It's All About Service

[Snaggletiger]

Petty rant coming, but this type thing seems to be happening more frequently.  Snagette and I went to a restaurant in Montgunry yesterday afternoon. Got there about 3:30, so not busy at all.  Maybe 4 other tables occupied in the whole place.  This is a little nicer restaurant that we’ve eaten at many times before.  Always had good service, good food, the works. 

We get seated in a booth, and the waitress, who can’t be more than 21, brings some water and takes our order.  The wifey orders a glass of wine.  10 minutes pass, nothing.  The bar is right in front of us, and the bartender is watching TV.  15 minutes pass, still nothing and the waitress is nowhere to be found.  I go up to the bar and get her drink.  After 10 to 15 more minutes, another waitress brings out the food.

They have the silverware wrapped up in black linen napkins.  Snagette unrolls hers, and it looks like they just picked it up from someone else’s table, who had just finished, and wrapped up the silverware.  Covered in dried food.  We finally see the original waitress and flag her down.  The wife shows her the food caked napkin, and politely asks for another.  No, “Sorry about that”, or anything other than, “Yeeeaah”.  She takes the dirty napkin, wads it up and plops on the divider for the booths, right behind my head. Then she promptly disappears again.

After a couple of minutes, and no waitress, I get up and grab another off an unoccupied table.  Snagette ordered a chicken dish.  The bird was cooked to the perfect consistency that only shoe leather could match. I literally couldn’t cut it with my knife.  Inedible!  However, no waitress to be found, and no others anywhere near.  I get up to see if I can find the waitress or a manager.  The only person I found was the greeter desk girl named Shameka, who was slumped over the podium looking intently at her phone.  I sit back down, in the hopes that maybe a waitress, any waitress will magically reappear.  One does, but she goes to the table next to us, to take back the steak the guy ordered because the kitchen F’d his order up too.  Snagette is eating her sides, and I’m sharing my food with her.

By this time, it’s almost comical, and we’re just ready to get on the road. Finally, our young girl pops around the corner, and without a word, scoops up our plates, assuming we’re finished, which trust me, we were.  But before she leaves, she tosses this wadded up napkin on the table in front of my wife and walks off. We’re looking at each other in disbelief.  The wife heads to the restroom, the waitress flies by the table, and without breaking stride or saying a word, slides the folder with our ticket.  She appears from behind me to reach by and take the folder with the card. A different waitress brings it back. 

Since taking our order, the only word uttered from this waitress’ mouth was, “Yeeeaah”. No, “How was your food?”  “Can I get you something else?” No tip!  I know for a fact that we were her only table.  I looked for someone to complain to, but Shameka seemed to be enjoying her Tik Tok videos too much, and I didn’t want to interrupt.

[Kaos]

Petty rant coming, but this type thing seems to be happening more frequently.  Snagette and I went to a restaurant in Montgunry yesterday afternoon. Got there about 3:30, so not busy at all.  Maybe 4 other tables occupied in the whole place.  This is a little nicer restaurant that we’ve eaten at many times before.  Always had good service, good food, the works. 

We get seated in a booth, and the waitress, who can’t be more than 21, brings some water and takes our order.  The wifey orders a glass of wine.  10 minutes pass, nothing.  The bar is right in front of us, and the bartender is watching TV.  15 minutes pass, still nothing and the waitress is nowhere to be found.  I go up to the bar and get her drink.  After 10 to 15 more minutes, another waitress brings out the food.

They have the silverware wrapped up in black linen napkins.  Snagette unrolls hers, and it looks like they just picked it up from someone else’s table, who had just finished, and wrapped up the silverware.  Covered in dried food.  We finally see the original waitress and flag her down.  The wife shows her the food caked napkin, and politely asks for another.  No, “Sorry about that”, or anything other than, “Yeeeaah”.  She takes the dirty napkin, wads it up and plops on the divider for the booths, right behind my head. Then she promptly disappears again.

