tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36188871.post8838986127222718560..comments2024-01-05T09:23:57.540-05:00Comments on Mr. Grudge: Service With a SneerMichael J. Kannengieserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02260343556851550757noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36188871.post-11445888570875098082008-04-22T16:58:00.000-04:002008-04-22T16:58:00.000-04:00Ah, yes, the basic courtesy thing, a problem which...Ah, yes, the basic courtesy thing, a problem which goes endlessly on--in all walks of life--it seems. You cover most sides of it well.<BR/><BR/>Am honored by your MW invitation, Mike, and, as I said in an email, I unhesitatingly accept.<BR/><BR/>I ran into a bunch of mumbo-jumbo, which I ignored, in trying to email you. If it didn't go through, why don't you get back to me through my email address. Just go to my web site:<BR/><BR/>www.sixhrs.com<BR/><BR/>...and click on my photo. Your email will go right on through (no mumbo jumbo). There are a few technical problems which must be handled before I can come aboard.<BR/><BR/>--JackJack Paynehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02838385417692720281noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36188871.post-6419365978111315832008-04-21T14:43:00.000-04:002008-04-21T14:43:00.000-04:00Hi Swubird,"...But whatever you do, don't tell any...Hi Swubird,<BR/><I>"...But whatever you do, don't tell anybody else, because as soon as it becomes crowded - your paradise will be lost."</I><BR/><BR/>True and wise words, my friend. i think of all of the little villages on the North shore here which are becoming over-run in the summer time as the Hamptons have become intolerable as far as pricing and congestion is concerned. No place is secret anymore, and rude jerks are everywhere. Thanks swubird. -Mike.Michael J. Kannengieserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02260343556851550757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36188871.post-1208287366459182122008-04-21T14:41:00.000-04:002008-04-21T14:41:00.000-04:00Hi Winter,"...However, I still think that eventual...Hi Winter,<BR/><BR/><I>"...However, I still think that eventually, the only customers a business with bad customer service has, are the people who aren't nice."</I><BR/><BR/>You know, I never considered that...you have an interesting thought here. water does seek its own level. Thanks for sharing, Winter. I appreciate it. -Mike.Michael J. Kannengieserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02260343556851550757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36188871.post-25128578362778386112008-04-21T14:38:00.000-04:002008-04-21T14:38:00.000-04:00Hi Kathy,"...but if I find the same place gives la...Hi Kathy,<BR/><BR/><I>"...but if I find the same place gives lackluster service over and over, I'll take my business elsewhere."</I><BR/><BR/>I feel tha same way. I once got rude service in a restaurant near my home that was so bad, when the place changed ownership, I didn't go in there for years after they wer re-established. the scars ran that deep. BTW, my daughter walks around with a big, fresh, smile on her face now that her braces are off. Thanks, Kathy. -Mike.Michael J. Kannengieserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02260343556851550757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36188871.post-28863707073190836192008-04-21T14:36:00.000-04:002008-04-21T14:36:00.000-04:00Hi Hanna,"Panettone with cappuccino! gname gnam......Hi Hanna,<BR/><BR/><I>"Panettone with cappuccino! <BR/>gname gnam... <BR/>Italian cooking is excellent..."</I><BR/><BR/>You're right, that's why I married a beautiful Italian woman! Thanks Hanna! -Mike.Michael J. Kannengieserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02260343556851550757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36188871.post-68706115825665609392008-04-21T14:35:00.000-04:002008-04-21T14:35:00.000-04:00Hi Bobby Johnson,Hey, the other night I was watchi...Hi Bobby Johnson,<BR/><BR/>Hey, the other night I was watching the Discovery Channel and their talking about sending an inter-galactic craft to explore a newly discovered star named "Bob." I immediately thought of you, lol. <BR/><BR/><I>"Hey Mike I hear ya, we have a real problem here in Saskatoon with rude people, reason being there is a job glut..."</I><BR/><BR/>I'd have thought that there wasn't a place in North America with a job glut, but what the heck do I know? Still, that's a good reason for poor service. I feel your pain, Bob. Thanks for commenting. -Mike.Michael J. Kannengieserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02260343556851550757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36188871.post-7922686979286639992008-04-21T14:31:00.000-04:002008-04-21T14:31:00.000-04:00Hi 1st Lady,"Harris Teeter make a huge effort to p...Hi 1st Lady,<BR/><I>"Harris Teeter make a huge effort to please the customer, it's such a pleasant, friendly place to grocery shop."