Not long ago, you needed a COVID jab to enter a cafe, pub, or restaurant. Now it seems that we may have to mandate an injection of manners based on some people’s bad behavior.
Ask anyone in the hospitality industry, and they will tell you they have never experienced such rude customer treatment as in the past six months.
At a time when hospo companies face it from all sides—staff shortages, supply difficulties, price hikes, and so on—the last thing they need is customers making an already challenging situation worse.
But that’s exactly what happens.
It’s not uncommon for a restaurant’s service level to be impacted by COVID-related staff absences, whether it’s felt in the dining experience, opening hours, or takeout.
But instead of showing empathy for a stressful situation, there have been many instances where customers immediately went to Google and left a scathing review.
Such reviews hang out on the internet and can have a lasting impact on a company’s ability to attract customers in the future.
Camera IconHospo companies are getting it from all sides right now. Credit: FreeFunArt/Pixabay (FreeFunArt user)
Is that a fair punishment for waiting an extra 10 minutes for your broken avo, or because the wait staff put you down for an espresso martini instead of a lychee martini?
Most hospo companies pride themselves on their customer service; it’s the cornerstone of that industry. Please don’t underestimate how painful a cruel review can be, especially when these companies go out of their way to make us happy.
But this problem goes far beyond the actions of a few keyboard warriors.
Even worse are the customers who personally abuse hospo employees.
She told me about the abuse she received from a client for a few dollars.
In the past, this has been dismissed as Karen’s thing, but that’s a bit short-sighted, not to mention unnecessarily offensive in the stereotype of women of a certain age.
It makes more sense to leave Karen out and call it a Patrick Bateman thing.
By showing such an obvious lack of empathy for small business owners and their staff, you’re much closer to being a total sociopath like the lead character from Bret Easton Ellis’ American Psycho than any Karen I know.
I recently spoke with a buddy who owns a much-loved restaurant in Perth, and she told me about the abuse she had received from a customer for what dollars?
It’s not okay.
ADuringvariDuringandemic, we have been concerned about what life would be like after COVID and how many of our favorite cafes and restaurants may not be there to see it after months of lockdowns and capacity restrictions.
It remains an incredibly difficult time for many of these companies, even as life seems to be returning to normal.
So remember: the customer may always be right, but you don’t have to do an a-hole about it.
