how to get good service

i had one of those experiences today that reminded me how crap it is to work in the service industry. i had to go pay my gym account and also cancel the contract. the girl at reception was harried and busy, so i waited patiently... then when she asked me to write a letter of cancellaion, i thought i'd save some time by writing in my id number, membership number and so forth. all of a sudden she was smiling. "you know, most peple wouldn't think to do that", she said. and so it went , i got great service and she appreciated the fact that i didn't get all aggro at her over procedural stuff.


people tend to forget one basic fact: people in the servbice industry take a lot of crap, work hard and generally get paid peanuts. so i think (with my eeeeendless years of waitressing experience as a basis) that it's a good idea to follow a few basic rules---

1. you get what you give. however you treat someone, expect to be treated. it doesn't matter if you're rich or por, having a sense of entitlement will get you nowhere! some of the best customers i've had have been low on cash but knew how hard i was working and showed me respect, good manners, and genuine warmth.


2. don't make me the butt of your jokes. just because i have a sense of humour doesn't mean i'm your patsy. and trust me, you're not paying me enough.


3. don't waste my time. i have a job to do... it's one thing if i have time to chat, but saying you're ready to order when you haven't even looked at the menu and then asking stupid questions about every item that are answered by the menu means that others suffer and i get stressed uneccesarily.


4. tipping is not a city in china. here's how it goes... 10% for okay service, 15% for good service, 20% and above for sterling service... ans using the minimum wage of the country you're in is essential (ie in the US a 5dollar tip may be cool but a R5 tip in the RSA is an insult unless you ate at the spur.)... and finally....


5. patience is a virtue. trying to rush me is not going to help, certain things take time... if you're in that much of a rush, you shold've planned better