Paying for Bad Service

I'm sick and tired of paying for bad service.

Last year I said I would not return to places that offered bad service and I stuck to most of it, but today after 5 trips to the grocery store and tired, I decided to go get some dinner at a "fast food" establishment.

Another ride in the warm February sun to a place which I will not name. Once inside the door, I saw several white people who had already placed there orders milling about next to several other white people waiting behind the velvet line to order. The counter held two unmanned registers. A long braided hair young black man in a paper hat loaded paper containers for fries. He appears to be busy and though he gazed at the waiting line, continued to load the fry holders. Another black man in a paper hat and a different color shirt walked back and forth, then back and forth, then after filling a cup with drink, disappeared about the corner. The blurry TV monitor hanging over the fry area showed the muted bodies waiting to be recognized. Finally a young black man in another color shirt and paper hat stood at the register. A tall man rattled off his order as he stared at the variety of burger sizes and names. The paper hat man, without a hint of energy, punched buttons asking to clarify each order. A young couple waiting for their order started to make out as two young boys with bicycle helmets and backpacks flinched in anticipation. How long does it take to throw a frozen beef patty on a grill?

I turned and walked out.

Down the street to the next establishment, with similar results.

A large black woman impatiently waited at the counter, coat in hand, dipping her fingers in ketchup and talking to the pacing black shirted man with the headset on. He stepped up to the register as I peered into the glass case viewing one salad and dressing and wondering how man days those greens have lived there. "Can I take your order" he mumbled looking at me with a cell phone pressed to his ear. I stared at the mixed board of overpriced grimy photos of greasy meat on bread, then looked him in the eye and said, " Are you on the phone?" "No, he's on hold", he responded to my chagrin. I waited. He put the phone in his pocket. I placed the order, gave a $20, pocketed the change, and moved around the woman who had still not received her order but continued talking as if everyone need to know what she was thinking. Another black shirt man filled his drink cup while talking across the room to another black shirt woman as she curse the bus for being late. Along the windowed wall sat a young black man with headphones on gobbling down the dripping sandwich. Two brown paper bags were shoved at me across the chrome counter without a "Have a nice day" or "Please come back" or "I don't give a...."

I will not do that again.

I will not pay for inferior quality product and bad service. With the economy the way it is, we don't need this. Good customer service is what makes most of us repeat the experience.

So I bid ado and hope each and every one of you think before you reward a sloven and disrespectful establishment serving the public with less than pleasant and responsible acceptance of hard earned dollars for equal valued product.