The Art of Customer Service is Dead

What is it about some restaurant workers that cause them to not understand that working with the public is a full time commitment? Why I got the rookie waitress at my favorite breakfast place this particular morning made me think about starting a customer service company. Other servers were busy scurrying around helping customers, looking at my table with a side eye, I imagined them silently saying I’m not your server. Mind you it was the weekend and everybody navigates to this restaurant on their days off work. My order was simple, to the point no frills or extras. I should have known something was up when I got the novice server who finally took my order after I had been seated for 15 minutes. She didn’t check to see if I needed water nor had silverware. Where are your manners young lady? I wanted to say this to her, but instead I held my tongue. I had already inquired about her whereabouts after the first ten minutes of being seated and I certainly didn’t want to incur the wrath of this waitress.
As I played with my cell phone to occupy myself until my breakfast arrived I thought about how I had always thought it rude for people to be preoccupied with their cell phones and not engaging with others around them. Since I was dining alone there was no one to talk to so I decided to learn the photo app on my new phone. When breakfast arrived it was dropped on the opposite side of my table not in front of me, still no silverware. I looked up to ask for a place setting and my drink but the waitress was on to another table. I think she should play the game Diner Dash. I had enough and politely asked for the manager. "Pack this up to go please I don’t know what’s going on with my server but this is ridiculous, how does she expect me to eat with no silverware and she just dropped the plate off and kept going." If I wanted to eat at a bufffeteria I would have gone there. Apologizing for the inconvenience the manager got the details and packed my breakfast to go. At the register he discounted my order. Hmmmm, I think free would have been better. I left there with breakfast and headed home wondering was it me or was it you?
This morning while trying to find the electric company that services my new area all I could think about was coffee; hot steaming, flavorful coffee. So I went out of my way to find my fav coffee shop and pulling into the drive through I looked at the picture and decided I wanted a nice creamy, frothy flavored drink. As the attendant leaned out of the window to take my money he handed me part of my order and went to get my coffee. My face dropped when I saw I had ordered a cold drink. "Oh h h h h, I sighed. I thought it was a hot drink." "No ma’am this one is cold. We can make it hot for you if you like." "No, I’ll just drink this one. It’s no problem we can make it hot. Just pull up and we’ll bring it to you. You can keep that one and sip on it while we make another for you." Bong-g-g–g –g! What a difference a chain makes. I drove off happy with my two coffees but not before tipping the guy for his friendliness and helpfulness. All is right with the breakfast world again.