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Thursday, September 24, 2009

SUBWAY...

So I am in a Subway in The Maritimes. The place was empty except for some very large young men in the corner eating like they havent eaten in days. I felt the same hunger but thought I would never eat like that and look so desperate for food. I probably have done it but I am sure I breath a bit more between bites. I walked to the order spot at the lean/sneeze/touch/breath-on/drop-stuff-on glass guard and waited patiently for service. After watching the three employees chat about 'stuff' and laugh not once, not twice but thrice before one of them turned and served me, I wondered if I was in for what happens to me all the time and that is bad service from a sub-par fat food restaurant. I didnt leave out the 's' in the word fat by the way. At this point, time is irrelevant because at this point its about respect for the customer. I dont expect A-plus service from any Subway or any 'fast food' depot but I do desire respect. As in common sense, everyday, normal respect that would be given to anyone who walked in to a place of service. It was a bad start to what has been a great relationship throughout all their stores.

The good part is coming up,: this isn't a long rant. The Sub Artist turns to me and welcomes me properly (respectfully) and asks me what type of sub etc that I want. So far so good. After he had his water cooler chat with his two co-workers. He thens ruins his recovery with "You want cheddar? Cheddar." The chatter for cheddar was a delay as his eyes wandered the crispy wet chunky veggies belt. He says "cheddar" one more time and looks up like he was just asked about a theory of relativity and says "what color is that?". "Orange" I reply with what I am sure was a look of total disbelief. "Orange" he says as if to repeat it and make sure his brain registered that for the next customer who orders cheddar. "Orange"=cheddar. Cheddar is orange. He got it. I know he got it. Now to the register.

I get to the register and am asked what sub I had. I tell them without hesitation and not that this part matters but he didnt ask me the regular question about up-selling to a combo. As a former service manager, this is important for sales and a part of every employees psyche and curriculum for making the store money. He didnt ask it. Hunh. He does ask me two more times what I had though. Two more. I look up and say Sweet Onion etc etc. I wondered how much weed they had just smoked out back and exactly how many ounces were probably spilled onto my sub? First Chatty Cheddar asks me what color cheddar is and now Freddy Forgets My Sub cant remember 4 words I just said to him 3 times. Wow. So, I do get the combo which includes a drink (apparently of my choosing as I didnt get the usual cup) from the fridge and including all the expensive drinks. I didnt have to get a cheap fountain pop which was nice, so what did I get? Water. I am trying to eat better so I go with water. Boring I know but effective for losing weight. I also waited for my combo part which includes the sub, a drink and a cookie or, in this case, chips; baked chips of course. I didnt get my chips though. Freddy Forgets My Sub stands there chatting with Chatty Cheddar and their third mate for about 30 seconds and I have to say "excuse me, can I have my chips, the Baked Lays I asked for". He tells me they took the chips out back for some reason but I am standing there looking at the display and I point to the rack right beside him. Let me repeat that. Right beside him. Duuuude, they are right there. Right there dude. So I get my Baked Lays with a lot of giggling and apologies and leave with my boring water and Sweet Onion sub and think to myself as I am reading the "baked" word on my chip bag; speaking of baked!