It's A Service Industry, Dammit, And I'm The Customer

This is absolutely unacceptable, and I would have been one of the persons leading the riot, even despite the fact that there were federal regulations in play. You simply don't treat customers like this; hell you don't treat any people like this:

25 August 2006
EXCLUSIVE: TRAPPED ON
FLIGHT 63
By Vanessa Allen

POLICE boarded a jumbo jet yesterday amid fears furious passengers would riot after being stuck in their seats for seven hours.

The 352 travellers were kept cooped inside Virgin Atlantic Flight 63 on the ground after a technical problem.

Take-off was finally aborted as the Boeing 747 taxied up the runway with a car driving alongside frantically signalling that the jet had an over-inflated tyre.

Passenger Philip Robinson said: "You could feel the plane going bump, bump. God knows what could have happened if it had tried to take off.

But that wasn't enough. There was more to the story:

Businessman Mr Robinson, 53, of Maidenhead, Berks, said: "It was appalling. No one apologised or knew what was happening.

"Because of security we couldn't take drinks on board and were only given two glasses of water. No one even had any food."

Something like that is simply unforgiveable. Because of issues involving my elderly father, I am much more sensitive to the needs of older persons these days. No food? Two glasses of water in SEVEN HOURS?

Absolutely unforgiveable.

I am much less tolerant of poor customer service these days and I will walk out of an establishment with no explanation or loudly voice my opinion as a result.

I recently visited a Target store and had an employee tell me in a perky little voice: "No, sorry, we don't take Visa anymore!"

"You must be kidding me, I just stopped here last week and you took Visa? When did this change?"

"Oh last week, you must have just missed it!"

In the meantime I watched other customers at adjacent checkout stands process their purchases with plastic, including Visa. I left everything stacked on the belt and went to the admin office. Enroute I heard the clerk say: "Geez, I was just kidding! Lighten up!"

I found the Manager and loudly proclaimed what her idiot checker had said. "Lighten the fuck up," I yelled, "is what she says to me after refusing to process the means for a purchase in your store. Now, can you tell what part of that scenario makes any sense to you, as Manager of this store? We have a symbiotic relationship here and it's very simple. You're the store and you have items I wish to purchase. She's the clerk and processes the transaction. You are to provide goods and services to me. If you can't do it, I'll find another store to conduct my business. Her job, as clerk, is to process the situation as efficiently as possible.

"I'm not here to chat, make small talk, waste time or, for Christ's sake, get lied to. Here's what you can expect: a letter to the (city I was in) Better Business Bureau with a cc to your regional manager and a cc to the Target CEO and a copy to your parent company." This equally stupid Manager began to make excuses for her clerk. I turned and left.

I sent all those letters. I received a letter back from the local BBB, and, one month later, from Target management indicating that clerk had been fired. I also received a Gift Certificate for $100.

Did I feel guilty or "bad." Quite the opposite. I was pleased someone had some spine.

I'M THE CUSTOMER. I CAN TAKE MY MONEY ANY PLACE I CHOOSE.

AND I VOTE WITH MY FEET AND MY KEYBOARD.

BZ