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It really belongs over on CS, but I don't have an account over there, and really wanted to see what you guys thought. Here is the OP from a football message board I frequent:
Note: NFT stands for Non Football Topic.
Anyway, I am going to link the thread so you can see the reaction, but if you would, give me your reaction before you read the thread over there.
Thanks.
http://corner.bigblueinteractive.com...&thread_page=1
NFT: I think I got a deli manager fired today
NYGinNC : 9:10 pm
Before I begin this story, I should point out that I DON'T normally enjoy getting people fired or in trouble at work. I also believe that everyone is human and makes mistakes, and you shouldn't try to get someone in trouble for making an honest mistake while trying to do their job (unless it's egregious).
My problem, both in live service environments and telephone customer service, is where I'm treated dishonestly or disrespectfully. If you work in a service job, you need to attempt to do your job, and you need to refrain from giving me an attitude or "punishing" me by flaunting your momentary power. If you try to use your job to fuck with me, I will be the asshole who comes back and tells everything to your boss.
Most service issues I have dealt with over my lifetime tend to be different versions of the same few things. However, occasionally I am surprised with something new. That happened today.
It started off rather typical. In the middle of December, I went to a deli that I had been frequenting, and ordered a pastrami sandwich (plain) and a turkey sandwich with no mayo. It was about 15 minutes before they closed, and I took it to go. I came home to find that the turkey sandwich was covered in mayo (a friend threw it in the garbage for me), and the pastrami sandwich was extremely fatty. I realize that pastrami is sometimes fatty, but this was excessive and shouldn't have been served that way. I had ordered it from the same place several times before, and it was always fine.
I tried to call into the place to complain, but they were closed. It was also Friday, so I couldn't reach a manager until Monday.
When I reached the manager, he gave me a surprising answer. I still had the receipt and offered to bring it in. He wanted to see the food that was messed up! I explained that I wasn't going to hold inedible sandwiches for 3 days just so I can bring them in to show him, and that I attempted to call right after discovering the problem, but they had been closed. He reluctantly said, "Well, okay...umm.. I can replace one sandwich."
WHAT THE HECK?
I wasn't asking for a refund. I just wanted both sandwiches replaced. I could even prove that I had ordered many times from them in the past without incident, as the people at the counter recognized me already. He still wouldn't budge. He claimed he wasn't authorized to give me more than one sandwich.
I couldn't imagine that the general manager of the entire store (which is a small chain) wouldn't be authorized to do such a thing! He claimed he had to check with the district manager. I found that ridiculous, but gave him a chance. He never called me back, so I called him again about 6 hours later. He said that he hadn't checked yet, but would be meeting with the general manager at 6pm and would bring it up. LOL. But okay, fine. The rest of the day passed with no phone call. Finally, the NEXT evening, he called me up and said the district manager authorized replacing both sandwiches. Hallelujah! He rattled off his hours and told me to come in anytime to get them. He never said that it wouldn't be able to be done if he wasn't there.
I then had to go to another secret location for a few weeks, so I couldn't come back in until today.
I visited the place, and asked for the manager. He wasn't in, and had left no note about my situation. I asked if they could call him, and the nice girl up front did exactly that. She reached him, and I was all ready to get my replacement sandwiches.
But no.
He refused on the phone.
Did he forget me?
Nope.
Did he change his mind?
No.
Did he not believe I was the same guy?
No, he believed me just fine.
Why couldn't I have my two sandwiches?
Because he wasn't physically there to fill out the paperwork for it.
Not joking. The general manager of the store claimed he couldn't authorize his employee over the phone to give me 2 sandwiches without ringing them up.
The girl noticeably felt bad for me, and gave me the phone to try to talk some sense into the guy.
He refused. He told me to come back another day when he's there.
I asked why he couldn't just fill out the paperwork tomorrow when he comes in, and he told me some bullshit about how this wasn't allowed.
At this point, I was pissed, and told him that if I left the store without the sandwiches, I would never come back, and that he'd lose my business forever.
He was fine with that.
I then told him I would contact the district manager, let him know why my frequent business was lost forever, and mail the district manager my receipts from the competition every week for the next year.
Like a teenage punk, he responded, "Are you threatening me?"
When I explained that I wasn't threatening but merely was going to explain to his boss why my business was lost forever, the guy hung up on me.
I was standing there on the store's phone and got hung up on by their own manager. It was surreal.
The girl at the register said, "You know what? I'll make the sandwiches for you anyway."
And she did. Sweet of her to defy her moronic boss like this. She also got me the district manager's phone #. I told her that I would put in a good word for her.
I left a message for the district manager, who called me back almost instantly. This was like 15 minutes after the whole mess occurred.
The district manager and I had a very interesting conversation. Among the things that came out:
- The district manager had been out of town at another location for the past 3-4 weeks. The store manager's claim that he was meeting with him that day was a lie.
- The district manager had never been contacted about the 2-sandwich matter. This was the first time he heard of it.
- The store manager absolutely had the authority to give me the 2 sandwiches without checking with anyone in the first place.
- The store manager absolutely had the authority to give telephone permission to the girl behind the counter to make the sandwiches for free, even if he wasn't there. Indeed, the correct course of action was exactly what I suggested -- give it to me now, fill out the paperwork later.
- The store cost $1 million to set up, and has been failing at that location for its entire 2-year existence. It is the only store failing in the company.
- The district manager said that my report was eye-opening, and that "it explains a lot about why we're having problems at that location. It looks like we have a customer service issue."
- The district manager revealed that the store manager gets paid "more than you would ever imagine", and that it was "unbelievable" that he treated me like that given his high salary and authority granted to make decisions himself.
