friendliness drive

It's both sad and amusing to see places that are normally courteously businesslike in the throes of "be more friendly!" movements. In places where I'm a regular, I'll whisper to the server, "It's OK, I'll tell them you were friendly, just relax." Sometimes I get a baffled look, sometimes there's a conspiratorial smile before they settle into their more comfortable aloofness.

Back when I worked at a job that had company holidays together (and I could bear the idea) we once all went to Club Med in Florida. Everyone's paid to be nice to you at these things--I'm well familiar with that crap, having grown up going to all-inclusives in Jamaica my whole life. But they were so bad at it there.

The gold mine, though, was finding the real bitter bitches, because they were funny. Them we bought alcohol and sat around and kvetched with, and then I made sure to give them really good reports to their bosses, because in the end they were way more fun than any of the people with the poorly pasted on smiles.

Sometimes the right customer service is just making the customer feel at home. And sometimes the customer is a bitch.

P-C, have you watched "The Guild?" It's on Netflix streaming, and I decided to give it a go last night, and it was pretty cute. I ask because there's a most excellent smothering Indian mother, and it made me think of you. It's also pretty cute and geektastic, even though I am not a gamer.

Oh, I love The Guild a lot. I even have the DVDs. Signed. And a signed shirt. If my mom really wanted me to be happy, she would find some way to hook me up with Felicia Day.

Speaking of supermarkets. I will say. In Dallas, the check out/bag folks *always* asked if I wanted a hand out to the car. Rarely did I take them up, usually only if I purchased a lot of jars or liquids. Here in CA, they *never* ask. Not sure if that is regional differences or company differences.

Here in CA, they *never* ask. Not sure if that is regional differences or company differences.

Interesting. I get asked about half the time, usually at Ralphs.

We went to a new burger restaurant a while back where apparently they had told the waitstaff to be extra-special friendly. The waitress--local college student--plunked herself down into the booth next to me and chirped, "So what would you folks like tonight?" I think we were supposed to be charmed. We ordered, she went away, the food was no better than anyplace else, and we told the manager that we were rather appalled that by what the waitress did. The manager gave us some spiel about friendly and fun and all that, and why did we come if we didn't like that sort of thing? Hubby said, "Don't worry, we won't make that mistake again." The manager gulped and gave us free meal coupons.

interesting. It's because you are cuter. Working theory anyway.

I've gotten asked a few times at Safeway.

Maybe I'm shopping at all the wrong stores or something.

The waitress--local college student--plunked herself down into the booth next to me and chirped, "So what would you folks like tonight?" I think we were supposed to be charmed.

That happened at a diner in La Mesa. The woman sat in the booth right across from me and asked what I wanted. It made me feel all special. But then she wasn't my actual server, and my actual server did not make me feel so special.