Einstein's Katy - E=MC---I'm outta here

[bishopsbitter]

I have been a pretty steady customer of olde Einstein's for the past few months but no longer. Two days running I've sat at the bar listening to the staff complain about how boring their day is, owing to the even more boring (my editorial "old duffer") clientele (that would be including myself, although they didn't even bother to keep it out of my earshot) to their young friends. As a pretty good tipper and an extremely low-maintenance and easy-going daytime habitué of late . . . I take offence.

The simple scientific fact is: I'll find somewhere else and won't darken their doorstep again. Let's hope they get an influx of young and exciting people to replace me and to provide adequate excitement for all concerned in afternoons forthcoming.

Thanks for reading.

bishops

[amazinc]

If their management reads your statement, heads will roll. No one in this economy can afford to lose one single customer...good tipper or not..... This staff should have been delighted to have a "regular". Can't say whether or not their training was bad...or they are just bad...or there was no management there to oversee. In any case take your good custom elsewhere and get appreciated, not insulted!!

[roro1831]

Sadly heads probably won't roll immediately. Einstein is probably corporate enough that people just don't get fired. verbal warning, then written warning then fired. The process can take a while.
Then managers in those places who may already work a lot of hours may not get rid of people because it would mean they have to work more, or at least do other jobs and not concentrate on managerial duties and have to put in extra time for those.
I used to work for a chain and would always think long and hard before pulling the trigger and getting rid of someone, since I was working in excess of 60-70 hours a week already.
Customer service is seriously on the decline in most businesses, and hopefully if enough people speak up instead of just leaving and never returning, maybe they can learn something.

I would write a letter, believe me, people really respond when you take the time to actually write them. I have taken to writing letters when customer service isn't good, and management loves the input.

[bishopsbitter]

Thanks both for the feedback. I would not want any heads to roll as I am a pretty decent person and don't have too much wish to see bad things happen to people, but I would want them to take some pride in what they do. Bartending (done right) is a noble enough profession. Done with disdain for your customers, it is anything but. If they collect tips from people like me they have to not expect to be able to express open disdain "in my face." They are welcome to do it in private, but I have not earned any disdain that I know of.

There is a noticeable "generational" component in all this. The daytime habitués tend to be older (40-50-60 something) either by definition of being retired (good) or unemployable in the current climate (not so good).

I have worked for years and "boredom" is a common theme of most work and Einstein's is no exception. However the rudeness of letting me hear that I (and the rest of the people in there) are not somehow providing enough relaxation and interest for the staff is really irksome. As someone without a job myself currently (I guarantee I made a heck of a lot less than they did last year as I made almost zero!) they should be more appreciate of being employed. Old duffers and senility cases notwithstanding. That's my view.

I will never return there.