Cashiers and Customer Service

In America, the customer's always right? Right?

In Europe, if you don't like the service, options, or policies; TOO BAD! Find a different company. See if we care.

I've gotten used to this style of living. I don't purchase anything on a whim if I know it can't be returned. Returns are rarely available. I don't complain if my food is half-cooked. I don't call a manager about the way the bus smells. It's a fact of life.

When I was in America everyone wanted to take me out to eat for my favorite foods. This sounded like a good idea when I first arrived but I realized almost immediately that there is one problem with restaurants; Waitstaff. My brother-in-law pointed out to me that I used to be one of these people. I'm sorry.

It always especially bothers me when an 18 or 19 year old kid calls me "hun" every time she stops at the table. During a meal that lasted 45 minutes, she came to the table 8 times with her high pitched perky voice asking things like, "Does the food look good? Do you think my ponytail is too tight? If I was a pie what flavor would I be?"

In Russia we hardly ever eat out. It's always too expensive, always bad service, and usually disappointing. We cook in. When we do eat out, it takes 20 minutes to find your waitress, 10 minutes to order, and then she brings the food. After that, you look around or bring your money to the counter and try to figure out how much you owe because your waitress is MIA. It's not this way in every restaurant, but many.

At the grocery store in Moscow, I must have a face that says 'dangerous' because every time I check out, the cashier calls a security guard over to stand at the end of my lane. While I feverishly unload, bag, and reload my goods, the cashier scowls at me and looks annoyed. Several times throughout the transaction she may subtotal the bill for me and point to the numbers, figuring I can't possibly have enough money to pay for all this. She's always glad when it's over.

This is how the supermarket skit played out in USA.

Cahiser: Oooh, makin' pizza tonite, huh?

Me: Yes.

Cashier: You know I was at my brother-in-law's neighbor's house, and he made pizza with spinach and garlic, have you ever heard of that?

Me: Yes, it's quite good actually.

Cashier: Well I wouldn't eat anything healthy on my pizza. That's just wrong. Are you hanging out with friends?

Me: (wishing I had chosen the less obnoxious, automatic self-serve lane). Yes.

Cashier: do you have our special store card that saves you 50% on everything so you can get bonus points and free offers and all kinds of neato stuff?

Me: No. I don't live here. Thanks anyway.

Cashier: ooooh, you're from out of town. Where ya comin' from?

You get the idea. Why can't I just pay for my stuff and leave? Maybe I am cold hearted, but I just don't want to be best friends with the cashier. I know, I know...they're just being friendly.

If you are a cashier or a server, please don't be hurt by my pondering. Americans seem to love this kind of behavior. I must have too, at one time. I know one thing for sure, I don't anymore.

Further proof today of non-customer service in Moscow. I haven't had internet for two days. When I finally reached somebody at the office, they informed me that there is a bad cable in my area which needs to be replaced. I said, "Are they replacing it?" Her diplomatic answer, "Our service department is aware of the problem." Pretty sure I won't be getting a credit on my account for this one. Oh, well. At least she didn't tell me about her day.