip for someone who did what everyone should be doing. I always tip at least fifteen percent because I believe and fear the power of Karma; however I’ve been known to tip upwards of thirty percent for someone who really went out of their way to make me feel comfortable. There is no reason to disrespect or be rude to any paying customer. The customer is always right not because he is the customer; the customer is always right because the customer has the money. Now I do not agree with customer’s abusing their right to be right. The other day I went with my wife to get a pedicure (okay, I went to get a pedicure and my wife came along) and a woman walked into the nail salon claiming that she had left a bottle of nail polish at the salon the last time she was there. One of the salon employees politely asked her if she knew what color the polish was or what station she sat at while getting her manicure. The customer couldn’t answer either question but became increasingly agitated that the employees didn’t set her polish to the side and save it for her next visit. To add to this unreasonable request, when the employee asked her one of her co-workers if she had seen the bottle in her native tongue, the woman snidely remarked, “Speak English so I know what you are saying.”

This was a classic display of classicism in my opinion. I find it reprehensible when people treat service oriented employees as second class citizens. First and foremost, leaving a bottle of nail polish in a nail shop and expecting the employees to set it aside without communicating this expectation is ridiculous. Secondly, crass remarks before receiving service can alter the service that you receive. I believe we must expect great service everywhere we are served but I also believe that customers should be just as accommodating. In a crowded restaurant does it serve any purpose to repeatedly ask the maître'd or hostess if you have been called? You are seated a table with more the five people a little patience with the waiter may result in faster service. If you try on multiple garments in multiple sizes asking the employee at the GAP to retrieve clothes for you, can you understand that she may get an attitude if you purchase…nothing?

There is an unwritten rule that I am often the victim of: Horrible service forgiven by GREAT food. Now understand that the food has to be delectable and indescribable in words. The food has to give the consumer pause as it dances on their palate. I’m talking excellent chow. Very few establishments can boast of this rarity but there are a few. I had barbecue in Oklahoma at a little dive call John and Cook’s Barbecue and though the waitress seemed a little less than interested, the grub was amazing. There’s a restaurant I visit once or twice a year in Oceanside, California called the Hill Street Café that I have never received good service but the egg frittatas are amazing. Hypocrite? Why, yes I am. At those places I make the conscious decision to get my order to go so that I can enjoy their luscious victuals in the privacy of my home or car. I’ve thought of complaining but I'm reminded of the Seinfeld’s Soup Nazi. Sometimes you have to ask yourself, is the food really that good here? If the answer is yes, order your soup, have your money ready, and move on!