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Bad Customer Service

A bakery, restaurant, and Blockbuster video...that don't have a clue.

I went to a club to see a band. And, yeah, it was packed. I give waitresses more room to make mistakes. But then, on weekends, they should have more staff to cover that, too.

Our waitress never brought us a dessert menu, which we asked for when we ordered our dinner.

Our food arrived so late, and was cold. And, my girlfriend ordered a beer, and a water. She never got her water, because the waitress said, "Someone took it. I'll try to get you another one, but it might be a while."

I walked over to the bar and got one in a few seconds. We asked a second time for a dessert menu, and were told it was coming. When we saw her again, she said "I would've brought you a dessert menu, but now the kitchen is closed."

So, on the entire bill, we left a $2 tip. She looked at the bill and said, "Huh...darn." I wanted to say "Something wrong? You aren't happy with the tip? We really shouldn't have given you a tip at all." But then, I look like more of a jerk.

The next day, we went to Blockbuster. I see most movies I want to see, at the theatres. So, I was surprised when the clerk said, "Did you ever bring back 'Unbreakable'?" I said, "Uh, I rented that a year ago. I just bought the DVD of it a few months ago, so I assume I did." She said, "It says on the computer you didn't." I then replied, "I would've seen two copies of it on my coffee table." It then hit me...I said "Oh. When I returned the movie, you guys called me a few hours later, to say the DVD wasn't inside of the case. I drove back up 15 minutes later with it." She looked suspicious, but said, "Okay, I'll erase it off the computer." I asked, "Why wasn't it erased off the computer last time, when I brought it up here? I don't want to rent a movie next week and be asked that again." She then said, "Okay, calm down. It's not a problem, I'm erasing it." I then wondered...what if I had kept the movie, and just insisted I brought it back? Would she just "erase it" from the computer, because I'm a little upset?

The next day, I was heading out for an Oscar party. I wanted to bring a cake. A few days earlier, when I was ordering it, I noticed it was a lot more expensive for a 1/2 sheet being ordered. She said, "Well, you're doing this special order, so it's a lot more." I told her, "The only thing 'special' are the words 'There Will Be Cake'. Can't I just buy a cake you already have made, for a lot less, and have you write that on." She said I could. I'm not sure why she didn't suggested that. So, I waited until Sunday afternoon.

I picked out a 1/2 sheet, and she wrote it out. I'm not sure why she wrote "becake" as one word. I also wasn't sure why the price for 1/2 said "$14.99, everyday low price" yet the tag on it said $18.99. I asked her, and she looked thru a book, which took about 5 minutes (which seemed like forever, since we were already running late). She had to follow me up to a register, and tell the person, "Only charge him $14.99 for this cake." They asked why, and then had to spend a few minutes discussing it.

Now, these were all teenagers, so I didn't get real miffed. I just don't understand why people trouble shoot problems so poorly.

I guarantee, if I go into that grocery store tomorrow, I'll still see that sign for that price on cakes. And, I'll still see a different price tag on the cakes. I'd like to think that an employee...even a 16-year-old girl making just over minimum wage, would say to her manager, "Why is that sign there, when the prices are different? I had a customer ask about that, and wasn't sure what to say."

Instead, it'll be a customer that really causes a scene, before that is changed. If even that does the trick.

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Now what can they do with Encinitas unstable cliffs?

Make the cliffs fall, put up more warnings, fine beachgoers?

I went to a club to see a band. And, yeah, it was packed. I give waitresses more room to make mistakes. But then, on weekends, they should have more staff to cover that, too.

Our waitress never brought us a dessert menu, which we asked for when we ordered our dinner.

Our food arrived so late, and was cold. And, my girlfriend ordered a beer, and a water. She never got her water, because the waitress said, "Someone took it. I'll try to get you another one, but it might be a while."

I walked over to the bar and got one in a few seconds. We asked a second time for a dessert menu, and were told it was coming. When we saw her again, she said "I would've brought you a dessert menu, but now the kitchen is closed."

So, on the entire bill, we left a $2 tip. She looked at the bill and said, "Huh...darn." I wanted to say "Something wrong? You aren't happy with the tip? We really shouldn't have given you a tip at all." But then, I look like more of a jerk.

The next day, we went to Blockbuster. I see most movies I want to see, at the theatres. So, I was surprised when the clerk said, "Did you ever bring back 'Unbreakable'?" I said, "Uh, I rented that a year ago. I just bought the DVD of it a few months ago, so I assume I did." She said, "It says on the computer you didn't." I then replied, "I would've seen two copies of it on my coffee table." It then hit me...I said "Oh. When I returned the movie, you guys called me a few hours later, to say the DVD wasn't inside of the case. I drove back up 15 minutes later with it." She looked suspicious, but said, "Okay, I'll erase it off the computer." I asked, "Why wasn't it erased off the computer last time, when I brought it up here? I don't want to rent a movie next week and be asked that again." She then said, "Okay, calm down. It's not a problem, I'm erasing it." I then wondered...what if I had kept the movie, and just insisted I brought it back? Would she just "erase it" from the computer, because I'm a little upset?

The next day, I was heading out for an Oscar party. I wanted to bring a cake. A few days earlier, when I was ordering it, I noticed it was a lot more expensive for a 1/2 sheet being ordered. She said, "Well, you're doing this special order, so it's a lot more." I told her, "The only thing 'special' are the words 'There Will Be Cake'. Can't I just buy a cake you already have made, for a lot less, and have you write that on." She said I could. I'm not sure why she didn't suggested that. So, I waited until Sunday afternoon.

I picked out a 1/2 sheet, and she wrote it out. I'm not sure why she wrote "becake" as one word. I also wasn't sure why the price for 1/2 said "$14.99, everyday low price" yet the tag on it said $18.99. I asked her, and she looked thru a book, which took about 5 minutes (which seemed like forever, since we were already running late). She had to follow me up to a register, and tell the person, "Only charge him $14.99 for this cake." They asked why, and then had to spend a few minutes discussing it.

Now, these were all teenagers, so I didn't get real miffed. I just don't understand why people trouble shoot problems so poorly.

I guarantee, if I go into that grocery store tomorrow, I'll still see that sign for that price on cakes. And, I'll still see a different price tag on the cakes. I'd like to think that an employee...even a 16-year-old girl making just over minimum wage, would say to her manager, "Why is that sign there, when the prices are different? I had a customer ask about that, and wasn't sure what to say."

Instead, it'll be a customer that really causes a scene, before that is changed. If even that does the trick.

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