MARREN: Don't get my Irish up

Columns

October 18, 2009

By Tim Marren<br><a href="mailto:tim.marren@lockportjournal.com">E-mail Tim</a> The Lockport Union-Sun %26 Journal Sun Oct 18, 2009, 12:34 AM EDT

LOCKPORT — Everyone has pet peeves. Most of mine have to do with customer service and bad drivers. I think most of you would have some similar ones.

At the office, we all joke about Andy Rooney’s weekly

“60 Minutes” segments and how they’re must-see television. You never know what the guy is going to complain about next. One time, we found a video of him complaining there have been no advancement in shoes. Yes, shoes. He talked for 10 minutes about it and likely was paid a good amount of money.

So if you could read this column in your head, using Andy’s whiny voice, here are a few of my not-so-favorite things:

n Whether I’m on a walk with the dog or just passing someone in a hallway somewhere, it bothers me when you make eye contact with someone and say hello, but don’t get even a mutter of “hello” back. Some will even make the eye contact and glare as if you have a third eye because you said hello. If only they used the same amount of energy to respond.

n Drive-thru workers that also aren’t polite bother me. For those who know me, you know Tim Hortons is probably my main, and really only, regular drive-thru experience.

It’s not every instance, believe me, but more and more after I make my order it’s a crapshoot what kind of service you are going to get. There’s no consistency of service.

It’s nothing huge, just when you pull up and they give you your items, there is sometimes little to no communication. As they are handing things to me or when I receive my change or credit card back, I say “thank you.” In many cases, there is silence on the other end.

When you pay, there should be a thank you. I shouldn’t be the one initiating the thank you when I get my change. I made the purchase. I shouldn’t be thanking you for taking my money. I’ll thank you for getting my order right and drive away, but I feel like the courteous train is on a one-way track sometimes at these places.

What’s worse than the window person barely acknowledging you is when they are chatting or singing or just having an full-blown conversation with other co-workers about God knows what right at the window.

Another drive-thru complaint is when you use a credit card and the worker doesn’t ask if you want a receipt. At least give me the opportunity to say no.

n Most of my pet peeves revolve around manners. What bugs me big time is when you hold the door for someone and they don’t say thank you. Or when they breeze right by you as you hold the door for them, jabbering away on their cell phone.

n Another traffic/manners one is where you let someone into a lane and you don’t get a simple wave of thanks from the driver you just let merge.

Tim Marren is the managing

editor of the Lockport Union-Sun

& Journal. Contact him at Tim.Marren@lockportjournal.com

or 439-9222.

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