hospitality/manners - the decline of etc

gumdrops

Well-known member
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2010/jun/02/hospitality-come-dine-with-me

kind of inspired by this article (though i dont really see how come dine with me is to blame or symbolic of this)
but ive found recently that at a lot of restaurants, service is pretty... if not dire, then just uncomitted and half hearted
half of me sympathises with the service staff as they are prob getting paid a shit wage
but at the same time, i think thats what theyre there to do so they should do their fucking job
what happend to good service? ive found most people really have no clue about good customer service anymore.
this might just be cos im a bit manners obsessed, plus i used to work for family from a young age so am a bit anal about customer service, but without sounding like a daily mail columnist (i think im starting to feel more and more like one) i think manners are on the decline in this country in general
and service is just one obvious casualty of this, whether its at a cinema, cafe or restaurant
people seem to think they shouldnt have to make an effort

its the last days i tell you.
 

hucks

Your Message Here
"Good manners" has got nothing to do with good customer service, though. Customer service was shit in Britain forever even before the decline of manners/ deference what have you. In fact, it only got good at all in the last 20 years. It's about money, not manners - service improved as companies realised it would be profitable to improve it.

I did customer service training at the supermarket where I used to push trolleys. It was quite enlightening. It really worked, as well - sir, madam, all of that.

And anyone who thinks customer service is bad in the UK has never been to France.
 
Last edited:

Slothrop

Tight but Polite
Totally off the top of my head, I wonder how much the (alleged?) decline of service has to do with the idea of the shit temporary job - so being a trolley wally is now a job that you do to the minimum level to avoid getting fired for six months while you wait for something better to come up, rather than something that you do in the hopes that if you do it really well you'll end up as a regional director or something...
 

gumdrops

Well-known member
Totally off the top of my head, I wonder how much the (alleged?) decline of service has to do with the idea of the shit temporary job

prob quite a lot. no reason to bother performing well at work if you dont know whether youll still be there in a few months time.
 

Mr. Tea

Let's Talk About Ceps
i hate to do this, but...

http://www.dissensus.com/showthread.php?10836-good-tippers/page3

this comment makes a good point:

And then other restaurants can't make up their minds whether we British prefer the friendly approach ("I wish they'd stop hassling me, I only want to eat dinner in peace") or the minimalist invisibility ("I want some more bread, where are the f*&%ing waiters?").

There's a happy medium, surely - I've been in restuarants in America where the staff hover like flies and top up your water the moment you take a sip from it*, but on the other hand it's obviously annoying if you want something and there's no-one to be seen. Waiters should be visible, but not in your face, I think.

*And over here, I've had them do the same thing with wine - uh, hello, I'm not actually pareplegic, I can pour it myself thanks...
 

Pestario

tell your friends
As long as the waiters are willing to respond to requests for their attention I'm happy. Some restaurants the waiters serve you on their terms, visting 3 times during your meal to ask preset questions (drinks?, food?, everyting alright?), if you want something outside of these times they have a magical ability to avoid all your attempts to make eye contact with them. v. annoying
 
Top