I got the strong impression that this manager is going to lose his cushy job.
Good job denying me those sandwiches. Hope it was worth it. What do you guys think?
NYGinNC : 9:10 pm
Before I begin this story, I should point out that I DON'T normally enjoy getting people fired or in trouble at work. I also believe that everyone is human and makes mistakes, and you shouldn't try to get someone in trouble for making an honest mistake while trying to do their job (unless it's egregious).
My problem, both in live service environments and telephone customer service, is where I'm treated dishonestly or disrespectfully. If you work in a service job, you need to attempt to do your job, and you need to refrain from giving me an attitude or "punishing" me by flaunting your momentary power. If you try to use your job to fuck with me, I will be the asshole who comes back and tells everything to your boss.
Most service issues I have dealt with over my lifetime tend to be different versions of the same few things. However, occasionally I am surprised with something new. That happened today.
It started off rather typical. In the middle of December, I went to a deli that I had been frequenting, and ordered a pastrami sandwich (plain) and a turkey sandwich with no mayo. It was about 15 minutes before they closed, and I took it to go. I came home to find that the turkey sandwich was covered in mayo (a friend threw it in the garbage for me), and the pastrami sandwich was extremely fatty. I realize that pastrami is sometimes fatty, but this was excessive and shouldn't have been served that way. I had ordered it from the same place several times before, and it was always fine.
I tried to call into the place to complain, but they were closed. It was also Friday, so I couldn't reach a manager until Monday.
When I reached the manager, he gave me a surprising answer. I still had the receipt and offered to bring it in. He wanted to see the food that was messed up! I explained that I wasn't going to hold inedible sandwiches for 3 days just so I can bring them in to show him, and that I attempted to call right after discovering the problem, but they had been closed. He reluctantly said, "Well, okay...umm.. I can replace one sandwich."
WHAT THE HECK?
I wasn't asking for a refund. I just wanted both sandwiches replaced. I could even prove that I had ordered many times from them in the past without incident, as the people at the counter recognized me already. He still wouldn't budge. He claimed he wasn't authorized to give me more than one sandwich.
I couldn't imagine that the general manager of the entire store (which is a small chain) wouldn't be authorized to do such a thing! He claimed he had to check with the district manager. I found that ridiculous, but gave him a chance. He never called me back, so I called him again about 6 hours later. He said that he hadn't checked yet, but would be meeting with the general manager at 6pm and would bring it up. LOL. But okay, fine. The rest of the day passed with no phone call. Finally, the NEXT evening, he called me up and said the district manager authorized replacing both sandwiches. Hallelujah! He rattled off his hours and told me to come in anytime to get them. He never said that it wouldn't be able to be done if he wasn't there.
I then had to go to another secret location for a few weeks, so I couldn't come back in until today.
I visited the place, and asked for the manager. He wasn't in, and had left no note about my situation. I asked if they could call him, and the nice girl up front did exactly that. She reached him, and I was all ready to get my replacement sandwiches.
But no.
He refused on the phone.
Did he forget me?
Nope.
Did he change his mind?
No.
Did he not believe I was the same guy?
No, he believed me just fine.
Why couldn't I have my two sandwiches?
Because he wasn't physically there to fill out the paperwork for it.
Not joking. The general manager of the store claimed he couldn't authorize his employee over the phone to give me 2 sandwiches without ringing them up.
The girl noticeably felt bad for me, and gave me the phone to try to talk some sense into the guy.
He refused. He told me to come back another day when he's there.
I asked why he couldn't just fill out the paperwork tomorrow when he comes in, and he told me some bullshit about how this wasn't allowed.
At this point, I was pissed, and told him that if I left the store without the sandwiches, I would never come back, and that he'd lose my business forever.
He was fine with that.
I then told him I would contact the district manager, let him know why my frequent business was lost forever, and mail the district manager my receipts from the competition every week for the next year.
Like a teenage punk, he responded, "Are you threatening me?"
When I explained that I wasn't threatening but merely was going to explain to his boss why my business was lost forever, the guy hung up on me.
I was standing there on the store's phone and got hung up on by their own manager. It was surreal.
The girl at the register said, "You know what? I'll make the sandwiches for you anyway."
And she did. Sweet of her to defy her moronic boss like this. She also got me the district manager's phone #. I told her that I would put in a good word for her.
I left a message for the district manager, who called me back almost instantly. This was like 15 minutes after the whole mess occurred.
The district manager and I had a very interesting conversation. Among the things that came out:
- The district manager had been out of town at another location for the past 3-4 weeks. The store manager's claim that he was meeting with him that day was a lie.
- The district manager had never been contacted about the 2-sandwich matter. This was the first time he heard of it.
- The store manager absolutely had the authority to give me the 2 sandwiches without checking with anyone in the first place.
- The store manager absolutely had the authority to give telephone permission to the girl behind the counter to make the sandwiches for free, even if he wasn't there. Indeed, the correct course of action was exactly what I suggested -- give it to me now, fill out the paperwork later.
- The store cost $1 million to set up, and has been failing at that location for its entire 2-year existence. It is the only store failing in the company.
- The district manager said that my report was eye-opening, and that "it explains a lot about why we're having problems at that location. It looks like we have a customer service issue."
- The district manager revealed that the store manager gets paid "more than you would ever imagine", and that it was "unbelievable" that he treated me like that given his high salary and authority granted to make decisions himself.
I got the strong impression that this manager is going to lose his cushy job.
Good job denying me those sandwiches. Hope it was worth it. What do you guys think?
Anyway, I am going to link the thread so you can see the reaction, but if you would, give me your reaction before you read the thread over there.
Thanks.
http://corner.bigblueinteractive.com...&thread_page=1
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