After a couple of minutes, and no waitress, I get up and grab another off an unoccupied table.  Snagette ordered a chicken dish.  The bird was cooked to the perfect consistency that only shoe leather could match. I literally couldn’t cut it with my knife.  Inedible!  However, no waitress to be found, and no others anywhere near.  I get up to see if I can find the waitress or a manager.  The only person I found was the greeter desk girl named Shameka, who was slumped over the podium looking intently at her phone.  I sit back down, in the hopes that maybe a waitress, any waitress will magically reappear.  One does, but she goes to the table next to us, to take back the steak the guy ordered because the kitchen F’d his order up too.  Snagette is eating her sides, and I’m sharing my food with her.

By this time, it’s almost comical, and we’re just ready to get on the road. Finally, our young girl pops around the corner, and without a word, scoops up our plates, assuming we’re finished, which trust me, we were.  But before she leaves, she tosses this wadded up napkin on the table in front of my wife and walks off. We’re looking at each other in disbelief.  The wife heads to the restroom, the waitress flies by the table, and without breaking stride or saying a word, slides the folder with our ticket.  She appears from behind me to reach by and take the folder with the card. A different waitress brings it back. 

Since taking our order, the only word uttered from this waitress’ mouth was, “Yeeeaah”. No, “How was your food?”  “Can I get you something else?” No tip!  I know for a fact that we were her only table.  I looked for someone to complain to, but Shameka seemed to be enjoying her Tik Tok videos too much, and I didn’t want to interrupt.

Hardee's isn't what I'd call "fine dining" but you do you. 

Similar but not similar.  There's a new place that opened here.  Not bad.  Not fast food, but a step slightly above.  They pile crap on potatoes. 

Friend goes there at 4:30 the other day.  Four kids working. Nobody over the age of 25.  She orders and they ask her if she can take her order to go, because they've decided to close up early.  "Haven't been busy for the last two hours or so..." 

Right.  You're not busy from 2-5.  You know, the gap between lunch and dinner. So shut down without warning before five.  Anyone who might have been coming for dinner will find a locked and darkened door. 

It's gonna fail.  That place won't be there 90 days from now. 

[Snakebite]

Should've swung by Hampstead and treated your sweet bride to Taste or City Grill.

What restaurant did you go to so that I know to avoid it?  I would've cause a scene.  Had a similar experience at Bonefish Grill a few years back & told them exactly what I was thinking.

[Snaggletiger]

Should've swung by Hampstead and treated your sweet bride to Taste or City Grill.

What restaurant did you go to so that I know to avoid it?  I would've cause a scene.  Had a similar experience at Bonefish Grill a few years back & told them exactly what I was thinking.

Firebirds Wood Fire Grill. It's at East Chase.

Like I said, we have been there several times over the years.  We've really enjoyed it every time, and I'm not saying we won't go back in the future.  I get it.  Sometimes, you have an off day.  But a waitress with the personality of a dish rag, and the attentiveness of a 3 year old, plus a chef who let's shoe leather leave his/her kitchen...yeeeaah!  No way you could be a cook, and think what you're sending out is, as my grandmother used to say, fiteat.  Since the guy at the table next to us was sending his back, the chef was screwing up half the orders in the joint.

[Kaos]

Firebirds Wood Fire Grill. It's at East Chase.

Like I said, we have been there several times over the years.  We've really enjoyed it every time, and I'm not saying we won't go back in the future.  I get it.  Sometimes, you have an off day.  But a waitress with the personality of a dish rag, and the attentiveness of a 3 year old, plus a chef who let's shoe leather leave his/her kitchen...yeeeaah!  No way you could be a cook, and think what you're sending out is, as my grandmother used to say, fiteat.  Since the guy at the table next to us was sending his back, the chef was screwing up half the orders in the joint.

Key is, you gotta let somebody know. Not that you're a Karen or whatever, but management rarely knows what's going on if they aren't there.  Nothing will change unless you see something, say something.

[Snaggletiger]

Key is, you gotta let somebody know. Not that you're a Karen or whatever, but management rarely knows what's going on if they aren't there.  Nothing will change unless you see something, say something.

Yep, I should have waited until I could find somebody to let them know.  I got up the one time to do just that, but err'body disappeared. 

One other thing, though.  I don't believe in going on line to leave bad reviews, unless you're transacting business completely on line, like ordering from Amazon. If it's a walk-in business like a restaurant, retail store, bank etc. I believe in talking to someone personally, or at the very least, by phone.  Leaving a bad review on line in that situation, is cowardly, IMO. 

