Monday, April 07, 2008

PLEASED

Today's lesson is on customer service.

Example One: Bad Customer Service.

I went "antiquing" for about ten minutes on Saturday. I knew I had to go while I was still (barely) awake/alert, because once I hit the couch after those long runs, I pretty much go comatose. So I was walking very slowly through the store, partially because actually walking = small miracle at that point in time, and also because there was so much to take in and see. I rounded a corner and found a stack of windows. I was bent over going through them when the owner came by. "Let me know if you have any questions," he said, as he walked by me carrying a door. I was admiring an old white churchy-looking window when a piece of paint, approximately the size of my pinky fingernail, flaked off in my fingers (revealing more white paint - it was barely noticeable). The owner walked back past me. I set the piece of paint on top of the window frame. Just as I did, he yelled "Oh you can keep that piece of paint you just chipped off, ha HA HA! Go ahead and put it in your pocket!" I looked up at him as he turned and walked off. I placed all the windows back against the wall, flicked the tiny paint chip onto the ground, and walked out of the store. It wasn't until I driving away in my car when I noticed all the dirty plain old windows and doors outside, wet and rotting from sitting in the rain. Now I ask you - is he aware the sign on his door does not say Tiffany & Co.? Does he know he's running an ANTIQUE SHOP and that chipped paint, on the outer corner of something that's already chipped, only adds character? It's not like I broke all the glass in the window pane. I was fuming. Jerk. You'd think with such superpower vision, he would be putting those bionic eyes to use someplace besides an antique store.

Example Two: Good Customer Service.

Last night I went to Pei Wei, one of my favorite places to eat. I changed up my order a bit (teriyaki chicken on fried rice) but was still a little surprised by what I was served (teriyaki chicken on fried rice, with a salad in between). I mean, there was a garden in my bowl. Enormous steamed onions and foot-long strands of lettuce and giant carrots... I like vegetables just fine but never covered in teriyaki glaze, steamed, slimy, and most importantly - when I haven't requested them. So I was removing the layer of extraneous, unwelcome vegetables out of my bowl when I unearthed something else I didn't order - a piece of raw meat. Juicy, oozing beef, about the size of three of my fingers. That can't be good, I thought, as I showed my dinner companion. We decided I should send it back. I got one of the waiter's attention and showed him the raw meat in my dish. He offered to make me another one, which was ready minutes later - but still had all the veggies. Oh well. I was picking them out - again - when the store manager came up to the table and handed us each a $10 gift card. Why thank you, Mr. Pei Wei. I would have come back, gift card or not, but now I will probably be back sooner. Hide the fortune cookies!

6 comments:

  1. I don't really get why you were so upset with the first guy.

    ReplyDelete
  2. He was snippy for no reason. He wasn't trying to be funny, he was trying to be rude.

    ReplyDelete
  3. #1. I'm with Wes on the first story.

    #2. Gross. Raw meat. I don't know if I could have continued to eat.

    ReplyDelete
  4. #1. If the antique store owner's laugh resembled anything similar to "he haw hee hee haw hee.....We NO take that here!", then I would have scooted my fannie right out of that store too.

    #2. Your new meal request at Pei Wei sounds somewhat familiar! Was there any inspiration that prompted such a change? ;)

    #3. I'm pretty sure we took some new pics this weekend that I want to see ASAP!

    ReplyDelete
  5. and yes...

    I typed "FANNIE". lol

    ReplyDelete
  6. If y'all had been there, you would have thought he was being mean. His tone said "#%^@ you for chipping my pristine, brand new, freshly painted window."

    ReplyDelete

Oh goody!

wordpress blog stats