</I><BR/><BR/>I think that with all of the competition out there, that the only way for businesses to make a name for themsleves is to have excellent service. Food shopping, often a pain in the first place, can be made a better experience with proper, attentive, service. Thanks, 1st Lady. -Mike.Michael J. Kannengieserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02260343556851550757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36188871.post-66102991563665658182008-04-21T14:28:00.000-04:002008-04-21T14:28:00.000-04:00Hi A Second Look,"The flip side of this is that so...Hi A Second Look,<BR/><BR/><I>"The flip side of this is that some companies are great and their people likewise - so I try to remember the good times!"</I><BR/><BR/>Unfortunately, the good times are few and far between lately! I shouldn't let 9 out of ten experiens ruin my mood about humanity, given that that is the ratio of bad experiences to good where I come from. Thanks for the comment, I appreciate it. -Mike.Michael J. Kannengieserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02260343556851550757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36188871.post-32354689430662501612008-04-21T13:54:00.000-04:002008-04-21T13:54:00.000-04:00Mr. Grudge:Good story my friend, and my heart goes...Mr. Grudge:<BR/><BR/>Good story my friend, and my heart goes out to you. But, if it's the absence of rudeness your longing for, your in for a big surprise. There ain't none.<BR/><BR/>I've lived most of my life in the West, except for the years I spent on the East Coast while I was in the service. I've visited most of the states in between, and I've seen most of the world. And it's all the same - people are rude. In all fairness, though, I do have to acknowledge a few nice folks I met in the mid-west - just to be nice. They were wonderful, and they told me that politeness is part of their old fashioned culture. I don't know. It was a small sample.<BR/><BR/>So, keep up the search. And if you should find that hidden place where people respect each other, and actually care whether or not their neighbor is having a nice day - pack your bags and moved there forthwith. But whatever you do, don't tell anybody else, because as soon as it becomes crowded - your paradise will be lost.<BR/><BR/>Have a very nice day.Swubirdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16009070690312312456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36188871.post-73265540788651435462008-04-21T09:40:00.000-04:002008-04-21T09:40:00.000-04:00Hi JD,I too worked reatil for a while while in col...Hi JD,<BR/>I too worked reatil for a while while in college and before I joined the police department. let me tell you, many of the folks shopping are just normal folks going abouthtie business and don't cause too much trouble. But, one jerk can ruin your whole day. Good for you that you are able to stand up for yourself. I was a teenager when I worked at some of these places and I needed the money and I couldn't get too mouthy with the jerky customers or they'd have my ass canned. But, what does not kill you makes you stronger, right? let me just say that my experiences in retail molded they way I handled people when I was a cop. If I pulled someone over, I imagined them at the customer service counter in one of the stores I worked in and tried to dicern if they'd be a jerk to the help or not. That weighed hevaily on whether or not I'd write them a summons. Many times that type of person would do all of the work for me and be so disrespectful that I'd write tham more than one summons...a lot more. He he. Oh well, those were the days... and I won't miss those days either. Thnaks JD. -Mike.Michael J. Kannengieserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02260343556851550757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36188871.post-24776793687800545942008-04-21T09:35:00.000-04:002008-04-21T09:35:00.000-04:00Hi Mike (M1) "Some of the checkout staff are fine ...Hi Mike (M1) <BR/><BR/><I>"Some of the checkout staff are fine and they talk to you, others just ignore you and carry on a private conversation with their mate whilst they bleep your shopping over the scan. It's like you're not there!"</I> You're right, to these dopes who do not care about their bleak and miserable jobs, you're merely an apparition. That's when all of the mistakes are made at checkout, when they are paying more attention to their bussies than the customer. I hate shopping. Thanks Mike. -Mike (M2)Michael J. Kannengieserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02260343556851550757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36188871.post-78633950663950629702008-04-21T09:34:00.000-04:002008-04-21T09:34:00.000-04:00Hi Poetikat,"Customer Service" has become an oxymo...Hi Poetikat,<BR/><BR/><I>"Customer Service" has become an oxymoron with a stress on the second syllable."</I><BR/><BR/>The good news for me is that it is comforting to know that this behavior is not confined to where I live. The bad news is that this behavior is not confined to where I live. oh boy, are we all in trouble. I love you rline about customer service being an oxymoron. It's so true it made me laugh...then cry afterward. Thanks Poetikat. -Mike.Michael J. Kannengieserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02260343556851550757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36188871.post-42658943454047147832008-04-21T09:31:00.000-04:002008-04-21T09:31:00.000-04:00Hi Mike,"8 more school years until my youngest is ...Hi Mike,<BR/><I>"8 more school years until my youngest is done with school and we are out of this over crowded, overly expensive corrupt state."