"Whats the soup?"

If you have ever been in the customer service business, you may have already gotten why I am calling my blog "What's the soup?"

I try to make a good first impression when walking up to a table. You know what they say (who..m ? ever these people are), "You don't get a second chance to make a first impression." I believe this to be true about myself but also about my customers.

Back to the soup.

Walk up to a table and before I can as how they are doing, "What's the soup?"

Part of me wants to respond with "Excellent! Thanks so much for asking! I'm great, how are you?"

When I worked at a drive up coffee shop, we were prompted to ask how the customer was doing to leave them with a positive experience instead of just "what do you want?"

"Hi! Welcome to.."

"I'll take a double small mocha, nonfat with whip cream. Make sure it's nonfat!"

And there goes the car.... "Excellent! Thanks so much for asking! I'm great, how are you?"

The Great Fork Incident of 2008

I love my job. Sometimes I have to remind myself of this fact but I do genuinely Love my job.

That being said, we are going to call this the "Great Fork Incident of 2008".

I have some special customers. They want to be waited on, talked to, hugged, have you remember their personal preferences like the fact that like their salad dressing to be ranch or that they prefer their sandwich to not touch the other food neighbors. Sure. I like remembering peoples preferences. It's like remembering key points of a conversation. It's important that customers know that you are paying attention. The more you come in, the easier it is for me to remember what you prefer.

Anyway. Meal is ordered, drink is fine. I go and check on my other couple of tables.

"Miss? Can I get another fork? This one doesn't pick up the salad." Shows me how the fork is incapable of doing the job. Stab. Stab. No lettuce on fork.

"Sure, I'll go get you another one."

Go to the silverware drawer and pick out a different fork.

"Give this one a whirl." Drop off the fork and make another round to my other tables.

"Miss? This one isn't working either." Stab. Stab.

Take the fork, nod that I understand and go grab three other forks. All are simliar but with a different tine. I show the different forks to the customers. After what seems like 3 minutes, all the time I'm scanning the room making sure I don't have other pressing needs like a spoon that doesn't pick up soup... they make their decision.

"You know, I think I'll use the one I have."

- Kids, I couldn't have made this up if I tried.

And this is how I started my morning....

So, I had unlocked the front door to set out one of our signs. We still weren't "open" for another 15 minutes but I fiqured I'll keep it unlocked but not turn on the open sign. Go in the back, help in the kitchen, get my stuff done.

*RING, RING*

"I think someone came in"

I look at the clock. Ok, no big deal, 2 minutes. Head up front.

"Hello Ladies. How are you doing?"

"Oh, we just came into browse. We noticed you're not open yet."

- You noticed we weren't open but came in anyway?

"Well, I just need to flip the open sign. Feel free to look around. Let me know if you need any help."

After flipping the sign, I turn to find them entering the restaurant.

"Were you wanting to have lunch wth us today?"

"Yes. We can sit anywhere, right? You don't look like you're going to be busy."

- So, you rationalize that we aren't going to busy based on the fact that YOU are the first ones in the restaurant and YOU don't see anyone else there yet. YOU came in before we were open but yet we aren't busy yet? I give up. I know nothing.

"Well, I do have a few reservations. You are welcome to sit here, here or here."

"Well, how about here?" (Points to one of the tables I didn't point out)

"I have that one reserved at the moment. All the other ones are available."

"Well, I didn't know we needed a reservation."

"They get busy later."

- Thank you for finally saying somethng customer #2

"Well, I guess that'll be fine."

I walk to grab menus and show them to the table. I seat them, tell them to get comfortable and let them know I'll be right back. Upon coming back, they have relocated themselves at another table, leaving the menus on the first one.

"Oh, ok. I'll just move these over here."

"Sorry, we just don't want to sit there."

- Inward sigh. That's all I can do is inward sigh.

Everything goes normally up until I bring their food.

"Oh, Where is that thing? You know..(motions with her hands to describe a fixture we bring out when you order a special item on our menu)"

- I get this a lot. The fixture only comes out with a special ordered menu item. Therefore, if you don't not order this item, no fixture.

"Well, that is for when you order our SOMI . You ordered the lighter version so it comes out on just the single plates."

"Oh, well..ok. I guess we'll eat light today."
- Inward sigh

So, yeah...

Hullo Outside World...



So, I've been threatening to do this for a while. Nothing drastic, just create a forum for my daily thoughts and a release for all of the crazy things that just have me scratching my head on a daily basis.

Little background. I work in customer service. Now, this is not one of those blogs (at least not at the moment :) ) that I berate and belittle people. I think with each incident I'm going to change some of the details because in the end, it's about the situaton and not for gossip. I am going to use this blog for what we'll call a character study.

Having worked in customer service for .... geez... forever, I have come across some interesting people. Some days I walk home on a cloud thinking, "Gee, what a great day". Other days, it's "That's it, quitting tomorrow." On those days I can't tell you how many times I have seriously looked at the back door and thought, "How long until they realize I'm gone or If I huddle up into the corner will they all go away?"

So, that' s the start. Hopefully I'll remember some of the good stories (and believe me, there are some doozies) and get to write down the dailies as they come. More Later