And yes, I'm talking about their website, YELP or some other review site.  Not here.  The 6 of you don't count.

[Kaos]

Back to service

Opened a new account at Hancock Whitney.  That took over an hour.  Debit card shows up a week later.  They hold my funds for ten days. 

Go to activate card.  They ask for tax id.  Who knows that?  I have to look it up.  By the time I find it and get back to the call they’ve hung up.  Try again.  Won’t activate it using the auto process because the prior attempt failed validation.  Have to transfer me to Martika in the Ukraine who can barely speak English. I give her the card number four times. She tells me the card doesn’t exist and then reads off some lengthy unintelligible statement before going “is ok to treensfer now?”

I’m nine minutes into what shiould be a 30 second automated process.  So whatever.  Treensfar.


Now it’s Maria from Narnia.  Read the card number four more times.  She doesn’t understand southern.  Reads it back wrong every time. Cant figure out how to spell my name.  She reads off some long string of gibberish and says “transfars for you ok?”


Now I got “Jim” from Pakisjub.  Same process.  Read card number.  Spell name.  Read card number.  Spell name.  Finally Jim goes  “ahhhh eeees new card or to replace?” 
New. “Ahhhh.  Click click click…. Eeeees activate. You mus call back to set PIN…”


Over 19 minutes. 


What scares me is all these people can click into our bank accounts.

[jmar]

Yep, I should have waited until I could find somebody to let them know.  I got up the one time to do just that, but err'body disappeared. 

One other thing, though.  I don't believe in going on line to leave bad reviews, unless you're transacting business completely on line, like ordering from Amazon. If it's a walk-in business like a restaurant, retail store, bank etc. I believe in talking to someone personally, or at the very least, by phone.  Leaving a bad review on line in that situation, is cowardly, IMO. 

And yes, I'm talking about their website, YELP or some other review site.  Not here.  The 6 of you don't count.

Avoid going most anywhere between shift changes, mornings breakfast to lunch and afternoons lunch to dinner. I can't speak for the nasty dinnerware or inattentiveness of it all but your entire meal was likely prepared by a prep cook that seldom requires any finishing skills. We are old and we will be disappointed if we think we can get what we want when we want it.

[wesfau2]

Back to service

Opened a new account at Hancock Whitney.  That took over an hour.  Debit card shows up a week later.  They hold my funds for ten days. 

Go to activate card.  They ask for tax id.  Who knows that?  I have to look it up.  By the time I find it and get back to the call they’ve hung up.  Try again.  Won’t activate it using the auto process because the prior attempt failed validation.  Have to transfer me to Martika in the Ukraine who can barely speak English. I give her the card number four times. She tells me the card doesn’t exist and then reads off some lengthy unintelligible statement before going “is ok to treensfer now?”

I’m nine minutes into what shiould be a 30 second automated process.  So whatever.  Treensfar.


Now it’s Maria from Narnia.  Read the card number four more times.  She doesn’t understand southern.  Reads it back wrong every time. Cant figure out how to spell my name.  She reads off some long string of gibberish and says “transfars for you ok?”


Now I got “Jim” from Pakisjub.  Same process.  Read card number.  Spell name.  Read card number.  Spell name.  Finally Jim goes  “ahhhh eeees new card or to replace?” 
New. “Ahhhh.  Click click click…. Eeeees activate. You mus call back to set PIN…”


Over 19 minutes. 


What scares me is all these people can click into our bank accounts.

I had the same setup headaches with HWB.  That said, I have found their customer service to be excellent...and nearly all Mississippian.

[GH2001]

...and nearly all Mississippian.

Yazoo City? Well I lied about that....and the preacher warshed away that sin too!

[wesfau2]

Yazoo City? Well I lied about that....and the preacher warshed away that sin too!

Been there once.

Saw a squirrel wreak havoc at a Baptist Church Revival.

Whole lotta people found religion that day.

[CCTAU]

Been there once.

Saw a squirrel wreak havoc at a Baptist Church Revival.

Whole lotta people found religion that day.

That was Pascagoula…

[wesfau2]

That was Pascagoula…

It's all the same backasswardness.