</I><BR/><BR/>I think I'll be following you along. I'd like to move out to some mid-western state where it isn't too crowded and buy a massive piece of land. Then I can sit on my front porch with a shotgun and warn off traveling salemen, ha ha. Thnaks for the comment.Michael J. Kannengieserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02260343556851550757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36188871.post-60578949471071762432008-04-21T09:29:00.000-04:002008-04-21T09:29:00.000-04:00Hi Paul,"Fortunately, I live in a part of the worl...Hi Paul,<BR/><BR/><I>"Fortunately, I live in a part of the world where people are generally friendly and welcoming. Mind, it's one of the reasons I moved to this part of the world and settled here."</I><BR/><BR/>First I want to say that this post in an uncharacteristic rant, and I typically do not post such items here. With that said, thanks for your comment, and please tell me which community it is where you live so I can pack my bags and head there, pronto? He he. Thanks for stopping by.Michael J. Kannengieserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02260343556851550757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36188871.post-64810440333046178822008-04-20T12:21:00.000-04:002008-04-20T12:21:00.000-04:00There are too many places that do not believe in o...There are too many places that do not believe in offering their customers good customer service. My place of work is not one of them, thank goodness. However, the customer service initiative at my office has really pointed out to me which companies I deal with believe in caring for their customers. <BR/><BR/>I've had every cell phone carrier out there, but I've been with T-Mobile for 4 years now. Why? Because they have the best customer service EVER. It's so good even my teenager will call them. Verizon may have better, clearer coverage and fewer dropped calls, but they totally ripped me off and their CS didn't care. F-them. Sprint - teaches their employees how to lie to customers so that they can eventually rip them off for a new phone. Grrr. And I won't talk about ATT. <BR/><BR/>It's true that it's hard to find nice people or good customer service. However, I still think that eventually, the only customers a business with bad customer service has, are the people who aren't nice.Lex Valentinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04913165199017718669noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36188871.post-23127733983084677832008-04-20T05:39:00.000-04:002008-04-20T05:39:00.000-04:00Mike, I feel your pain. It seems to me the entire ...Mike, I feel your pain. It seems to me the entire country could use a lesson in civility. Even though I'm tempted to speak up about rude service, I usually back down and instead just talk with my feet. I believe in second chances, but if I find the same place gives lackluster service over and over, I'll take my business elsewhere. We all work hard for our money and I'd like to spend it where I get service with a smile. Is that too much to ask?<BR/><BR/>p.s. I'm sure your daughter is thrilled to have her braces off. Good for her!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36188871.post-11625716591847682622008-04-20T02:14:00.000-04:002008-04-20T02:14:00.000-04:00Ciao Mike! Panettone with cappuccino! gname gnam.....Ciao Mike! <BR/>Panettone with <B>cappuccino!</B> <BR/>gname gnam... <BR/>Italian cooking is excellent. <BR/>Buon fine settimana! <BR/>;Pfihannahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16684159686480267801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36188871.post-33436710790199589702008-04-19T18:01:00.000-04:002008-04-19T18:01:00.000-04:00Hey Mike I hear ya, we have a real problem here in...Hey Mike I hear ya, we have a real problem here in Saskatoon with rude people, reason being there is a job glut, you can quit your job and within an hour have another, it is an employee's market and they know it, which sucks for the customer, great post.Bob Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06582050569176409358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36188871.post-26079871729568770872008-04-19T10:53:00.000-04:002008-04-19T10:53:00.000-04:00Supplicant, I hear ya! I would just like to say, ...Supplicant, I hear ya! I would just like to say, that I personally go out of my way to be pleasant, patient and considerate of all who serve me. I chat with the girls in the grocery store - I remark on their new, funky hair colours, latest tatoos, or piercings (in a good way), smile and get to know them. I don't snark at the ones who irritate me, but they can forget about being on the receiving end of any pleasantries.<BR/><BR/>1st Lady - "Harris Teeter"? Wow! That name in itself is worthy of a poem or a cartoon character, or something. Stop by Poetikat's, I'd love to know what you think.<BR/>Kat<BR/>(P.S. Are you a fan of "the boys", Colin and Justin?)