Excuse me? When customer service is missing in action<\/p>\n
Krabbe K. Piting
\nContributor
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
Remember that scene from Pretty Woman where Julia Roberts' Vivian
\nwas brushed off by the mightier-than-thou Rodeo Drive shop
\nassistant?<\/p>\n
I had to stop myself from shouting \"Go Vivian!\" when she
\nturned up at the same store the next day fresh from another
\nshopping spree, all done up and laden with shopping bags, having
\na silent go at the aforementioned shop assistant. Ah, revenge is
\nsweet.<\/p>\n
We all have our Vivian moments. In the competitive atmosphere
\nof today, customer service is surprisingly flabby. They are
\neither indifferent or snooty. It is made even worse when you have
\nto pay a princely sum for it. It goes without saying that when
\nyou pay a generous amount of money, you expect excellent
\ncraftsmanship and impeccable service (the 11 percent service tax
\nattached to the bill should mean something now, should it?).<\/p>\n
At a newly opened sandwich bar, I ordered a pricey ham
\nsandwich which supposedly came with a honey mustard mayonnaise.
\nService was slow, and when my sandwich finally arrived, it had no
\nhoney mustard mayonnaise.<\/p>\n
When I asked for it, the attendant gave me a half smile and
\nasked back, \"Oh, you want some mayo?\" I pointed to the menu where
\nit clearly stated \"Kerry Ham sandwich with honey mustard
\nmayonnaise\".<\/p>\n
She looked at me blankly. \"Really? OK then.\" OK then, indeed.<\/p>\n
I have been in countless restaurants where the servers don't
\nhave a clue what it is they are serving. But combine this with
\nirksome conceit, and you'll get to a new level of service (or
\nlack thereof).<\/p>\n
I was browsing for starters at a cafe when I encountered an
\nunusual ingredient in the salad menu. When asked what it was, the
\nwaitress simply answered, \"It's a salad green.\"<\/p>\n
Well, yes, but what kind of salad green is it, pray tell?
\nBitter? Peppery?<\/p>\n
\"Anyone used to eating salads know what it is.\" Miaow.<\/p>\n
Walk into any fancy schmancy boutiques without looking like a
\nmillion bucks (or the latest conquest of a certain multimedia
\ntycoon) and you will most likely to be ignored. That, or somebody
\nwill follow you around with an eagle eye, probably afraid you
\nwill soil the luxury items on display (which you cannot afford,
\nof course).<\/p>\n
A good friend was leafing through a rack of clothes in a now
\ndefunct department store when she eyed a certain pair of cotton
\ntrousers. Pointing to the pair, she asked an approaching
\nsalesperson for the price.<\/p>\n
The answer? \"Expensive.\"<\/p>\n
In case you're wondering how much \"expensive\" is in numerical
\nterms, it was Rp 75,000 (this was circa 1991). My friend promptly
\nbought the trousers out of spite.<\/p>\n
Of course, this kind of snobbery is not exclusive to
\nIndonesia. Last year, an article in London's Evening Standard
\nraised the same issue, even going so far as to rate the
\nsnootiness factor of particular posh fashion boutiques. A dressed
\ndown female reporter was dispatched to each store and -- quelle
\nhorreur! -- acted middle class by admitting firsthand that she
\nwas \"just looking\", i.e. could not afford most of the merchandise
\nbut wanted to try several of them anyway.<\/p>\n
Only three of the reporters came out unscathed, with one
\nbarely making it.<\/p>\n
Why do these people think they have the right to be so
\ncondescending? They are only employees like the rest of the
\npopulation, after all. Even with a massive staff discount, I am
\npretty sure that they, too, cannot afford the luxury objects
\ntheir employers are selling. Unless, of course, they are trust
\nfund babies masquerading as common folks. Two words: highly
\nunlikely.<\/p>\n
On the bright side, there are places that will treat you like
\na king, whether you really are one or more like the court jester.
\nI have encountered servers and shop assistants who have gone out
\nof their way to help me, even when I did not buy anything. It's
\nwhat separates a good establishment from the bad: attentive
\nstaff. They know we will come back for more.<\/p>\n
A manager of a top Brazilian jeweler said, \"We treat every
\nsingle person who comes in like royalty. Because even when they
\ncannot afford anything now, if they like us, they'll come back
\nwhen they have the money.\" How true.<\/p>",
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