Café's - Is this a new thing?

[Rove]

I love my coffee, I really do. Not that horrid black stuff but my double-shot cappuccino is my morning religion. Friends of mine think I drink the stuff all day but I limit myself to just 2...and both are consumed prior to lunch.

But here is my rant. Lately I've noticed this disturbing trend among café's where the employees keep accepting orders and forget what they're supposed to be doing...making coffee? This morning I nearly chucked a hissy-fit and requested my money back and offer a good telling off on what constitutes great service. I walked up to a local - there was no one standing in line. I ordered. I stepped aside. No one else was waiting. Just as she was about to make my religion another bloke walks up to the counter. She drops everything and takes his order. This bloke then couldn't decided whether he wanted a turkey salad sandwich or chicken. Seriously mate, the world shouldn't stop because you cannot decide what kind of white meat you're wishing to consume. He finally makes a decision and proceeds to order.

I should point out there was another staff member milling about looking like she was doing something but not. "Hey? Do you know how to make coffee?" Well this is what I should have exclaimed. No sooner had the lady turned to start on my coffee then another customer walked up to the count and said employee once again dropped everything to assisted the next customer. This lady then proceeded to place a substantial lunch order, I'm assuming for office staff. Meanwhile the other employee stood in the background moving plastic containers from one end of the bench to the other.

This is when I started offering the lady behind the counter a stern look. "Yeah, I'm looking at you. I placed my coffee order 6 minutes ago but you keep taking orders. Let me guess? That other team member is your daughter who only knows how to move containers. In the end the coffee was crap so I will not frequent this café again.

This kind of service is something I'm seeing creep more and more into café's. And don't get me started on those QR codes where I have to create, order and pay. Some businesses are now adding a surcharge simply by using the QR system. What a rort!

Rant over.

 

[Willie Oleson]

I've been ignored a few times.
I was the only person in the shop and the butcher and his help were chatting and that's perfectly fine except that they didn't stop chatting while I stood there right in front of their very noses.
I didn't know what to do because it was embarrassing to keep waiting but it was also embarrassing to leave after such a long time of being completely ignored. If I wanted to leave I should have done it five minutes earlier.

Another time I walked up to the cigarettes/batteries/lotteries counter in a supermarket and the employee was reading some kind of inventory book but it was impossible for her to miss me since we were less than a meter apart and I put my hands on the counter.
She kept reading so figured it was something important, let's give her some time to deal with it. Oh, she took her time, and you know what happened next? She WALKED AWAY from the counter!
I had to go to another store to get my stuff. Unbelievable.
I admire the Karens in this world who refuse to put up with this anti-social behaviour. Does anyone know how to become a Karen?

 

[Crimson]

Does anyone know how to become a Karen?

I ask in all sincerity, but did you try asking for assistance? It seems like in both your scenarios, you just stood there. Being ignored is odd for sure.

I spent half of my twenties working retail and the other half working in a call center, which I think braced me for any kind of customer service encounter from either side: polite but insistent has never failed me.

 

[Willie Oleson]

but did you try asking for assistance?

Over my dead body.

 

[Crimson]

Over my dead body.

We may have solved why you get ignored.

"Excuse me?" seems easier than going to another store, but whatever makes you happy.

 

[DallasFanForever]

My local supermarket’s deli has always been a mystery to me. There will literally be between 5 and 10 employees behind the counter at any given time and I would say only one or two of them seem to be waiting on the customers in line. You will see the other employees running back and forth the entire time putting food out, cleaning the machinery, straightening up, etc. but ignoring the line of customers. It’s very odd. I get they have jobs to do behind the scenes but I’m just too customer service oriented to watch people stand in line that long. I just left one day and chose never to return. I’d rather drive a few extra miles to a different deli if the service is better.

 

[Willie Oleson]

"Excuse me?" seems easier

I enter a butchery, they see me entering the shop. I'm going to stand right in front of them, waiting for them to finish their conversation so I can order the meat.
They keep on talking while not servicing me.
And you expect me to beg for attention?

 

[Crimson]

while not servicing me

They probably also talked about you after you left.

 

[Willie Oleson]

I am friendly and I am patient. But to be friendly and patient and to ask for their assistance is just too much.
I mean, I can have some dignity, can't I?

BUT! what happens when you enter a store just to browse stuff? Tackled on the doorstep! "Can I help you, right now without hesitation? How much money are you going to spend, I think you'll like this one. Yes, buy it. Gimme the money, dammit"

Let's face it, most customer services suck.
#KarenRules

 

[Crimson]

I mean, I can have some dignity, can't I?

