Something a bit weird and discounts

Right. I have worked at Pizza Hut for erm...well...ages. So you do recognise customers, and I would say, especially on evening/night shifts about 25% of customers are, 'regulars'. Occasionally if I go into Asda or Sainsburys on the way home, you will see a customer or two you served earlier. But it less frequent to see them, at other random times.

There is a customer, who comes in with his wife and 2 little kids. They've been coming in for over a year. The reason I remember them, is because his kids are the spitting image of him.

So, it must have been a Wednesday I served them. Then on the Thursday, I was in Matalan (sent on an errand looking for mugs) - and there they were, the family, in Matalan. Ok, so that's just coincidence. Then, on Friday - who do I see again, the dad - in McDonalds eating breakfast!

We were sitting on opposite tables, and we got locked into eye contact. I knew who he was, and he recognised me (from the 2 previous days!)...I didn't know whether to say anything, or smile, or look away or what. So I did a small smile and that was that.

Then, on Saturday - on the way home - sitting at traffic lights. Jesus christ who is sitting next to me - him and family!! The lights changed before we both clocked on to who we were glancing at, so there was no awkwardness that time.

I just find that very weird, but total coincidence - I saw the same man and family, four times in a row. How does that happen?


And discounts...

"Do I get a discount cos I work at...?"
"We used to but not anymore, sorry"

Then the mother, I think, piped up:

"Haha - you mean you don't know how to do it on the till"
"No, we don't do it anymore because not many places gave us discount"
"Prove it!" (She was being light hearted)
"I'll read you the discount options to tease you then!!"

I read about 6 before she got the point, but there were 12 more I could have gone through if needed.

Her daughter seemed totally embarrassed:
"Oh my god mum I have to work here, you're so embarrasing, you've embarrassed him too!!"
Mother: "Are you embarrassed?!"
"Ha, I find it quite funny really, so not too fussed!"
"See - he ISN'T embarrassed"

HA!

30 minutes ironing for £5 when using Pizza Hut Delivery

Pizza Hut on 1st April launched a new service, where you can order 30 minutes of ironing and vacuuming for £5, completed by the delivery driver when you order for delivery. Not bad.

But the funny thing is, that was the "internal" April fools joke. And at the bottom it had a number that stores could ring about arranging training for the service. They actually had phone calls to this number and the next day - they had to send a memo confirming that yes, it was an April fool.

However, if you are registered with Pizza Hut you may get a mail shot with a picture of a delivery driver ironing and cleaning as it's part of their latest marketing campaign.

And I have another what could be seen as an April fool, but what a customer actually claimed he was going to do. Pizza Hut have got the name Pasta Hut, but this man is going to get "Samosa Hut".

The conversation went like this:

"You're always changing the menu!"
"Oh .."
"Not like KFC - I've been eating them 30 years, you know where you stand with them"
"Ha, we're actually part of the same company"
"Really?"
"Yes".

He ranted on a bit more, about how there are always tiny differences each time he comes and then said

"You know what I'm gonna do, right, I'm gonna start SAMOSA HUT"
"Right?"
"Yeah - I'm just waiting for somewhere I can start it, have you ever had a samosa?"
"Only ones from a supermarket"
"WHAT? Not that rubbish, I'm on about proper Indian shit, proper massive good filling samosas!"
"Sounds nice !!"
"Yeah, I'll be a millionaire"
"I'll look out for you then!"

"It's the law..."

Some crank today came up with a new law about drinking water. We do not have free drinking water available. The taps we have are either, the toilet, hand wash sink or pot wash sink. You don't want to drink water from there.

But this woman said that "It is the law that all restaurants have free drinking water". I explained the above, but she continued that it was "The law". Is this the law? I'm pretty sure it isn't.

She was also one of those helpful, but unhelpful customers. Towards the end of the night, the cleaners turn the bins round, so customers should just leave their rubbish on the tables. Some customers like to be helpful and dispose of their own rubbish, but that isn't possible at night. But, some decide they will use the empty, clean, with no bin bag in, bins.

New Blog

In case you haven't seen this:

Tesco Scapegoat

It's a retail blog...with everyones favourite subject, customers!!

Smile!

We are continually losing points on our mystery shoppers because we aren't giving "genuine smiles".

Now...surely if we are being told to smile genuinely, that isn't genuine? It's impossible to do it without smirking. A personal service to me, is loads better than a brand standard smile, hello, and come again....but that's what they want.

So from now on:

Massive smile and greeting
Deadpan face while serving, no conversation (no points for smiling during the transaction)
Massive smile and "Come again"

Not genuine, but that is what they are asking for.

We have new menus, which are loads better than the old ones - but they forgot to change one of the sections, so that looks odd, but you can't expect them to get it right!