Customer Service? Bah!
I am the first to admit that I am picky about customer service. I get annoyed when a waiter asks ‘would you like sparkling water or just tap water?’. I’ve been known to approach shop assistants who ignore me to say ‘thank you so much, you were very helpful’ (yes, I am embarrassing to shop with).
But this experience at Irwell’s Cafe in St Kilda was rude beyond belief.
Oh and before you leave ranty comments defending rude retail assistants and poor customer service such as ‘put yourself in their shoes, maybe they were having a bad day etc wah wah’, I worked in retail for a very long time. And I was ALWAYS polite.
Anyway..
I was working in the area for a week and a colleague of mine suggested that I try Irwell’s for my morning caffeine fix. After an early morning start that involved running in the rain to catch two trains and a tram as my car wouldn’t start, I was well and truly ready for a nice breakfast muffin and a hot cappuccino. This is the dialogue that occurred when I arrived at Irwell’s:
Me: ‘Could I please have a raspberry and sultana muffin and a cappuccino?’
Surly Waitress: ‘$5 thanks’
M: ‘Thanks, I’ll be sitting over there’ *points to table*
SW: *death stare* The deal is supposed to be for takeaway ONLY’
M: ‘Uh…what deal?’
SW: *sigh* ‘The coffee and muffin DEAL’.
M: *Gets pissed off* ‘I didn’t ask for a deal. I asked for a coffee and a muffin’. *opens wallet* ‘how much do I owe you?’
I swear this conversation happened, word for word.
At this point the manager ran over and cheerfully told me not to worry about it. Did I mention a deal? No. Was I holding out a $5 note? No. Did I mention the word ‘takeaway’? Nope. Did Surly Waitress make an incorrect assumption about my order, then make it seem as though I was at fault? Yep.
After waiting 10 minutes…Surly Waitress finally brings over….A BLUEBERRY MUFFIN AND A LATTE. What do you think – genuine incompetence or deliberate switch of my order? Either way, I let it go.
This was the ‘blueberry’ muffin:
Now a crappy muffin I can forgive.
But rude service like that?
Not a chance.
The best thing about this experience? Watching the expressions of shock and disbelief on my beloved barista’s face in my regular cafe as I told him the Surly Waitress story. While drinking my cappuccino that was ready for me when I walked in the door, as he had spotted me walking down the street. Like he does everyday.
Food gobbler. Wine lover. Kitteh keeper. Gen-Y. Fiancée. Twitter addict.
Fighting the war against Leggings As Pants one fashion victim at a time... 
OMG, that’s horrible :O
Damn surly waitresses … <.<
Sure the waitress in that case was rude but dealing with customers (especially customers who get annoyed when you ask them if they want ‘sparkling water or just tap water’ WTF?) is very difficult. Wait staff have to put up with a great deal of customer attitude on a daily basis.
This may be the 100th customer you have served today.
But this is the first time today this customer has been served by you.’
Belle: I agree. Dealing with customers is difficult. But waitstaff should give customers a neutral choice, not imply that tap water is the lesser option. I assure you, I am not the eye-rolling difficult customer you are implying that I am. No need to quote me and say ‘WTF’.
Totally agree… I have worked in retail and hospitality for the past 10 years, and service like that is just plain pathetic. If you can’t handle the pressures of having to be nothing but professional in those situations, then find another profession.
I agree. Nothing worse than bad customer service.
If I eat/drink/shop somewhere where the customer service is bad, I’ll never go back – no matter how good their product is.
On the other end, if I eat a cafe and the food is only average, but the customer service is brilliant, then I’m likely to go back anyway.
Hi Belle – did you read the bit where Miss M asks you to spare her the “put yourself in their shoes” and assorted similar lines?
They’re WAIT staff. There to WAIT on the customer. They’re getting PAID to SERVE us. The whole “im doing you a favour by being here and i have a tough job because im in customer service” thing is a crock.
You know what else wait staff can do if they think have it hard? Go out, and get an education that qualifies them for a better job.
Wow Jess. Someone seems to have their snob on. Maybe the wait staff are working as waiters whilst they also study to get an education? You seem a little stuck in a bubble…
Regardless of whether a person is working in a cafe as a short-term or long-term situation, they should do that job well. End of story.
Can’t say I fully agree but whatever.
Belle – did you just disagree with the statement that people who work in cafes should be required to do their jobs well?
People like you are the problem. You think you’re completely entitled to decent wages in exchange a mediocre effort and lacklustre attitude.
If everyone shared your low standards, the world would become a huge self serve buffet.
But whatever (good closing argument)
I’m with Miss Melb – bad service is so off putting! I rarely give a place a second chance if I get terrible service, but I will go out of my way to tell friends and family about places that offer good service.
The people I feel sorry for are the owners of these cafes who often slave away for their dream of having their own business, only to have a snotty service staff member undermine what they are working for.
Wait staff get paid really good wages here in Australia compared to places like the US, which I think is a good thing (don’t get me started about the evils of tipping). But their job is not just to go through the motions – it is to make the customer happy with their experience, if you can’t do that, then you are not doing your job!
Though i am not in Australia but will be there very soon and as i am also food-obsessed so would love to know about Melbourne restaurants and food.
This surly waitress was really unbelievable….. what would u have done with that surly waitress if manager didn’t come at the right moment :)
Sometimes , Its really difficult to deal with the some kind of customers (@Miss Melbourne: not pointing towards you ) but this is exactly what they are hired for so i agree with devine.
I’m with you.
I hate hate hate bad service. Abhor it, in fact.
It’s enough to turn me into a sourpuss and make me not enjoy the whole experience.
I’ve been known to get up and leave after receiving bad service. Just thinking about it makes me grumpy!
I agree with Miss Melbourne. Why should poor service be tolerated at all? Who’s the paying customer? In the end, the bad service ensures that the customer shall not return. So who loses in the end?
This is one amazing blog! Thanks.
We visited Irwell’s Cafe in St Kilda this Christmas morning looking for a Coffee, we live in St Kilda and as our usual Cafes in Acland Street were closed for Christmas we thought we would give Irwells a try.
Well this turned out to be a mistake, the older bald guy at the Coffee window was not interested in serving us at all. I said good morning in a cherry voice, but only got a mumbled F**K under his breath and a dirty look.
We turned around and left, not a very nice start to our Christmas morning. Would never go back.
The Christmas Grinch lives there.