The dignity of awkwardly skulking away without what you wanted? I'm genuinely not trying to be a jerk here, but your approach is deeply flawed. You expect help without asking for it, but also expect to be left alone without asking for it. All of your issues here are solved by using words. "I need assistance" or "I'm just browsing" have never failed me.

most customer services suck

Most customers suck far worse. There are no jobs I've ever had that were worse than dealing with "the public".

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

To be fair, I prefer to complain, too. It's good for the spleen.

But given the current condition of my spleen, I should be complaining more.

You should have seen me at the garage last May.

$20 Frappuccinos, by the way, are way beyond my budget. So maybe you should complain when they do serve you.

 

[DallasFanForever]

There are no jobs I've ever had that were worse than dealing with "the public"

No, but at least dealing with “the public” isn’t boring. I’ll give them that much.

 

[Willie Oleson]

your approach is deeply flawed. You expect help without asking for it, but also expect to be left alone without asking for it. All of your issues here are solved by using words. "I need assistance" or "I'm just browsing" have never failed me.

I'm afraid you still don't understand the situations I described.
It wasn't because they failed to notice me - otherwise I'd simply say "hello" or make a discreet little noise - it was because they simply didn't care.
Yes, I could have said "excuse me", hoping they would respond to that so I could get my stuff and get it over with.
But the thing is, it isn't only a business transaction, it's also about how people behave towards each other.
And by persisting in my passive-aggressive victim role I wanted them to be aware that I am aware of their anti-social behaviour. It needs to fester so that it justifies my hatred of them.
I admit that this is a flawed thinking process because if they don't care then they also don't care about the outcome.
But what can I say, I'm only human, and too nice for my own good.


A somewhat similar but more extreme example, and I see this a lot in social media:
People often respond with outrage because they or someone else has been wronged by a sociopathic person.
It always makes me think, what's the point in complaining about it when the sociopath is fully aware of his/her dastardly actions, possibly to provoke their victims because they want the situation to escalate.

You can state the obvious by saying "this is just so wrong!" but in reality the situation is beyond agreement or solution.
There really are only two options:
1. say nothing and pray that the sociopath gets bored with it and leave you alone.
2. counter-attack, but that only works if you do it twice as hard. You've got be sure that your enemy's defeat will last otherwise it'll go on and on and on.
Sadly, sometimes the only option is death and most people (including myself) wouldn't want to go that far - even if the world would be a better place without these most unfortunate DNAs.

But complaining about someone's evil behaviour that is meant to be evil doesn't make sense because it's not a matter of misconduct, it's pure malice - and you just happened to be their target.

 

[Crimson]

too nice for my own good

I don't have that problem.

the thing is, it isn't only a business transaction, it's also about how people behave towards each other.

You can't control how people behave towards you, but you can control how you let them. No one in life will assert your dignity except yourself. I'm not trying to bust your chops about this, but I am trying to share a different perspective that I think could help you. My years in customer service were dismal, but they taught me valuable lessons. I had to deal with rude, aggressive and irrationally demanding people; I learned not to be that person. But I also admit there were days when I was overworked or just cranky and blatantly ignored people so they would go away; I also learned how not to let that happen. When friendly doesn't work, politely insistent should be your backup.

 

[LMLDallas78]

Efficient customer service seldom exists today unfortunately. This is due to a combination of poor training, poor pay and poor basic manners.

My days of waiting tables (a lot of cafes back then were waiter service) are long behind me but I was taught to always acknowledge a new customer even if I couldn't yet serve them and to always be courteous and serve with a smile even when the last thing I felt like doing was smile.
In todays world they have no problem and also permission to openly say how busy they are due to staffing levels etc and basically that's how it is, so tough, wait or go away.

They are usually paid minimum wage (no excuse but genuine reason) have little suitable customer service training and are allowed to be inefficient, ignorant and sullen.

Depending on what mood I'm in is usually indicative as to whether I'm invisible or not as a customer so I imagine being assertive doesn't always need a voice.

 

[bmasters9]

I love my coffee, I really do. Not that horrid black stuff but my double-shot cappuccino is my morning religion. Friends of mine think I drink the stuff all day but I limit myself to just 2...and both are consumed prior to lunch.

I'm kinda the same way, except that I like what you call the "horrid black stuff", and I drink 3 every morning.