this is something I honestly don’t understand about americans despite being one
like, what the fuck do people think is “good” service? do you really want the dipshit at applebees interrupting you every 15 seconds? What is going on with people that they need a babysitter to check on them that frequently?
honestly it mostly seems about having someone grovel for them, and if they don’t, you get the “nobody wants to work anymore” baloney
FWIW I have waited tables, though it was in the 90s
At any sort of normal restaurant feel like just want someone to be friendly, get the order right and not take 45 minutes to bring check at end.
I rarely do higher end dining but is kinda fun at those places where they bring out 12 people to place all the plates in one movement, have the crumb scraper thing, etc. Does make me feel important or something from the novelty of it to me.
hoo boy you need to read more nextdoor and/or local facebook groups
My first, second, third, and fourth attempts at getting what I want are different flavors of honey (ok the fourth is spicy honey but whatever). The fifth is just heat and by then I have a paper trail from the first four attempts that looks bad because I was very intentionally building that out the entire time.
Coming in hot is actually terrible because a lot of people, both you and I included, will absolutely not want you to get what you want out of principle if you start things off that way. You don’t want a freight broker in malicious compliance mode trust me (I know ethically you can’t do that as a doctor lol).
So the optimal line is nice, nicer because maybe they’re just having a bad day, sympathize about how shitty this job must be and charm the fuck out of the person in front of me and possibly get them on my side, and finally the fastball because we tried the other stuff and it didn’t work.
This is all for my skillset obviously. If I was super fucking scary, or super fucking rich, or super fucking hot, I’d probably lean into that.
no one needs to do that
seriously though, “friendly” isn’t enough for these people, they want groveling obsequiousness
Not saying there’s not a place for it, but it shouldn’t be the default or even second option
When I lived in Germany and would go to the Italian owned restaurants it was often infuriating if I needed to leave (like having dinner before a show or other event with a specific start time). Sometime it would seem like once we received the check we couldn’t see anyone for 45 minutes and then when we did see them, anything short of running across the restaurant and grabbing their arm would be ignored. Like, I understand the table is ours for the night but some times i only want it for an hour or so
Try and Italian restaurant in Italy. Walk in the door at 8:30 and you get a very dirty look. 9:00 is acceptable. 8:00 is impossible.
“Please listen carefully as our menu options have recently changed”
How in the fuck has every single doctors office, insurance company, billing number, radiology office etc just recently changed their menu? No matter when you call, year in and year out for infinity years, it’s always “recently changed”. No the fuck it hasn’t. It hasnt changed in two decades. I know I want to press 4. Please don’t make me listen to your stupid list that takes 30 seconds every time.
Gah it makes me non-politically ANGRY!!!
This drives me absolutely crazy. Also I have to be informed the pharmacy now offers immunizations every damn time
This is probably better suited for the healthcare thread, but when I am dealing with a complex issue that requires calling doctors, insurance, and radiology multiple times each it’s genuinely enraging. I waste so much time on the phone as it is, and the automated menus tilt me to no end.
Yeah it’s ridiculous, I forget which major pharmacy it was but I used to have the buttons memorized but then they made part of of where you have to say what you want and it won’t take the input until after you hear the full message
the best is that every single one of them has to tell you “if this is a medical emergency please hang up and dial 911” like oh, I am having a heart attack so I think I’ll call the billing department of the place that did my x-rays, shit you’re telling me 911 would be better?
and of course every time you push “4” for whatever department, you get connected to a DIFFERENT voice jail that REPEATS the “if this is a medical emergency please hang up and dial 911” message AGAIN.
You anger should be directed at the one idiot out there that will call that number and end up filing a lawsuit saying “How was I supposed to know I wasn’t supposed to call the doctor instead of 911?”
LOL…at the longtime practice I left in 2022, we were still using the phone message recorded by the office assistant who left ten years ago.
“Buffalo Bills” as a team name is insane, unhinged.
Even worse when they inexplicably have a bison as a mascot.
And our unofficial fan group is called Bills Mafia ???
Nothing is worse than the Houston Texans though.
Los Angeles Lakers