Thank You but thats REALLY not necessary

[NOVA Lady]

Hi all

I have had 2 experiences lately that make me feel as though when I say thanks, but its really not needed that people don't think I am serious or worry I am upset anyhow... let me give you the experience.

1. I was at Starbucks yesterday ordering myself a mocha and my SO (who was still at work so he needed it!) a drink as well. Apparently the cashier misheard me, or I mispoke, or whatever and when my Venti Skim Mocha came out it was in fact and *iced* drink though I had ordered a hot. Since there were other people around I didn't realize it was mine and kept waiting (5 minutes, max). When it was clear of other people they asked me what I was waiting for and I let them know, and they said the iced drink was mine.

So I took the iced mocha not caring all too much and the barista apoligized profusely but I laughed it off and let her know I'd never tried and iced and I might like it even more (and actually I do). However she wouldn't let it go and offered me a gift card (I said no thank you, its not a big deal REALLY). Well apparently she has slipped the gift card for a free drink in my pocket while I was fiddling with my drinks. I don't want to seem like a grumbly customer. I wasn't unhappy and definetly not upset. Come on, I got a drink mostly correct, who cares?

2. Me and SO were eating dinner at a nicer restuarant. We ate, we paid, we left a tip and went home. 2 days later I was looking at my bank account online and noticed that only the money for the actual bill was taken out of the account but not the tip I left (almost 20 bucks so probably not insignificant for the server, I have been there myself!). So on my lunch hour I dropped by the place with my copy of the reciept and let them know about the mistake. It turns out the server had lost the signed copy so couldn't get his tip, but when I came back he would be able to get it. So we were all happy. However, the manager wanted to give me something for my "trouble" and even though I again told him it wasn't necessary he gave me a certificate for an amount that means free dinner/bottle of wine!


Are most customers in this world so out of control and mean towards managements and even the smallest of infractions that this is just what is done? Could I have somehow given the impression that I was upset? Should I just take everything offered to me even though I am not an unhappy customer or disgruntled in anyway?

I hope this doesn't sound stupid. I can understand wanting to make an unhappy customer happy. But I am a happy customer, I don't want to give the impression I'm not and freebies are necessary for me to return.

Thanks all-

[Sterling]

You sound like me!!  I'm am always like "No don't worry.  Its nothing" and end up with free stuff.

Its God's reward for being nnice to people!

[Suze]

Maybe the first person was gratefull that you didn't pull the screaming "this is not what I ordered" act that she just couldn't take no for an answer on the gift card?  

It seems that there are so many on "them" out there that the one who doesn't complain stands out and they want to recognise and say "thank you"

as for the second experience I am sure that you shocked the manager.  Given that it was two days later.

Even if you don't think that you need compensation for these things you must accept them graciously in the spirt in which they are intended.

[platys]

One of the few joys a service worker has is the ability to hand out perks to deserving folks.  So, take them graciously.

[Clara Bow]

Some companies insist that cashiers, etc give gift cards etc for mistakes. The chain drug store from the depths of hell that I worked for insisted that we give gift cards, even if the customer refused, even if we had to hit them with a tazer and staplgun it to them. Part of the reason for that practice is that there are people who will say no problem, then call back later freaking out and claiming that no one offered them any sort of compensation and demanding an even bigger pay out than the one they would have gotten. It doesn't happen often, but believe me it does happen.
Same thing with accident reports. Even if you just barely stump your toe, we have to fill out an accident report. If you decide to sue (and you wouldn't believe what people have sued us for ) and we have no report, we get screwed.

[baconsmom]

Are most customers in this world so out of control and mean towards managements and even the smallest of infractions that this is just what is done?

Short answer? Yes.

When I was in service, I was yelled and screamed at by people for the most asinine things. So often so that when something went wrong and a customer was actually understanding, I would always try to reward their good behavior. Often it was just a small discount or free refill or something similar, but enough to let those good customers know how much I appreciated not being treated like dirt just because I was on the other side of the counter (or apron).

So enjoy the fruits of your politeness, and know that the service people you encounter will be singing your praises long after you've gone.

[VorFemme]

Are most customers in this world so out of control and mean towards managements and even the smallest of infractions that this is just what is done? Could I have somehow given the impression that I was upset? Should I just take everything offered to me even though I am not an unhappy customer or disgruntled in anyway?

From the way I have been treated when I smiled, thanked someone for trying to help, and prepared to head to my next stop - the CHEERFUL, POLITE customer is always courted.  I don't know if "we" are all that rare - but "we" are certainly prized around this time of year!

Reminds me - I haven't finished my holiday shopping.  I had planned to do holiday sewing & crafting - but time got away from me...........

At least the house in Georgia has sold and I will not be spending any more time running back and forth between two houses!  Perhaps I should just start the 2007 Crafting Session early........