[Kaos]

Back to service:

My dog needed a new harness. I stupidly broke a clip on hers and it was a little tight anyway.  Found exactly what I wanted at Petco, ordered it for pickup and paid. I had a few other places to go and wanted to just grab it while I was out.

Right. 

This is how that went:
Kaos (K): I need to pick up a harness I ordered online.
Old Petco Clerk (OPC):  If you ordered it online, it will be delivered.
K: No, I ordered it for pickup.
OPC: We didn't get any order.
K: Yes, you did. (Gets out phone, pulls up Petco app, shows it to OPC)
OPC: Oh, yeah, we don't have that.
K: Well, it took my money because it said this store had it in stock, so...
OPC: I guess they'll give it back, because we don't have it.
K: Ok, what DO you have because I need a harness for her.
OPC: You can look back over there.
K: (goes back, and right there hanging on the rack is exactly what I ordered that they didn't have) This is what I ordered.
OPC: No, it's not.
K: (gets out phone and shows app again) Yes, it is. And since I've already been charged for it, I'll just take it and go.
OPC: No, that was just a reserve. You'll have to pay.
K: (app again) No, it says paid here. I've already paid.
OPC: Not for that one.
K: Yes, for this specifically, which is what I wanted.
OPC: Well, you have to pay for THAT one, the online one will be delivered or you can maybe cancel it.
K: (asks to speak to her manager, feeling very Karen-ish)
OPC: Gone for the day. Be back Tuesday.
K: (Mental profanity, pays for harness)

Checked the Petco app when I got to my truck. It's marked paid, waiting for pickup. 

[Snaggletiger]

Back to service:

My dog needed a new harness. I stupidly broke a clip on hers and it was a little tight anyway.  Found exactly what I wanted at Petco, ordered it for pickup and paid. I had a few other places to go and wanted to just grab it while I was out.

Right. 

This is how that went:
Kaos (K): I need to pick up a harness I ordered online.
Old Petco Clerk (OPC):  If you ordered it online, it will be delivered.
K: No, I ordered it for pickup.
OPC: We didn't get any order.
K: Yes, you did. (Gets out phone, pulls up Petco app, shows it to OPC)
OPC: Oh, yeah, we don't have that.
K: Well, it took my money because it said this store had it in stock, so...
OPC: I guess they'll give it back, because we don't have it.
K: Ok, what DO you have because I need a harness for her.
OPC: You can look back over there.
K: (goes back, and right there hanging on the rack is exactly what I ordered that they didn't have) This is what I ordered.
OPC: No, it's not.
K: (gets out phone and shows app again) Yes, it is. And since I've already been charged for it, I'll just take it and go.
OPC: No, that was just a reserve. You'll have to pay.
K: (app again) No, it says paid here. I've already paid.
OPC: Not for that one.
K: Yes, for this specifically, which is what I wanted.
OPC: Well, you have to pay for THAT one, the online one will be delivered or you can maybe cancel it.
K: (asks to speak to her manager, feeling very Karen-ish)
OPC: Gone for the day. Be back Tuesday.
K: (Mental profanity, pays for harness)

Checked the Petco app when I got to my truck. It's marked paid, waiting for pickup.

Correct response:  Oh, my bad.  We do have it.  Here ya' go.  Sorry for the confusion.

[chinook]

ruffwear. know it. live it. love it.

[Kaos]

The post office.  Government efficiency at its finest. 

Ordered something for my daughter’s birthday.  Was supposed to be here on the 15th. Showed out for delivery that day.  Never got it.  Called the company today.  They said it shows being held at the post office “15 customer request.”

I made no such request.  Go to the post office.  One surly woman behind the counter.  Wait, wait, wait, wait, while she takes her time with everything.  Finally get to the counter.

“I need the tracking number.”

Don’t have it.

“Ok. Next!”

No. Not next. Can’t you look it up by my name and address?

“Nope. Next!”

NOT NEXT.  I got no notification you opted not to deliver this on the 15th.  I only found out it was here when I called the company and asked where my package was.  They said it showed it was waiting for pickup.

“Well. Ok.  NEXT!”

Say next one more time.  I freaking dare you.  Get up and find my package. 

About that time somebody came out of the back and asked for my address.  Took 10 seconds for him to look on the shelf and hand it to me.