Service standards part one: The eye-catcher

Hungry Always says..“ I had this experience recently in a restaurant. It drove me mad. I reckon to be in customer service positions you have to like doing it, if you like doing it you scan the room as a matter of course. If staff don't then they should be given non customer facing positions. ”

James Chapman-Kelly says..“ The alternative to your treatment at the City Gallery reminds me of the famous "ARE YOU ALLRIGHT THERE?" phrase used by so many in the service industry. It’s an epidemic, the way wearing a baseball cap the wrong way round spread throughout the planet. A global virus, all the way from the USA, and it’s driving me mad! You know the situation; walk into any store, bar, restaurant, café, and what do you see? There, behind the counter, stands the face of authority, ineffably bored, doesn’t want to be there, just wants the wages and you (the customer) has had the audacity to disturb their dreams, or the conversation they were having with their co-workers, and they are obviously going to have to acknowledge your existence (eventually). So what do they do? Slowly (ever so slowly) they approach, engage voice mode and speak the immortal line, “Are you allright there?” Well, excuse me, the answer is a definite, emphatic, coronary inducing, NO I’m bloody well not! If I was ‘allright there’ I wouldn’t want anything at all would I? I mean I’d be just happy and content standing there, looking like a lemon, twiddling my thumbs, whistling inanely. Don’t these idiots realise that when a customer requires serving then the customer will not be ‘allright there’ until the deal has been done, or the question / query answered. So when I hear, “Are you allright there?” My answer is a smiling, “No.” This elicits a look of consternation, I mean I’m a mere customer, I’m behaving out of context, I’m supposed to state my requirements then stand back and wait for an hour or two for the kind person to fulfil my request. Those days are long gone. “No.” A powerful word, having the same effect on our patronising serving person as green kryptonite has on Superman. It stuns them, renders them senseless, mute, compliant, dare I say, helpful. As they reel under the unexpected, subtle, onslaught I follow it up as follows. “No, but I will be when you give me a pint of beer…” (Or whatever it is you required). So let’s put our collective foot down and stamp out this virus. The next time you hear the immortal words “Are you allright there?” Just say, “NO.” ”

MAG restaurant and cafe says..“ We at Manchester Art Gallery really appreciate this feedback. We're working hard to get service standards at the new restaurant and cafe up to scratch.”

chrisk says..“ I agree with the above two rants. As there are fewer job opportunities around perhaps people are accepting posts they consider themselves 'too good for' purely for the money. No job is a disgrace - I have learned something from every single job I have ever take, including running a hook-a-duck stall at a theme park! Decent staff training and good management might help too.”

O says..“ James Chapman... good idea that, saying 'no' to 'are you alright there', only thing is, saying that would make you look like a social retard. I don't want to look like a social retard, so instead next time someone in a shop says 'are you alright there' to me, I'll just say, 'yes fine thanks mate', like I've done a million times before, he'll understand that I'm a normal person and I'll move on to the next shop to be asked again. No worries. ”

Helen says..“ The one constant thing that drives me mad in restaurants in the UK is waiting for waiting on staff. I forget how good the food is if I've waited an age for a drink; to order, waited an age to be asked if I'd like desert or coffee and waited an age to be able to ask for the bill and then again to pay it. We went to the US in late 2008 and the thing we couldn't stop praising in restaurants was the service - there's no hanging around getting bored and once you've said you don't want anything else they will leave you the bill with no feeling of being rushed, so you can pay it when you want to leave. I'd much prefer it if that beame the norm in the UK.”

zarasara says..“ I'm having flashbacks to when the original Loves Saves the Day introduced table service (table service in a deli - why?), but all of the staff seemed to remain behind the counter.”

Lounge Lizard says..“ Zarasara you're so right. Love Saves the Day was hilarious how they'd not catch your eye. Carluccios in Spinningfields are good at that too. ”

Paul says..“ On my last trip to livebait (three years ago) we ordered our meal and a bottle of house white the wine came first it was horrible I asked the waitress if it was off she told me you ordered house white and that’s what you got I then asked is that not supposed to be a reasonably price wine that the house recommends she replied no you just get crap I sent the wine back and cancelled the food .There are many places to eat in Manchester that want your Custom.”

johnthebrief says..“ Waiting for the bill, or waiting to pay, is one of my particular bug-bears, and for some reason it seems to be a common problem in Rusholme.

I employ a 3 strikes rule - asking once is fine, if I have to ask twice, there goes the tip, and if I have to ask 3 times I walk out - it's up to them to get the cash off me before I make it to the door.”

smitty says..“ What is it about the British that you allow yourselves to be treated like that? lol”

Noel says..“ I agree with all of this rant. I went to the recently opened Whiteroom restaurant in Whitefield. Yes, I know the name sucks, but I want to support local business.Indifferent service,food ok but after eating half of my chicken supreme, I cut into the area near the knuckle and it was bloody. Eventually managed to catch the eye of the bored waitress " You alright there" . No, can you take that to the chef and show him.Off to the chef, inspected and returned" Chef says he probed it so its fine". Such crass stupidity, after a few more discussion points, it was obvious that neither she, chef or owner gave a toss. Asked for the bill, told her to deduct the chicken.It was the sheer front, you are a nuisance customer, no attempt to even appease me. So if you would to see a world class example of really bad service, get down to Bury Old Road, next to the Nat West bank.”

tomegranate says..“ To be fair to James, in his case 'no' is an reasonable response - going by his rant he's definitely NOT 'alright'...”

Craig says..“ blooooomin heck. Happy New Year Everyone. X”

Anonymous says..“ Had a similar experience last week at Kosmos in Fallowfield, its a very small place and it wasn't busy though there were a few customers in. We walked in and stood by the door for nearly 10 minutes without any kind of acknowledgement from the staff. Not even any eye contact or an 'I'll be with you in a minute'. Gave up and left. Not on.”

eddie the hot rod says..“ Mr Toms used to have amazing service. Just the right blend of familiar and a real zeal to show they care about you”