Like many of us, I got together with family over the holidays. I was visiting with my sister when she said something that caught my attention. She and my niece had decided that they would not accept poor service without taking note of it. She told me about a local Taco Bell that they visit. Typically, they go inside to order a take-out meal for the family. There's a sign that says that if you order a meal, the cashier is supposed to ask you if you want a drink. If they don't, they'll give you the drink for free. According to my sister, what was surprising was that they were getting free drinks every time they went in. It wasn't just one or two cashiers who neglected to ask, but almost all of them. And although they would be happy to drink whatever they had at home, it was foolish not to take the free drinks they had been promised.
(note: the reason the Taco Bell does this is to encourage people to buy drinks. They're a very high profit item for them. So giving away a few drinks is a small price to pay to make sure that the servers remember to ask if you'd like a drink.)
The discussion went on about how my mother had a problem with her bank. She had given a clear instruction and it still got goofed up. Just about everyone there had one story or another about how even the simplest things weren't being done correctly.
I wonder what would happen if everyone did like my sister and niece. They're both polite, mild-mannered people, but they're tired of being treated as if their business wasn't important. I'm generally someone who avoids confrontation, even if I'm pretty sure I'm right. But I think that I'm going to do a little bit more of that myself in 2008. Maybe we all should.
I'd love to know what you think about it. Comments?
