ericcoleman (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ericcoleman) wrote2005-05-02 10:32 am
ericcoleman) wrote2005-05-02 10:32 am
Entry tags:
The Foreman Awards For Excellence In Humanity - Customer Relations - 05/02/05
These are both things that happened to me this week. Of course it is not the first time for either but who cares ...
And The Beep Goes On.
I was getting gas in a small Iowa town near the small Iowa town I live in. I filled my tank and was about to head into the store to pay. The gas pump proceeded to beep at me, and beep at me, and beep at me, and beep at me. It beeped as I walked all the way across the parking lot into the store. It was still beeping as I entered the store. Now keep in mind that this is a small town. This is not some high traffic gas station. My question is, does this actually do any good? Do they really think I need that reminder? Am I going to forget that I need to pay for my gas and therefore need this obnoxious reminder? If I indeed planned on driving away, will this beep make me see the error of my ways and forever more pay the money I owe with a smile on my face and a bank loan to cover it? Or is it just rude and terrible customer relations?
YOU DO WANT FRIES WITH THAT !!!
I hate the force sales thing. It pisses me off generally. I make a point of always saying "that's all" when I order fast food. Most folks get it. I had someone argue with me last week. They would not take no for an answer that I only wanted a burger and fries, no drink. They kept on how it would save me money. You know, by spending 50 cents more on the drink that I didn’t want I would spend less than if I had bought the drink separately. I told them that I didn't like Coke and didn't want a Coke, so they tried to get me to get a milkshake. Do they expect to keep customers? I asked to speak to the manager when I drove around. Sure enough, she was the one who I had been speaking to.
And The Beep Goes On.
I was getting gas in a small Iowa town near the small Iowa town I live in. I filled my tank and was about to head into the store to pay. The gas pump proceeded to beep at me, and beep at me, and beep at me, and beep at me. It beeped as I walked all the way across the parking lot into the store. It was still beeping as I entered the store. Now keep in mind that this is a small town. This is not some high traffic gas station. My question is, does this actually do any good? Do they really think I need that reminder? Am I going to forget that I need to pay for my gas and therefore need this obnoxious reminder? If I indeed planned on driving away, will this beep make me see the error of my ways and forever more pay the money I owe with a smile on my face and a bank loan to cover it? Or is it just rude and terrible customer relations?
YOU DO WANT FRIES WITH THAT !!!
I hate the force sales thing. It pisses me off generally. I make a point of always saying "that's all" when I order fast food. Most folks get it. I had someone argue with me last week. They would not take no for an answer that I only wanted a burger and fries, no drink. They kept on how it would save me money. You know, by spending 50 cents more on the drink that I didn’t want I would spend less than if I had bought the drink separately. I told them that I didn't like Coke and didn't want a Coke, so they tried to get me to get a milkshake. Do they expect to keep customers? I asked to speak to the manager when I drove around. Sure enough, she was the one who I had been speaking to.
no subject
As passionately as I hate gratuituous beeping, I can't tell from your description if the behavior you describe is part of the designed operation of the machine, caused because the machine is broken, or because of some exceptional condition you weren't aware of. The designer only deserves honors in the first case. If the machine is broken, the manager of the gas station only deserves honors if it's been going on long enough that he could have fixed it but hasn't bothered.
On the other hand, fast food sellers who won't listen to the customers should take up new careers as fertilizer. If they're otherwise well behaved they might be highly evolved enough to aspire to cat food.
And one final shot -- the idea that paying less money than the "regular price" for something you wouldn't have bought in the first place constitutes saving money deserves a society wide special award.
no subject