Rant on Tuesday II

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OK. While my hosting service or BT’s exchange is down, I’ll just Rant on Tuesday Too!

I want to reprise my article about the type of service I experienced in New York at the hands of the waiting staff at diners, restaurants, on tour buses, banks, delis etc etc - everywhere. Brilliant. They know exactly how to make you very happily take your money out of your wallet and then gladly put it into their till. And they are experts at getting you to come back and do it again and again and again.

And I am more than happy to do so. But why not in UK?

Rant on Tuesday Too - The Service Industry in UK

Specifically: - STARBUCKS

I want to print the article in sufficient quantity to be able to maildrop every major city and town in UK from a helicopter. Only in this way might I get the attention of every Starbucks outlet manager to draw his attention to a golden nugget of advice - serve customers.

While I wait for the printer to run off umpteen million copies, here is a letter to the manager at the Starbucks I mistakenly walked into this afternoon.

Mr Starbucks’ Manager,

Don’t ever waltz into the serving area and start a chat from in front of the counter with staff behind the counter while you have me waiting unattended at the head of the queue. Do not EVER ignore a customer. Especially, never ignore me because I now want to derive exquisite pleasure out of making your life at Starbucks as miserable as possible.

Don�t start up a discussion that is completely inappropriate at front of house. How you hire staff might sound great to you and a couple of staff, but it just does not sound very cleversticks to a thirsty customer whose only thought and purpose in life at that time is to get a gorgeous coffee coursing its way down his parched throat.

Alas, I had to wait too long at the head of the queue until you decided to stop speaking/blowing your trumpet before I could get served. And your beautiful Colgate smiling Marlboro breath staff member didn�t stand a chance with me after that did she?

Oh and the Americano tasted drek! Ugh. Puke. And it was tepid. If you need the proof, it is in the garbage bin outfront of the shop.

Java on!

iScatterlings
ex Starbucks customer

The letter reads a bit harsh doesn’t it?

Yes it does.

But the guy deserves to receive it surely?

Yeah but not such a harshly worded letter.

Well how else are we ignored customers going to get the message across to staff at all levels of any service orientated business to always put us first? And when will staff learn that we really do not care how bad a life, day, week or relationship you have. We demand top quality service NOW! With a smile.

And when will Management of stores, cafe’s and takeaways like Burger King and Starbucks, learn not to hire staff with zero intelligence to speak of and tons of attitude? Just keep this type out of our way. We want to derive some pleasure out of the experience your business claims it has to offer us.

Service in UK is the pits. I think I might be safe in saying it really is the worst in the ‘cultured’ world. Even the French know how to do it a million times better than the UK. And there’s the trick - hire French staff. Even if they do not speak English - they do try 10,000 times harder than their English counterparts. A tad exaggerated but you get my drift.

The UK cannot carry on being the laughingstock of the service world. If business calims the problem is lack of qualified staff or appropriately educated young people - then Government and society here are in deeep dwang.

Business needs to find an answer. Quick.

Rant on Tuesday II