What is the Service Industry?

Because we live a boring old predictable life we nearly always go across to the Bay Salt cafe in the Village for my one cup of coffee a day. It's pleasant in the abstract to change things up occasionally and take a walk on the wild side and try somewhere else. Laurence and Avril know how we like things and are very good to us, and we have been going there for years, so it's quite a shock to suddenly be anonymous.

Today we wanted to take Zig on the Monorail. He could remember going on it when he was a little boy and we lived in the TALL HOUSE, (apartment), so we combined morning tea and our silly little trip.

Maddison's in Broadbeach made our coffee today and good coffee it was, but the service, well it was non-existent. There was an initial language barrier which was not helped by the flirting between staff, and once the order was made, I hopped back to that table with one bit of cake, and then went back to ask for some water. No response apart from a finger pointing and more flirting, no not with me, with the girlie who thought there would be 5 FIVE shots of coffee in a mug. I carried the 3 glasses of water back around to the table by which time the coffees were made and sitting waiting for, yeh you guessed it, me to carry them to the table. The prices are pretty steep, and so really a bit of service would not be over the top. I guess they figure they are only catering for tourists so who gives a shit, they wont be back anyway.

Before I got to the coffee shop, I returned a belt for Steve and the whole process could not have gone more smoothly. Now there was some customer service worth crowing about. The staff at Witchery Broadbeach are fabulous. Thanks very much.

As I was heading over to meet Steve and Zig for our mid-morning treaties, I came across a bloke having a chat to a parking warden. The bloke was being very polite, I am guessing he might always be so, unless he has learned to dial it back when speaking to public servants, oh dear there's that word. There's been a change in the meters I have mentioned previously, and the conversation was about the shortcomings of the new system. Beggars belief that the whinge is not about the exorbitant price-hike. Anyway Joe Public said calmly, 'You need to make the numbers clearer on the bays.' I am sure he didn't mean This warden personally, but offence was taken, and the voice was raised, ' I don't have to do anything! Write a letter!' so the warden stormed off down the street and happily Joe just picked up his pace and walked along side carrying on a calm conversation. I suppose the warden was pissed off. I wondered why they can't be trained to be more pleasant. They could at the very least carry some cards with complaint  procedures clearly outlined, and this could diffuse some angry exchanges, and would have I reckon been well received by Joe today.

The Monorail ride was OK, not full of the heightened excitement of Zig's babyhood, but a fun bit of silliness on Zig's last day at the Big House. Next week I need to share him with other Grands.

The 2 boys finding their style on the Monorail.