The Customer Is Always Right The customers are responsible for the company’s reason for existing. Good customer service is all about bringing customers back to the business. The business should ensure that they provide a nice, friendly, and professional service to the customer. The essence of good customer service is forming a relationship with the customers by being responsive and outgoing. Easy ways to achieve great customer service is having thorough knowledge of the products you’re selling, treat the customers in a helpful attitude, and help the customers in an efficient and friendly manner. Interacting with customers in a bad tone and ignoring their needs creates bad service, which then taints people’s opinions towards the company no matter how extraordinary it is. I work at a New York style pizzeria by the name of the Garlic Knot. It’s the original location, but recently has franchised out to ten other new owners. I’m mainly a cook so I don’t interact with customers a lot, but on the other hand, I do get to observe how the front staff reacts to different customers in certain situations.

Working in the kitchen is comparable to doing exercises while sweating in a hot sauna. After you’re done sweating and you leave the restaurant, the clothes on your back will stink up the entire room. Smelling of crisp, baked bread; with warm, melting mozzarella cheese and sweet, rich, ripe tomato sauce. That’s what I like to think of it at least. But in reality, it smells of a mixture of too many foods blended together which creates an almost overwhelming smell. One positive side of working in a kitchen, I can no longer starve to death. There is always food by my side, like Batman and Robin.

From the kitchen, I’m able to watch people flow in and out of the restaurant, without having to deal with their complaints. I always observe many people with hungry and excited facial expressions enter the restaurant, then leave with a full belly and a satisfied smile. Of course there are the regulars who are always treated with excellence and respect. They’re the ones that make everyone’s day. But sadly, there are also the bothersome costumers, who are much like the ugly redheaded stepchild that no one cared about.

One night at work, while standing in my corner and cooking the pizzas, I overheard an argument from the front of the house. I turned my head to tune into the conversation and see what the controversy was about. A man had pre ordered a pizza and paid for it over the phone, using the online menu. The short, fat man looked at the menus prices while waiting for his pizza and noticed that the prices were different. Confused, the man confronted the manager, by the name of Forrest. The short man shot a nasty glare at Forrest and the words began to flow out of his mouth in an angry tone. “I ordered a large pepperoni and sausage pizza and paid $14.00, when on the menu is states a large cheese with two toppings is $13.50. Give me my $0.50 cents back!” Forrest proceeded to calmly talk to the fat man as nice as he could, replying with, “The numbers on the computer are going to be the correct total no matter what the menu says. I can’t change anything about it.” The large man disrespectfully called Forrest stupid and asked to speak to the manager. Forrest cracked a big happy grin, and in a well-mannered tone, replied, “Sir, I am the manager.” This angered the plump man. He demanded to shred all the menus because of false advertisement of the $0.25 cent a piece topping increase. Forrest would not let him take the menus because of his aggressive attitude towards him, so the bitter, bulging, buffoon exited the restaurant with his $0.50 cent more expensive pizza in hand.

After the customer had finished making a ruckus and left the vicinity, everyone in the building had a shocked look on their face. As I thought to myself, what the hell is up that guy’s ass? I turned to Forrest, and asked him how he is able to handle people like