Service

Whatever happened to service? “Would you like some iced tea ma’am?” Yes, at least in the South I’m old enough for that designation.

Here’s one for the books: “Can I help you?” That question can be posed and perceived in a number of ways. I won’t tell you how offended I was with one shop today who used the term to get me out the door, and we’ve spent a good deal of money there over the past couple of weeks. One gal there is great, the others won’t even look at me. Listen ladies, the person who looks at me and spends time helping me out is the one getting the commission. So you can be snooty as heck and not make a dime. I know who I’m going to and have already written your manager.

At a restaurant, a mid-range restaurant, I expect to be seated and my table picked up promptly. Order a beverage and a salad or appetizer. Order lunch/dinner. I am treated way better when my husband is at my side and it’s not two gals having lunch. I always tip well, but waiters always think women don’t tip well so don’t treat us well and seat us by the kitchen. Yes, this is Dee’s blog and I’m talking to you, Steve Dublanica of “Waiter Rant” and others.

Snootiness is probably my prime complaint. Cluelessness is next. As a checkout person one scans things so everything is automatically priced. All you do is log out, pay out dollar bills and the change is dispensed directly to the customer. Duh. I have good ones and bad ones and know who to select.

Drycleaners, I’ve been at ours for nearly five years. Every time they change staff it takes forever for them to learn my name. One young woman asked for six months. Asked how to spell something as easy as S-m-i-t-h. Countless times. She disappeared. Now when I drive up Jim’s shirts are already on the hanger and they have the check ready.

Supermarkets, well, that’s interesting because I’ve gone to two practically equally for three years and one won out. The one that talks to me, the produce guys ask if I need anything and the butchers are ready to get me anything I want. The other, not. One specialty place is great and everyone treats me well but they don’t know me. Another has my favorite cheeses and such and one guy called me “sweet pea” the other day. They really know how to satisfy a customer, by just walking down the aisle and finding exactly what I want.

When I was in college I looked for holiday jobs that would help pay my tuition and food. I knew more than everyone else at cooking stores but didn’t have the page boy haircut or preppy clothes, so I wasn’t hired. Come to think of it, before this Christmas I stopped by Williams-Sonoma and they didn’t want to have anything to do with me.

Letter to commissioned salespeople: when we come in, we have money to spend; when you treat us like yesterday’s dishes we do not spend; therefore when we do not buy you do not get a commission. Is that clear enough for your little brains to understand? Service is an art. Too bad the wisdom of caring for others is not instilled in children, because it’s way too late to teach a high school dropout how to serve a customer. And you pampered kids? Most of us have to do these jobs to get through high school or college to have a future. Everyone needs to know this stuff. You have a staff, know how to treat people.