I have been dealing with a 'Guest Service' dilemma for some time now and today added a surprising twist to my annoying situation. Before i begin today's story - allow me to rewind. I work at Target (and YES Mr. HR i said it on the WWW). All Target employees wear name badges; a simple little piece of plastic with my name carved in the dead-center with a red bullseye because the red and khaki doesn't do enough to shout 'I work for Target'! I have worked at Target for over a year and therefore i have ordered my morning cup-o-crack from the Starbucks directly behind the store for over a year. And NO, we don't have a Starbucks inside the store because we are a getto Target. Anyways, it is a safe bet that i visit this one particular Starbucks twice a week (if not more) and there are 48 weeks in a year . . hence i have visited this place well over 90 times.
Here is the dilemma.
The following is a conversation i have had 60+ too many times;
Barista - "Hi - can i get a drink started for you?"
Me - "Yes Please, a grande two pump iced white mocha"
Barista - "Would you like whip cream?"
Me - "No, thank you"
Barista - "Your name?"
Me - i look at them then i look down slowly at my name badge then i, again, look at them and say "Janelle"
Barista - "Okay that's going to be three dollars wasted on carbs and sugar"
Okay sorry that last line was just for effect! But you get the picture!
So for a few months i forgave the cashiers for their ignorance of guest service thinking that it was because they are incredibly busy and maybe it's because i don't always go in with my name badge on - sometimes it's only my red and khaki, which really! who the hell wears red and khaki on a normal day . . . they should be shot!
My point is . . . LOOK AT ME WHEN YOU TAKE MY ORDER! AND REMEMBER MY DAMN NAME!!! I have even resulted in the occasional loud sigh of disgruntlement with the slightly slanted head when they ask "Your name?"
Okay moving on!
Today was a rough morning. I was at work at 6:18am and all i could do was hold myself together until Shana came in to open the food court so i could get some coffee to hold me over til store opening. I go about my morning and then 1030am rolls around and i convince my fellow co-worker to answer calls for me because i need food - breakfast food to be exact! There is a Jack in the Box directly next door to the store and mind you i can't remember the last time i ever ate there or even thought about going there but i remembered someone saying they have good breakfast sandwiches so i thought 'What the hell!'.
I walk into their surprisingly clean restaurant to which i have never stepped foot in before and this conversation took place:
Cashier - "Hi - let me know when you are ready to order"
Me - "Thanks" . . ."I will take a sausage egg and cheese sandwhich with a orange juice please"
Cashier - "okay - that will be four dollars of MSG" (sorry couldn't resist)
Cashier - "okay Janelle it will be up in just a minute and we will call your name when it's ready"
Me - Seriously?! I think i stood there briefly with utter amazement trying to figure out how she knew my name.
OH THAT'S RIGHT . . . IT'S CALLED . . . GREAT GUEST SERVICE!!!
In conclusion, just because you use English jargon to call yourself a coffee maker and monopolize the legal-crack we call 'coffee' does not make you capable of great guest service, apparently we left that to the tattooed, spanglish, fast food hole in the wall! I never thought i would say this but 'Kudos' for the everyday common American at our local fast food joint for provided Common-Sense Guest Service!
Here is the dilemma.
The following is a conversation i have had 60+ too many times;
Barista - "Hi - can i get a drink started for you?"
Me - "Yes Please, a grande two pump iced white mocha"
Barista - "Would you like whip cream?"
Me - "No, thank you"
Barista - "Your name?"
Me - i look at them then i look down slowly at my name badge then i, again, look at them and say "Janelle"
Barista - "Okay that's going to be three dollars wasted on carbs and sugar"
Okay sorry that last line was just for effect! But you get the picture!
So for a few months i forgave the cashiers for their ignorance of guest service thinking that it was because they are incredibly busy and maybe it's because i don't always go in with my name badge on - sometimes it's only my red and khaki, which really! who the hell wears red and khaki on a normal day . . . they should be shot!
My point is . . . LOOK AT ME WHEN YOU TAKE MY ORDER! AND REMEMBER MY DAMN NAME!!! I have even resulted in the occasional loud sigh of disgruntlement with the slightly slanted head when they ask "Your name?"
Okay moving on!
Today was a rough morning. I was at work at 6:18am and all i could do was hold myself together until Shana came in to open the food court so i could get some coffee to hold me over til store opening. I go about my morning and then 1030am rolls around and i convince my fellow co-worker to answer calls for me because i need food - breakfast food to be exact! There is a Jack in the Box directly next door to the store and mind you i can't remember the last time i ever ate there or even thought about going there but i remembered someone saying they have good breakfast sandwiches so i thought 'What the hell!'.
I walk into their surprisingly clean restaurant to which i have never stepped foot in before and this conversation took place:
Cashier - "Hi - let me know when you are ready to order"
Me - "Thanks" . . ."I will take a sausage egg and cheese sandwhich with a orange juice please"
Cashier - "okay - that will be four dollars of MSG" (sorry couldn't resist)
Cashier - "okay Janelle it will be up in just a minute and we will call your name when it's ready"
Me - Seriously?! I think i stood there briefly with utter amazement trying to figure out how she knew my name.
OH THAT'S RIGHT . . . IT'S CALLED . . . GREAT GUEST SERVICE!!!
In conclusion, just because you use English jargon to call yourself a coffee maker and monopolize the legal-crack we call 'coffee' does not make you capable of great guest service, apparently we left that to the tattooed, spanglish, fast food hole in the wall! I never thought i would say this but 'Kudos' for the everyday common American at our local fast food joint for provided Common-Sense Guest Service!
2 comments:
Wow! I think you just put words to the thought that runs through every coffee lover's mind daily! It takes more than a cracked out, caffeine induced, fake smile to make for good customer service! I only worked for Bucks for about a day (odd story) but I remember making it my mission to really know the customers...no fake smiles, recall names, and even drinks. It's not that hard, but it does take putting the focus on someone other than yourself-go figure. Do you remember working at the Ranch, and Clay always reminding us that the people who came in were not 'customers' but 'guests'? It's just a simple change of wordage, BUT it takes the focus from a person paying for a service into a highly personal exchange of realness between those working behind a counter, and those of us handing over our hard earned cash! You hit the nail on the head here; in all honesty you probably see these people more often that you see your own family, and maybe we should take note and start realizing that everyone deserves some great 'customer' service!
AMEN!!
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