Customer Service

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Sometimes you find good customer service, and sometimes you find bad customer service. Yesterday, I happen to be lucky enough to find bad. Just my luck. I decided to go out for lunch, which is something I don't do often. It was a beautiful day out, and I just didn't feel like staying indoors. I usually just stop at a burger joint to pick up something on the way home, but this time I decided to go to one of those soup and salad buffet places. There is one not far from my home. I went there, and first off the food wasn't the best. Yes, the salad was fine, but the chicken noodle soup tasted like noodles in plain water. No taste at all. I went on though, and by the end of my meal I was ready to make a phone call and meet someone before heading home. I was at a table near the restrooms, and there was a sign as clear as day stating telephones here. I went to where they said, and there wasn't one phone. I asked one of the servers, and they said they didn't have them anymore. She called to one of her fellow employees, and he said for a pay phone I had to walk to the other side of the shopping center.

I stared at him for a second because I don't think I've heard of many restaurants not having a pay phone. I went back to my table and decided to ask up front. They has a phone sitting right there. The one girl said sure hold on let me get you the phone. Then someone else said you can't call out. Once again I stared. I turned around, and there was the male employee that told me to walk to the other side of the center. He looked at me, and told me that he had said I had to walk to the other side of the complex. He had followed me over to cashier. I looked at him and then went back to the table, set down my drink and left through the back door without leaving a tip. You pay as you enter. His rude behavior astounding me. I waited an hour or two to calm down. Finding no phone where he had said. Thanks to the kindness of another shop owner, I made my phone call.

I ended up calling the restaurant's customer service line. Spoke to a lovely woman, who was just as shocked as I was at the male employee's behavior. Now I am being sent a ticket for a meal for two on them. I don't even know if I want to go back to that restaurant specifically, but I know of another they own not far away. The experience between the food and the service left me wanting a lot.