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But my Kid wants Pancakes!!
I just got off this call from a lady out in BC who was whining, literally whining, about the restaurant refusing to make her pancakes.
Me: your friendly neighbourhood call centre worker
SC: entitlement whore
Me: Thank you for calling *****, how can I help you.
SC: Yes I am just so fucking annoyed at you guys. (great way to start a call) You guys wouldn't make pancakes for my son just because we came after 4pm when you guys stop serving them.
Me: Okay.
SC: And now my son is crying, do you understand? Crying! Because he can't get the pancakes that you guys have on your kids menu. I mean what did you think was gonna happen when you put it on a menu for kids to see *insert very loud gasp of disbelief*
Me: Did you speak with a manager about this
SC: Yes I did and he said that we had arrived after 4pm and it was company policy not to serve them past that time. Well this was a kid, can't he get that through his thick head? He was intentionally letting a kid cry!
Me: Well even a manager can't go against company policy, but I'll make sure to let the GM know about this issue. Unfortunately we have to go with the judgement of our managers there on the scene.
SC: Well I'm not going to let this lie. I'm going to go to my kid's school, go into their classroom and tell everyone there about the kind of rotten service that **** gives. I'm going to tell everybody I know and be a thorn in the side of your company for the next 15 years, I swear it.
Me: Okay
SC: And you don't even care, the manager didn't, you don't so why should I go back. And to top it off I'm having a really bad fucking day and you guys are just making this that much worse. You don't fucking care. Bye
Me: Bye
Ok, well I saved all my little thoughts till the end because I didn't want to interrupt the story to tell you I think she's a raving lunatic when anyone can clearly see that she's one.
First, don't tell me about how you're going to tell all the kids at your son's school about the service at our restaurant. WTF are they going to think, are you going to be a guest lecturer for a group of 3rd graders extolling on them the evils of our company about how coming here will stunt their growth? I mean, I know she was messing up and referring to the kid's parents, but how many of them are going to want to see their kid bringing home a note from some other kid's lunatic mom over something like this. I bet if it happened the school would be hearing back from some pretty upset parents that a loon like her was allowed to even do that to their kid.
Second, every store has its vengeful customers. But you're in an area of about a half million people and we have one of the best known restaurants in the city for family dining. You mean nothing in the grand scheme of things so don't threaten us unless you can actually pull it off.
Third, if the manager says it's company policy, then end of discussion. Because when I checked into it, you lied to me. You weren't arriving just past 4pm, you arrived over half an hour past four, when the grill was already being used to cook other items. So no, we're not going to change out our items just to satisfy your inane comfort. I'm glad now I never was friendly to you when I said goodbye. If someone else saw him getting pancakes, they could rightfully ask for some too. And we'd have to allow it, something which I'd agree he should get. Thankfully the manager there had a spine and didn't cave in. What's the point of having a policy just to break it. We're not a 24 hour breakfast place - if you want that, go somewhere else.
And lastly, because this is where some of you are going to find exception to company policy, just because your kid wants something we're not going to allow does not mean we must follow your demands. We are in business to make money, that's true. And part of that is making the customer happy. BUT we set up policy to allow our business to run smoothly. And you trying to mess with that policy that has worked so well for us in the past and is still working well for us now, is no way to try and get us to come over to your side of the argument.
Your kid is crying and I do feel sorry for him. I don't want a kid to cry. But I don't feel sorry for you parent. You're passing up a great opportunity to try and teach your kid something about life, that it's going to sometimes have its downs amongst all its ups, and that not everything can be gotten from a river of tears. Holding the kid in front of you like a shield isn't going to change things. He's a kid, and if you handle this down moment like a responsible person, he'll rebound from it.
But instead of teaching him this valuable lesson, you think it's better to throw a temper tantrum in the store like a 3rd grader and try demanding and threatening others into getting your way. With this kind of parenting, the kid is going to grow up with a very skewed view on life, that not getting your own way ALL the time is something akin to blasphemy and must be fought at all costs. It's obvious to me that this mother grew up being taught this way, too bad she's around to pass it onto future generations.
