Tuesday, December 1, 2009

What's in the Jar

So here we go.. If you are one of my Facebook friends, you know that I frequently post about customer service in the Danville area..
I've become very frustrated with this new generation of customer service providers, and their sense of entitlement. Whether it's cashiers, wait staff or call center employees, they seem to expect you to be thankful that they managed to drag their ass out of bed and in to work so that you have somewhere to go to purchase something or eat something. Thankful that you are allowed the privilege to walk into their establishment and hand them money for a service offered at their gas station, store or restaurant.
What they fail to understand is that without a customer, their establishment wouldn't run and their paycheck wouldn't be cut.

Why do I think I'm qualified to write this blog?? I'm the customer. And I also spent 10 years as a banquet waitress.
I worked for the greatest General Manager ever (who also happens to be my mother, Bev). She ran the Ramada back when the Ramada was considered an upscale hotel/restaurant. She demanded customer service excellence. It wasn't beyond her to pull any one of her staff aside and say "I don't care what kind of day you're having, you're going to go out there and smile for my customer and make sure they have the most enjoyable meal or hotel stay ever, or you're going to go home".
Patrons included both Dick and Jerry Van Dyke, Red Skelton, Gene Hackman, Marie Osmond and every day folks like me and you.. It didn't matter if you had some claim to fame, or if you were a Danville native on a budget, everyone was treated the same.
You don't find that now.. When you walk into a store or restaurant, you are judged on appearance and sized up on whether you're going to be a big spender or a good tipper. This judgement determines the level of service you will be getting.

So what is the goal of The Tip Jar?? To tell you about my experiences as a customer in Danville, both good and bad. Giving you a chance to choose a gas station, store or restaurant ahead of time, where you can expect to be appreciated as a paying or tipping customer.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good for you, Kerri! You're absolutely right. Please keep it up! :)
~Shannon

Anonymous said...

Good for you, Kerri! You're absolutely right. Please keep it up! :)
~Shannon