Really dumb & rude comments from customers - Page 2

sorry, i'm in a surly mood tonight, as usual i guess

Actually, that's not necessary how it is. "Arrogant tech support monkeys" often laugh to customers because they forget all common sense when it comes to operating computers. There is nothing funny in people who genuinely can not use computers and can admit it. I have seen "arrogant tech support monkeys" explaining basic things to nice old ladies for hours. I have also seen the same monkeys laugh their ass off to arrogant customers' "There's something wrong with the electricity. As a Finnish citizen I'm entitled to get my error messages [bounces from American mail servers] in Finnish. I'm a Senior Engineer so I know these things" -type mails.

See the difference? (disclaimer: of course there are also stupid people in tech support)

I appreciate the attention to the way wine is shipped. So much of what is available in my homestate is ruined by the time it gets to the store, and often the conditions in the store ruin it from there.

I'd like to know where I can find a Montrachet for the same price as a Chablis 1er Cru.
Really.

!luc

If you are ever in or even near Pasadena, go to The Chronicle wine cellar, which is located literally behind Pie n Burger (which makes a great patty melt and still uses the syrup to make their sodas. btw...) There is no sign. But if you look on the railing of the parking lot, and a little American flag is flying, the store is open. Just pop into the parking lot. The store is about the size of a large walk in closet, but the guys really know their stuff, and the prices are about 1/2 of the retail at most wine stores. Plus, half the time, they have a bottle open, and will offer you a taste of whatever it is. The owners are apparently friends with Joe, as in Trader Joe, whose "2 buck chuck", the "Charles Shaw" stuff ranges from rancid to really good, depending on what overstock Joe (and others now, I guess) have been about to find.

For what it's worth, Tom, I read -- and chuckled at -- your original post in the spirit in which it was offered. I didn't see anything offensive about it. Almost any job that involves interacting with "the public" puts one in the position of frequently being frustrated, amused, or both by people's capacity for selfishness, foolishness, etc. Not responding in a churlish or insulting fashion often takes tremendous patience and restraint. Joking about it later - outside the presence of the subjects of the humor and preferably without specific identification of the individuals involved - is a common and naturally way of responding.
JMHO, obviously. But I thought it was pretty damn funny, and I'm glad I got to read it before you removed it.

Perhaps you can extract it from your steeltrap attorney mind and reproduce it for the rest of us? With proper citation, of course.

I feel cheated.

I don't know who you could have offended. My parents used to own a restaurant and some customers just weren't worth having. A lot of the people we met were curtious and nice, but some were a complete pain in the ass for no reason other than they felt they were entitled to act that way because they were paying for a service.

One of the worst ever was this semi-famous quebec singer (can't even remember her name anymore). We had done everything to make her happy and she was until someone decided to park right behind her in the parking lot. She had to get to a show and she freaked out at just about everyone, as though it was our fault. We did what we could but we honestly couldn't call every room in the hotel to see who's car it was, assuming they were even a guest or a patron of the restaurant. We did call a tow-truck, but that takes time. So she threw her little fit and took it out on the staff, despite the fact that the venue for her performance was AT MOST a 3-4 minute (yes that's right, not even 5 minutes) walk from the hotel. Sometimes customers deserve a kick in the ass. Obviously you should be as diplomatic as possible when those situations arise though.

As someone who works with the public pretty much every day, a few assertions:

1) There are a lot of stupid people in this world.
2) There are a lot of entitled and mean-spirited people in this world.
3) These people are spread seemingly at random throughout society, and unfortunately no one group seems to be free of them, by any measure you choose (socioeconomic status, religious/racial/ethnic affiliation, education, political convictions, hair color, eye color, skin color, etc etc etc).

Therefore, in any situation where a person works with the public for any length of time, no matter his/her clientele, s/he will frequently be forced to endure the worst a stupid and/or mean-spirited person can dish out. For those of us who also have to deal with this crap, please, repost! I love hearing other people's war stories.

I'd send it back too. If I order seviche, I expect it to come to me raw. None of this almost raw stuff.

As for the Zinfanel issue, you should point out politely that the Zinfandel was in the "Red Wines" category, and as such, the customer should expect a red wine.

Man, I would be a poor restauranteur. The Basil Fawlty of restauranteurs.

I am sorry I missed it before you removed it as well. Who were you afraid of offending, the Stupid Arrogant Demanding Lobby?

One good one I remember from my restaurant days is the lady who insisted that the votive candle was removed from her table because "it makes the water get warm."

LOL. Perhaps the water was just blushing at the romantic atmosphere?

Heh I ddint know white zinfadel was a red either (We recently had a bottle in my house for a party and was stunned to see it reddish)