<BR/>KatKat Mortensenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16877694888419628533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36188871.post-67733883346731272782008-04-19T10:33:00.000-04:002008-04-19T10:33:00.000-04:00There seem to be certain shops in my Northern Virg...There seem to be certain shops in my Northern Virginia area that dont care a hoot how their employees treat customers. Then there's shops that obviously do care. Harris Teeter make a huge effort to please the customer, it's such a pleasant, friendly place to grocery shop. What a difference a smile makes in the shopping world.1st Ladyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08793382157442722513noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36188871.post-92211543735452014462008-04-19T06:30:00.000-04:002008-04-19T06:30:00.000-04:00People not doing their job is constantly irritatin...People not doing their job is constantly irritating to me - you get your car 'fixed' it comes back worse; you have building work done, your roof starts leaking; you pay insurance they find a way not to pay you (although that's probably them doing a good job) The flip side of this is that some companies are great and their people likewise - so I try to remember the good times!asecondlookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16957967501152068805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36188871.post-3174772056348738552008-04-18T20:27:00.000-04:002008-04-18T20:27:00.000-04:00(Now we're sounding like our parents. Oh God!)I ha...<I>(Now we're sounding like our parents. Oh God!)</I><BR/>I have to agree with Kat ... LOL<BR/>Myself I don't have a problem with rude individuals ... I give it back to them twice as hard. I know this post and most of the comments are from the point of view of customers and from what you wrote and the other comments your anger is well justified, however since I do have a small part time job that deals with customers, some people expect hand and foot servitude from an employee in a two bit job...to the point of being condescending and extremely rude. I for one don't tolerate it and push the limits to the utmost with these kind of customers and always get them to back down. I don't see how you managed to stay collected. I think I would have lost it. I treat people how I like to be treated. If I don't get it they find out pretty quick. Everyone here in my area are thankful to have employment and generally there is rarely a problem with service.<BR/>Well on that note I realize I'm rambling. Mike, as always, great post. <BR/>~JDAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36188871.post-89133851816187922782008-04-18T13:08:00.000-04:002008-04-18T13:08:00.000-04:00This sort of behaviour is not exclusive to Long Is...This sort of behaviour is not exclusive to Long Island. We see it far too often in our area - in fact I would venture to say it is pretty widespread in Ontario.<BR/>"Customer Service" has become an oxymoron with a stress on the second syllable.<BR/>I can't count the number of times I've been at a checkout when the cashier is involved in a conversation with another worker to the exclusion of serving me, or serves me and carries on that conversation. (I'm not sure which is worse.)<BR/>Most recently, what we get at our local grocery store is checkout ladies who set you up with a "And how are you today? Only to use it as a jump-off point to share a catalogue of woes about how tired they are, or sick, or needing a vacation. Give me a break! They're not impoverished. We don't live in a ghetto. If they're that unhappy, why don't they move on and get a different job? Why? Because they like eliciting the "Oh, that's too bads" and "Really, I'm so sorrys". Well, they don't get that from me. I just pretend I didn't even hear them.<BR/>I understand exactly whereof you speak, Mike. (Now we're sounding like our parents. Oh God!)<BR/>KatKat Mortensenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16877694888419628533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36188871.post-45637836125089718522008-04-18T13:01:00.000-04:002008-04-18T13:01:00.000-04:00My local Tesco is like this. Some of the checkout ...My local Tesco is like this. Some of the checkout staff are fine and they talk to you, others just ignore you and carry on a private conversation with their mate whilst they bleep your shopping over the scan. It's like you're not there! I used to work in a bank where if you had done that you'd been sacked.<BR/><BR/>I mean what's wrong with people? If you are in a public service industry you should at least be polite to your customers!<BR/><BR/>Mike, Mike are you listening? O for goodness sake.Saphhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09011633594577425975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36188871.post-29025402557047697122008-04-18T08:44:00.000-04:002008-04-18T08:44:00.000-04:00You should name the places. They don't care about ...You should name the places. They don't care about you and it might do some good.<BR/><BR/>Things are getting just as bad here in South Jersey as we are being invaded by the Nawt Joizy types from above and Fillies from the left.<BR/><BR/>8 more school years until my youngest is done with school and we are out of this over crowded, overly expensive corrupt state.Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13389933008828142220noreply@blogger.com