I'm trying to decide whether to go with cash and taking the neices shopping when we see them this weekend or trying to see what I can find in the two days until we head to "Grandma's House" to meet them (for some reason - most families call it Grandma's house even if Grandpa is still there.............I wonder why?). 

[ZipTheWonder]

I was buying gift cards in Starbucks yesterday and the computer/registers were painfully slow.  The barista offered me a free drink, and then took the orders of both people behind me in line and didn't charge them.  I didn't take the drink, because I wasn't there for a drink and hadn't ordered one, but both people in line thanked her and left a nice little tip.

I really, really like when companies extend this flexibility to their employees.  It empowers them to give very good service -- not just when they are correcting a problem -- and it means virtually every customer (excepting the biggest of hags) can leave feeling good about their experience.  It makes good business sense to over-correct customer service problems.  There is obviously a Starbucks corporate culture about this.  Good for them!  I love that place....and I can't stand coffee.

[avonlea29]

I agree that you should accept graciously. As someone who has worked in both retail and the food service industry and as the dd of a man who has waited tables for over 20 years, we are MUCH more likely to go the extra mile, give freebees, etc. for a polite customer.

[dawbs]

Accept it, and realize the person giving it to you is GLAD to have the ability to give the freebie to a customer who deserves it instead of the screaming person :-)

(and I once ordered a hot drink and got iced at my local coffee place (now out of business...and I got the wrong drink because I had to wake up the barista who was sleeping in the booth on Sunday AM...I did it every Sunday  ) and discovered that I really liked ice coffee.  who knew?  'twas a great discovery :-)

[Lisbeth]

I'd just accept the freebie rather than look the gift card in the mouth. 

We hear so many tales of bad customer service and refusals to take responsibility for errors that when I hear that a customer service person actually does this, it makes me happy that they are offering a sweetener.

There is an exception: When my older brother and SIL's second daughter was born, my brother took pictures of the family on the day of the birth.  These were their first pictures as a complete family (at the time-they have since had a son).  My brother took those pictures to be developed and the lab lost the pictures.  They offered him free film, but given how important these photos were to my brother and his family, and how painful the loss was, he didn't accept the offer.

[graceh9]

this is your karmic reward for not being a jerk -- I have been upgraded on
planes and given special treatment like this before too -- I think that people
in service positions are so often treated badly that they like to be nice to
people who are not treating them badly

[kherbert05]

I agree that in the OP situations, she should just accept the offers.

Some people are required to refuse.

My Dad had certain restrictions of things he could accept from restaurants (TABC Rules), because he was a beer distrubutor. When offered free stuff, he would explain he couldn't accept. A couple of times the server was insistant. A quiet word with the manger took care of the problem - without the server being punished.

[Musicwoman]

We recently had a similar experience while buying Blossom (my daughter)'s Christmas present.  My MIL (who lives far distant) had sent me some money to buy Blossom the cosmetics she wanted.  We went into the packed store and found an assistant.  15-year old Blossom was quiet, polite and respectful while telling the assistant what she wanted.  We walked out with our $65 worth of cosmetics...and freebies worth at least $50 because the assistant thought Blossom was "such a sweetie".

Blossom has a long history of being given freebies by retail staff because she's so polite.  She sometimes feels bad about it, worrying that people may think she's being nice just to get stuff.  I reply no, she's being nice because it's the right thing to do.  And sometimes the righteous receive their just reward.

Your civility has made the day nicer for a retail slavey who may have had to deal with appalling customers all day.  They wish to reward you for it.  Say "Thank you!" and enjoy your free drink.   

[Reika]

I'll toss in my two cents here.

Thankfully it's been ages since I've last worked retail hell, but I've done far more CSR work in call centers than I care to think about and most of the folks I've dealt with tend to be surly at the least. Most of the time I can't blame them for being upset, but I do mind when they start getting personal when I'm just trying to find out what their issue is (Yeah, I know, not supposed to take it personal, kind of hard to do when someone is calling you unpleasant names just for asking "How can I help you?"). So when I do get a pleasant customer I go out of my way to help them and them what I can as my way of saying "thank you for being understanding with me". Not that I didn't help the unpleasant ones, I just went out of my way when I didn't have to for the nice ones.

On the flip side I've had other CSR types do the same for me. The most outstanding one was when I was taking my mother out to TGIF (it's probably our favorite restaurant chain) for dinner and mom went to the bathroom. She came back really quickly saying that the bathroom was "gross" but looked like the mess had just been made, so we nicely let our waitress know. The manager himself came over to thank us for letting them know about the situation and gave us two tickets for free appetizers partly for the inconvience of not being able to use the bathroom and for being nice about the situation.