Mr.Sulks Mr Tulks
I don’t often delve into ranting on this blog, but lately something has really jacked me off. So what got me so irritated? Well it is surly, sulky waitstaff. What is it with all the bad attitude of late?
I was in Mr.Tulks the other day, which has always held a bit of a soft spot in my heart for being the place EG and I had our first date. I even knew some of the staff in a previous incarnation as apprentice pastry chef.
So on a recent visit I was pretty disappointed that not one of the staff (there were four on the floor) cracked a smile or deigned to notice us. Not when we arrived and after five minutes had to make our own way to a table. Not when, after ten minutes, I had to get up and grab our own menus. Not when, after another fifteen minutes, I had to return to order (I thought it was table service here?). And not when the waitress returned with our food, slammed it on the table with nary a word and stomped away. And finally, not when we paid our bill. In fact, I felt decidedly unwelcome.
Now my rant is not exclusively directed at Mr.Tulk. A few weeks ago I was at Cafe Vue and again, no smiles / welcoming words and just extreme brusqueness. I felt I should have taken my $15 lunch box and walked out the door.
So what’s the deal? Where is the professionalism and customer service? You know, I’m not expecting to be fawned over - not in the least. But a simple genuine smile goes a long way to making me, the customer, feel welcome.
Written by mellie on
January 2nd, 2008 | Tags: rant | Category: Uncategorized
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January 3rd, 2008 at 1:13 am
Agreed 100%.
That woman at Cafe Vue really was grumpy. It appears to be a growing epidemic.
Makes me appreciate the man across the road who makes my sandwiches more and more. Can’t wait till he gets back from holidays. It’s not a fancy establishment, but you can always count on friendly staff.
January 3rd, 2008 at 4:01 am
seems that Sydney’s surly and rude service is filtering down south.
I think another food blog said it the best. when faced with such service, smile and ask them, “is something wrong with your day?”, “is my being here making you upset?”, “do you want me to leave?”, or something like that.
it’s a far cry from Japan, which re-defines customer service. sure the pleasantries might be put-on, but if courtesy and politeness are the worst complaints one can make, I will take that anyday.
January 3rd, 2008 at 4:59 am
I totally hear your lament! My experience of some of the staff of those too-cool-for-school dining establishments cropping up all over that inner-north suburb starting with ‘B’ is that they tend to display a haughtier than usual conduct towards customers.
A retort I could have levelled at one particular waitstaff: “Look, i ordered a coffee from youse ‘cos it craps all over the swill we have to contend with in canberra, but could ya serve it sans the attitude? Why I remember wagging classes right here when this place used to be a fish n’ chips shop and you were probably still in nappies so have some respect, you young so and so!”
Okay look seriously, i understand its difficult to maintain an overly pleasant facade all the time and coming across the odd customer from hell but being in the service industry these folks ought to know that most of us respond in kind and reciprocate with pleasantries. Remember: you attract more flies with sugar than vinegar.
January 3rd, 2008 at 5:01 am
…uh, not that i’m calling us folk flies or anything. Damn figure of speech!
January 3rd, 2008 at 9:36 am
I hears ya Mellie!! But it’s not just in restaurants or cafes… it’s in stores as well.
People are just plain rude.
I ranted about it a while back.
January 4th, 2008 at 1:18 am
Hear hear Mellie. Our highly anticipated trip to Rockpool B&G was largely spoiled by unprofessional and sullen hospitality from front of house (just blogged), made worst considering the price we paid for that priviledge.
January 6th, 2008 at 10:55 am
Hey anna - yeah, kind of puts some of these places to shame, especially when they can be shown up by less than “popular” establishments.
Hi EG - I think Japan spoiled me for customer service. Whilst it may not necessarily have been genuine, at least they were pleasant!
Hi serenity later - bravo! And you are so true. Like really, is it so hard to smile and say hello? Yes, one may have an off day every now and then, but I’m feeling like some of these places are creating a culture of snobbishness and elitism that is altogether unfriendly.
Hey anthony - good point. When I was in Japan recently I was quite taken aback by the level of professionalism held by everyone from the waitress to the cleaner at the train station. Not one of them looked surly or narky - everyone was pleasant and just went about their job. Now I could wax lyrical on both sides of the coin on that one (..there is good and bad in such passivity/geniality), but seriously, I think we could take a couple of leaves out of their book.
Hi towser - ooh, your Rockpool B&G experience really sucked! I really thought they would have offered better customer service than that!
January 6th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
No excuses but I reckon its got something to do with the time of year. Restaurant staff get a flogging over Christmas and the new year and dare I say anyone that is working at the moment just after these big celebrations is probably a bit excused and over it.
Hopefully we will start seeing some smily faces again in the next week as the tennis starts and the poor buggers have had some time to lay in the sun and take a deep breath. The other thing is that often the senior staff will take a couple of extra days off between new year and the tennis starting so, hence supervision of the tired waiters has lapsed as well, not a good combo!
Jack
January 7th, 2008 at 9:34 pm
Hi there jack - yes, another good point. It is a hard and often thankless job (I’ve been there), but still, the role is customer service oriented, and no matter how tired and fed up you are, you are there to provide good service. And in some of these higher establishments, one would expect a certain level of professionalism in this area. So it just gets my goat when I am made to feel so unwelcome as to want to crawl under the table.