Our conversation was much more interesting, and we were immersed in it, until a menu was pushed in front of us. We looked up to see a waiter almost literally looking down his nose. "What are you going to have?" he asked. We declined politely, and got back to sipping the sickly drinks. Five minutes later, he was back and this time he was even more pointed in his approach. "I wanted to know if you are going to order something else, or..." If I could complete his sentence, it would be "... are you just going to waste my time and occupy space in our distinguished establishment?"
Something snapped in me. There was not one other person besides us in this supposedly posh restaurant, hence we were not doing a disservice to any other patron. If we were not allowed to enjoy our drink in peace, then the establishment should have hung a board at the entrance proclaiming the same. Once you are open to the public, then you are open to the public. I have never gone back to the place, and never intend to either, however good it may claim to be.
The next time I was disappointed by the service industry was at this soothing oasis in the middle of a busy street. We had gone there because it is such a lovely place, one that invites you to kick off your heels and soak in the greenery. Pricey, yes, but worth it. Or so I thought. At the end of one hour, we were served with three tiny slices of charred – literally blackened – satay. The hot chocolate was a bland concoction of lukewarm water and powdered milk, with three dark spots on top. And then the bill, of course, was worth enough for five hearty dishes.
These two experiences are, unfortunately, becoming the norm in many eateries. Customer service seems to consist of ignoring the customer as far as possible, attending to them with disgruntled faces and voices, ignoring their requests, becoming annoyed at reasonable demands and mostly just making do with the least effort. People do not go out just to eat, we intend to let our hair down and escape the drudgeries of life for a good while. Entrepreneurs had better think of that, and invest more in trainings for hospitality management instead of spending too much in interiors that can never give as much pleasure as a welcoming smile.
Shopping is an even more off-putting experience. There are some stores where the attendants are actually attentive, where you can ask for things and have the staff looking for what you want, where you can pick and choose and buy what fully satisfies you. These seem, sadly, to be in the minority. Most of the stores we enter, there is someone disapprovingly looking on, scrutinizing, already prepared to turn down all our requests.
"Can I have this in another color?" I held up a t-shirt and asked a staff at a popular clothing store.
"No," she was abrupt, "That is the last piece." The answer that is only second most common, after, "No, things are not manufactured in the way you describe. You can't find them anywhere."
And perhaps she was telling the truth. But then she didn't have the size for another. She was even impolite when a teenager queried about the lights at the changing rooms, and wouldn't respond to a lady asking her about dresses in plus sizes – even though the advertisement strung outside the shop claimed to cater to all sorts. It was evident that the only thing she was interested on was getting back to her cell phone and to continue browsing Facebook. It was so off-putting that all of us left without buying anything.
Eating out or shopping seems more and more a nightmare to me, because of responses like these. It's as if most business people are doing a favor to us by merely setting up shops. Prices are exorbitant and unchecked, the products are dubious many a times (and are proving to be more dangerous by the day), and there is an utter lack of knowledge about the services as well as how best to offer them to the public. It's all so thoroughly rigid, the sellers have forgotten the difference between commercial and professional.
It's understandable that the service providers are tired and hungry and fed up of catering to rude people. The pay might be stretched out, the hours long, and the jobs might often feel worthless. Anyone who feels like this has all my sympathies. But it's still not reason enough to be rude or huffy or plain unprofessional. If there are hundreds of similar places to go to, and a customer has chosen your place, surely it's worth it to give them your time and effort? The customer is obviously not God, like in the old times, but they are the ones who make business possible in the first place.
Everything has been hit hard by the trying times our country has faced these past months, including trade and business.The frustration is obvious, the depression palpable. But like everything else being reshaped and rebuilt, it's high time that the service providers pull up their socks, too. Nothing much to be done, either – just a friendly, polite approach and a bit of attention would work wonders.
bh.richa@gmail.com
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