This is a pretty long blog, so brace yourselves...
the guy who started the website
airlinemeals.net has made it big, cuz the website juz entertained its one millionth visitor and even have a website written about it on
CNN...
Nightmare Customer no. 1
I tell you, sometimes some customers are juz so ridiculous. Like this one i got today, apparently, while the waitress was clearing the plates from his table today, i had, in his words, as quoted from the comments card, "flicked some rice onto him without any apology or acknowledgement". That woman is me. I dun understand, he made it sound as though i was purposely flicking rice onto him. Tell me, who goes around flicking rice on other ppl?? After i have apologised and told him i did not realise i have done that, this stupid angmoh even continued by saying something along the lines of "You guys juz come here and work together and treat this as something fun and i am juz here to irritate you, am i right? It's sad that i have to leave Singapore/KL/Bangkok to experience good service" What the fuck? What's with all these accusations?? And then before i could reply, he continued with all sorts of crap and then in a very rude way said, " is there anyone i can pass this card to so that this comments card does not end up in the circular file or in the bin?" So i referred him to Pradeep, my senior waiter, since my boss left already. And so Pradeep gave him a free meal, and then after reading the comments card, after all of us have read the comments card, after all of us have scolded this guy, tore it up and threw it in the bin. The thing is, his friend who came with him, actually quietly told us," Don't bother with him. Don't bother."
Nightmare Customer no. 2
I was not involved in this case at all, but using what my friend has told me, this is what happened at 8.40pm, after our last order...
Woman in Black: Table for 4 please
Pradeep: I'm sorry, Mdm, but we have taken our last order already.
WIB: What d'ya mean you have taken your last order already. How come everytime i come you are closed already?
Pradeep: That's because our last order is at 8.30, Mdm. You always come after that, that's why we're closed already.
WIB: How come you all always like that?
Pradeep: Mdm, we're not always like that. You have to come early to try our food. Our last order is at 8.30pm, and TAngs close at 9.30pm
WIB: I'm going to make a very big fuss about this etc etc etc. (Apparently the word 'sue' is being mentioned... Another WTF moment... Sue us for closing too early? Tell me how you intend to win the case...)
Pradeep decided to let the guests in, since they are making so much noise and WIB actually came to the kitchen to tell the chefs that they'll be very fast (What can we do?) but they can only order certain food as the chefs were closing the kitchen already. But after that, a friend of the WIB actually came to Pradeep to apologise for the fuss the WIB made.
Despite my anger with that stupid angmoh, i cannot show it to him, cuz it is all about service isn't it? The only sad thing is, he did not even accept my apology and allow us to show him our hospitality. I was very angry with him on my way home but now i juz think of it as a learning experience, that in work there was always be a few anal idiots who make you feel bad, that i have to learn to deal with it calmly, and not let such situations get to me too much, as i did with that stupid angmoh.
And through these nightmare cases, i saw something that i dun want happening to me. I felt that in both cases, the friends of the nightmare customers actually felt embarrassed by the fuss that their friends kicked up. Which was why they told us not to bother or acutally came to apologise. I realise that i do not want my friends or family to feel embarrassed by my behaviour. I do not want people to apologise to others on my behalf. I know that sometimes i can be very critical especially when it comes to service, that i want the best service possible, but now i realise that every complaint made has to be legitimate and justified(which i think is not, especially in the 2nd case). And now that i am working (in a proper restaurant, not like in Lakeside), it's really not that easy to provide the best service 24/7... that it's time to cut these guys some slack. Not too much, of course. But learn to understand. =)