Me: your friendly neighbourhood call centre worker
SC: entitlement whore
Me: Thank you for calling *****, how can I help you.
SC: Yes I am just so fucking annoyed at you guys. (great way to start a call) You guys wouldn't make pancakes for my son just because we came after 4pm when you guys stop serving them.
Me: Okay.
SC: And now my son is crying, do you understand? Crying! Because he can't get the pancakes that you guys have on your kids menu. I mean what did you think was gonna happen when you put it on a menu for kids to see *insert very loud gasp of disbelief*
Me: Did you speak with a manager about this
SC: Yes I did and he said that we had arrived after 4pm and it was company policy not to serve them past that time. Well this was a kid, can't he get that through his thick head? He was intentionally letting a kid cry!
Me: Well even a manager can't go against company policy, but I'll make sure to let the GM know about this issue. Unfortunately we have to go with the judgement of our managers there on the scene.
SC: Well I'm not going to let this lie. I'm going to go to my kid's school, go into their classroom and tell everyone there about the kind of rotten service that **** gives. I'm going to tell everybody I know and be a thorn in the side of your company for the next 15 years, I swear it.
Me: Okay
SC: And you don't even care, the manager didn't, you don't so why should I go back. And to top it off I'm having a really bad fucking day and you guys are just making this that much worse. You don't fucking care. Bye
Me: Bye
Ok, well I saved all my little thoughts till the end because I didn't want to interrupt the story to tell you I think she's a raving lunatic when anyone can clearly see that she's one.
First, don't tell me about how you're going to tell all the kids at your son's school about the service at our restaurant. WTF are they going to think, are you going to be a guest lecturer for a group of 3rd graders extolling on them the evils of our company about how coming here will stunt their growth? I mean, I know she was messing up and referring to the kid's parents, but how many of them are going to want to see their kid bringing home a note from some other kid's lunatic mom over something like this. I bet if it happened the school would be hearing back from some pretty upset parents that a loon like her was allowed to even do that to their kid.
Second, every store has its vengeful customers. But you're in an area of about a half million people and we have one of the best known restaurants in the city for family dining. You mean nothing in the grand scheme of things so don't threaten us unless you can actually pull it off.
Third, if the manager says it's company policy, then end of discussion. Because when I checked into it, you lied to me. You weren't arriving just past 4pm, you arrived over half an hour past four, when the grill was already being used to cook other items. So no, we're not going to change out our items just to satisfy your inane comfort. I'm glad now I never was friendly to you when I said goodbye. If someone else saw him getting pancakes, they could rightfully ask for some too. And we'd have to allow it, something which I'd agree he should get. Thankfully the manager there had a spine and didn't cave in. What's the point of having a policy just to break it. We're not a 24 hour breakfast place - if you want that, go somewhere else.
And lastly, because this is where some of you are going to find exception to company policy, just because your kid wants something we're not going to allow does not mean we must follow your demands. We are in business to make money, that's true. And part of that is making the customer happy. BUT we set up policy to allow our business to run smoothly. And you trying to mess with that policy that has worked so well for us in the past and is still working well for us now, is no way to try and get us to come over to your side of the argument.
Your kid is crying and I do feel sorry for him. I don't want a kid to cry. But I don't feel sorry for you parent. You're passing up a great opportunity to try and teach your kid something about life, that it's going to sometimes have its downs amongst all its ups, and that not everything can be gotten from a river of tears. Holding the kid in front of you like a shield isn't going to change things. He's a kid, and if you handle this down moment like a responsible person, he'll rebound from it.
But instead of teaching him this valuable lesson, you think it's better to throw a temper tantrum in the store like a 3rd grader and try demanding and threatening others into getting your way. With this kind of parenting, the kid is going to grow up with a very skewed view on life, that not getting your own way ALL the time is something akin to blasphemy and must be fought at all costs. It's obvious to me that this mother grew up being taught this way, too bad she's around to pass it onto future generations.
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