For all of you guys who have spoken with me or worked with me over the last six months or so, you will know that I am working in the service industry. I have been working in the bar section of a function centre. It has been quite enjoyable and you do meet interesting people.
However some of you may have heard my rant about the service industry in New Zealand but for you people who haven't heard it, let me summarise it for you.
When you go to a supermarket or petrol station in New Zealand the people behind the counter will ask you "How's your day been?" They say it with about as much enthusiasm as a rotten grapefruit shows and I leave the shop with a bad taste in my mouth.
Why do they do this? Do they think by asking this they are enhancing the whole experience for me? If they believe that then they are about as dumb as the aforementioned grapefruit.
Admittedly I think that these part time workers are been told to ask these inane questions by the powers that be in their respective companies. So are the suits the stupid ones? Probably.
What are the solutions? I can think of a few.
1. Say nothing. Just smile.
2. With the same smile give them a big "hello" or "g'day" or "hi" and go about your business of getting them a drink or putting their groceries through the till in silence with that smile on your face.
3. If you desperately want to use your practiced "Hows' your day been?" Look the customer in the eye and ask it as if you mean it and if they give an answer, FOLLOW UP with a different question RELEVANT to what they said. HAVE A CONVERSATION.
4. Joke with the customer. "This is the second time today that you have come here and bought oranges. Is there something that I don't know about oranges that I should?" (Remember with these kind of things, it isn't what you say but how you say it.)
5. Ask a serious question about what they have bought. "I see you have that. I'm not exactly sure how that works. What are you using it for?" (Unless they are having a shitty day, they will answer.)
6. When I'm behind the bar I will ask about some item of jewelry or clothing. More often than not they will be more than happy to talk about something specific about them that you have noticed. (Who doesn't like talking about themselves?)
7. Ask something specific about their day. For example, I work at a horse race track. I will ask the customers how their betting is going for the day or the other day I asked a question about jockeys or you can ask the owners about their horse. They will love to talk about it. It's their horse after all.
8. If you are a guy you could do some flirting. You never know how far you can go with that one. (A few months ago I was talking to a couple of females and they said point blankly in front of me, "Is he flirting with us?" They seemed quite taken aback by it but my thinking is if you are caught then you mustn't be doing it vey well.
9. Ask a general question about what is going on in the world. They may have an opinion or they may not and if they don't you may just have caught them on a bad day or they have lost all of their money on a horse who came in 5th.
10. Ask for some advice from the customer. They are usually more than willing to help. I have problems with champagne bottles and ginger beer bottles. Customers are usually more than happy to help you
If you don't agree with me on these points then tell me how you would answer if someone said "How's your day been?" like they are a half sucked lolly.
Remember that not everyone is going to want to converse with you. Whether they are grumpy that day or look down upon you as service scum the least you should do is smile and brush it off and think that it is there lose that they don't want to brighten up their day with an interaction with you.
Good luck!!!
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