Regardless of what you may think of me by my blog, I am actually quite a nice and polite person. Manners were ingrained into us as kids and it is hard to go against them. Miss Diary likes well mannered guys, as she writes in her How to impress this girl post.
We have a friend, no names at all, who can be quite rude to service staff, to the point sometimes where it is embarrassing to us. I can be provoked to rudeness but it does not come naturally. I am surprised that he has never learnt that complaining to minor staff seldom has a result except for perhaps upsetting them (or them spitting in your meal before serving it). Not that he doesn't complain to senior staff either. Here he does quite well with results and compensation when he complains later via the telephone or letter.
When he complains or is abrupt to staff, we tend to roll our eyes now and he has caught us doing it. We also try to give the staff member an apologetic smile. Once I even said to him that is was 'not her fault that there was none of his favourite soft drink'.
I was thought he might mellow as he became older but it would seem not. He can even be abrupt to us, his friends at times, but we ignore it. Do you know people like that?
I do know someone like that, and I'm always embarrassed by his behavior.
ReplyDeleteIf you've ever worked in a service occupation, I think you're less likely to behave badly toward others in any service business.
Never occurred to me Daisy Jo, but I think you have hit the nail on the head. (hope you get that)
ReplyDeleteThat is very true Daisy. Working in a service industry myself if I come accross any old queen or madam with an attitude like that I will dish it right back to them and then refuse them service. No matter who they are.
ReplyDeletePS. Love your Blog Andrew, read it every other day........
ReplyDeleteThanks anon. Are you in Melbourne? Or?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link, Andrew!
ReplyDeleteHaving waitressed and been a retail assistant in my uni days, I'm very big on praising people who give excellent service. They're often working long hours on not-so-good wages, so I'll often call managers to praise their staff.
Thankfully, however, my circle of friends doesn't include any notably rude people. I feel for you Andrew, it must be a little uncomfortable when he does that.
There is always one person like that somewhere..and the thing is, if it were us we would surely get the sack.
ReplyDeleteo I know alot of ppl like that! Just that i dun give any attention to em anymore..I dun even roll my eyes anymore :)
ReplyDeleteKeshi.
Andrew
ReplyDeleteOne thing I said I would never do and that was to intimidate /embarrass any of my team members
As you are aware I work for one of the biggest retail chains in Australia .No one gives us the right to not give the respect to the working individual .
Gee Andrew UMMM after saying that my last post well... I DO have a sense of humour after all Im aussie hehehehe
ReplyDeleteSomeone I associated with, in a group of four, on a weekly basis a few years back used to order skim milk capuccinos. She regularly sent them back as being unsuitable, sometimes up to four times. Usually she was adamant skim milk had not been used or else the capuccino was not hot enough. We three were always embarrassed by this behaviour and came to get stressed about having coffee with her. Eventually she drifted apart from us and we have not heard from her for a long time.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand.
ReplyDelete(Which reminds me I must blog on our experience at Toofey's in Carlton. "Not happy maitre'd Jan!!!")
Even harder Dysmanthic after a days work.
ReplyDeleteFro the pay they get MD, I reckon we get pretty good service.
True Cazzie.
We have known him a long time Keshi. Bit hard.
Quite so Robyn. Your drinking buddy is quiet of late.
Exactly what I mean Victor. It upsets everyone. Thanks for the comment.
Will read it later M'lord. Is that where you went for your birthday?
ReplyDeleteNope .. and have no intention of returning there ever again.
ReplyDeleteArrogant, pretentious and prices inversely proportional to the size of the servings. (WHEN THEY ARRIVED! Way over an hour and a half after ordering!!! Only 20 -30 people in the restaurant!)
As an Englishman born and bred I was brought up with impecable manners and an ability to always see matters from other people's point of view.
ReplyDeleteExcept for Sedgwick's, of course. He's just a bearded old wombat shagger.
Enough with the 'old', already!
ReplyDeleteSorry...a bearded, young-wombat shagger. I forgot you like 'em fresh.
ReplyDeleterudeness is my pet hate
ReplyDeletei too, although not appearing so on my blog, am actually quite mild mannered with 99.99% of all people
and don't even get me started on table manners...
Lad Litter's post on the subject is worth a read M'lord. http://ladlitter.blogspot.com/2008/01/lygon-st-purgatory-i.html
ReplyDeleteShagger, rutting. Is there a theme happening Brian?
In my limited experience Kiki, you would be quite foolish to judge people by their blog.
"In my limited experience Kiki, you would be quite foolish to judge people by their blog."
ReplyDeleteHAH! So Highriser is not gay then! :0):0):0):0)
Had read the Lad litter's post. Spent most of the time nodding my head knowingly and despairingly, and my dear departed friend Mietta would have done the same.
Not as gay as I used to be M'lord, but no danger of jumping from frying pan to fire.
ReplyDeleteSo you knew Mietta? Tony too?
Knew Tony before I knew Mietta. (Sold Henry Bolte candles to him when he operated the 'Poppy Shop' with his 1st missus in Lygon St.) He and Mietta were a formidable and perfect team. (she the pragmatic and genteel, he the "go for it")
ReplyDeleteI rendered Tony in margarine (as a baby Bacchus) for his 40th birthday bash ... way back then .. when they had a wonderful waiter known as "The Ballerina" ... you only had to see him sashay down the steps in their early Brunswick St establishment to know why he was so called.
Think about the word 'class' and Mietta would be the epitome of same. Gentle, forceful, but generous.
I remember that wonderful waiter, and the exquisite ice creams he served us exquisitely.
ReplyDeleteNobody would ever have complained about him
Will pass this onto a friend who knew Tony.
ReplyDeleteProbably gay Dysthymiac. (Ann is so much easier to type)