An ode to service...
Wasn't it a hot night last night. I found it hard to sleep. I think the air conditioner is aging and needs replacing. My brother -in -law had a birthday the other day and last night was the first chance we had to celebrate. We went to Lone Star steakhouse and found the food to be excellent. I looked on the website before leaving and found what I thought to be a great special, that kids eat free on Tuesdays and was really pleased. It would save me $20 odd bucks for Denzel's meal. Fine, in we sit and as I am ordering, I mention the offer to the waitress (waitron - is the new name I have been told is non gender specific and non discriminatory! what the ? ), anyway, once I mentioned the offer, the waitress gave me the look that says you have no idea what you are talking about and when I was adamant that I had seen the offer she beckoned to the manager, a young lady came to the table and looked condescendingly at me with that smile that says "You are wrong, I am right and so you are plum out of luck!" at first her response got me angry, but I paused quietly and then said, "excuse me have I done something wrong, have I been rude or have I offended you?" she responded, "no, why?" I said simply "because if I am not mistaken, you are condescending to a customer and all I am saying is that I saw the offer on line seconds before coming here". I can imagine she hates me, but I just wanted to understand why I was getting the response I did, if Idid nothing to offend her, and I was ensuring nothing in my behaviour warranted the response. As it turns out we were both correct. I had searched the internet and simply typed in Lone Star steaks and sure enough there was the website with the kids offer...but on closer examination it was for the U.S. Lone star. ....oops! This was discovered when I returned home.
So the offer was NOT available on the Australian website. I am eating a slice of humble pie now. I do wonder however, where the term "service" has gone. All it would have taken to rescue my respect, and dignity is to have said simply sir, Craig - as they have my name and details on computer as I walk in, whatever, we are not aware of that offer, but would it be possible to print that off when you get home?, and if we have been in error please let us know tomorrow and we will refund the amount of the kid's meal. Enjoy your Meals! Welcome back, it is great to see you here again.
I ask you is that too much to say? Or is it too much to ask for words like that? Make no mistake, I am not asking perfection of them, as they could expect it of me in reverse for which I would dismally fail. I am just saying, where has the courtesy and kindness gone? It is a dying art in this country it would seem in my limited experience.
I say this country primarily because in America they get paid on tips, as their wages for waiters are much, much lower and so courtesy will determine how much money they get. I don't ascribe a reversal of wages or conditions for people in Australia, but please bring back the courtesy and respect for patrons. I had the same thing walking into a retail store the other day, I stood quietly and politely as an attendant glanced up at me and continued talking. I waited, quietly further and then the phone rang, he glanced at me and and after some almost 10 minutes of me waiting another sales person approached me and asked if I was OK. I was grateful and proceeded on with my business. I fully appreciate the guy was busy, but not even an acknowledgment or I am with a customer sir, be with you in just a moment. I knew it was not a customer because I could see him laughing and covering the handset, but again, I don't require perfection of him, but it is a growing trend that even other people are chatting about to me on odd occasions and so I offer this lament to Service, a kind and aging friend we so often took for granted. It is however, blossoming at Timeline Photography!!!
The other day many people in the photographic Industry left Sydney and headed to Las Vegas for the International PMA - Photo Marketing Association's biggest show held in Las Vegas. Obviously I am not there, but I was there for the last one, and I really liked Vegas for a visit. It is a giant theme Park. I thought I would share some pictures I took there.
This is the Belagio Hotel/ Casino and has Dancing Fountains set to music playing differently every 20 minutes at night and it is mesmerising and beautiful. Check this You Tube clip out! The music and water show changes every performance!. Just wonderful to watch.
This is a view of the Vegas "Strip" from the Paris Hotel / Casino Eiffel Tower, a 50% smaller Exact replica of the real one I have been on. The green building to the left is the MGM Grand Hotel/ Casino and boasts 5,500 beds. everything seems bigger there...and it is!
Lastly, this is my personal favourite, the Venetian Hotel/ Casino based and constructed as though it was imported from Italy itself. They even have gondoliers paddling and singing through a man made aqueduct INSIDE the hotel, with a painted roof that gives you the open air feel as though it is late afternoon, and I was there at two in the morning. It is an amazing place to visit. I found this brief You Tube sample of a Gondolier singing, note the architecture around him, all italian, and the blue sky and clouds above him are all painted on a huge ceiling, and it does look real. I swear if you stare at it and walk ever so slowly it appears that the clouds move, or was that just because I was sleepy.:0)
So the offer was NOT available on the Australian website. I am eating a slice of humble pie now. I do wonder however, where the term "service" has gone. All it would have taken to rescue my respect, and dignity is to have said simply sir, Craig - as they have my name and details on computer as I walk in, whatever, we are not aware of that offer, but would it be possible to print that off when you get home?, and if we have been in error please let us know tomorrow and we will refund the amount of the kid's meal. Enjoy your Meals! Welcome back, it is great to see you here again.
I ask you is that too much to say? Or is it too much to ask for words like that? Make no mistake, I am not asking perfection of them, as they could expect it of me in reverse for which I would dismally fail. I am just saying, where has the courtesy and kindness gone? It is a dying art in this country it would seem in my limited experience.
I say this country primarily because in America they get paid on tips, as their wages for waiters are much, much lower and so courtesy will determine how much money they get. I don't ascribe a reversal of wages or conditions for people in Australia, but please bring back the courtesy and respect for patrons. I had the same thing walking into a retail store the other day, I stood quietly and politely as an attendant glanced up at me and continued talking. I waited, quietly further and then the phone rang, he glanced at me and and after some almost 10 minutes of me waiting another sales person approached me and asked if I was OK. I was grateful and proceeded on with my business. I fully appreciate the guy was busy, but not even an acknowledgment or I am with a customer sir, be with you in just a moment. I knew it was not a customer because I could see him laughing and covering the handset, but again, I don't require perfection of him, but it is a growing trend that even other people are chatting about to me on odd occasions and so I offer this lament to Service, a kind and aging friend we so often took for granted. It is however, blossoming at Timeline Photography!!!
The other day many people in the photographic Industry left Sydney and headed to Las Vegas for the International PMA - Photo Marketing Association's biggest show held in Las Vegas. Obviously I am not there, but I was there for the last one, and I really liked Vegas for a visit. It is a giant theme Park. I thought I would share some pictures I took there.
This is the Belagio Hotel/ Casino and has Dancing Fountains set to music playing differently every 20 minutes at night and it is mesmerising and beautiful. Check this You Tube clip out! The music and water show changes every performance!. Just wonderful to watch.
This is a view of the Vegas "Strip" from the Paris Hotel / Casino Eiffel Tower, a 50% smaller Exact replica of the real one I have been on. The green building to the left is the MGM Grand Hotel/ Casino and boasts 5,500 beds. everything seems bigger there...and it is!
Lastly, this is my personal favourite, the Venetian Hotel/ Casino based and constructed as though it was imported from Italy itself. They even have gondoliers paddling and singing through a man made aqueduct INSIDE the hotel, with a painted roof that gives you the open air feel as though it is late afternoon, and I was there at two in the morning. It is an amazing place to visit. I found this brief You Tube sample of a Gondolier singing, note the architecture around him, all italian, and the blue sky and clouds above him are all painted on a huge ceiling, and it does look real. I swear if you stare at it and walk ever so slowly it appears that the clouds move, or was that just because I was sleepy.:0)
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