Friday, June 4, 2010

Can business owners fire themselves?

You know how some things in life are just funny even if they're not really supposed to be funny?

Like C.A.'s post below and how a couple people completely blew her post our of proportion and took her tone a lot more seriously then it should have. C.A. didn't really find it funny. But I thought it was amusing.

Well, that's how I usually react to things.

I could talk about the time when I convinced my dad to teach my how to drive and he takes me to our local mosque/masjid's parking lot (think Muslim version of Church). It' some random day and there's not a car in sight.. Of course my dad thinks I can't do any damage, I'm only driving 15 mph. But then it happens. Oddly enough, I got confused in that BIG, EMPTY, parking lot and can't figure out which way to turn, even though there was only one direction to go in, and hit ....get this...A TREE

Yeah, I hit a tree. Complete with my dad yelling and everything. I swear I think that tree was following me around just so I would crash into it. Anyways, I started laughing...what kind of an idiot runs into a tree at almost 10 mph in a BIG, EMPTY, parking lot...the kind, that is me.

My dad, doesn't find the LOL in the moment and starts yelling at me more and then steps up his yelling when we find a dent in the car.

Anyways, I was 16, thank God that tree doesn't follow me around anymore.

Funnier thing is I'll go around telling people about moments like these cuz I think they'll lol with me or at least find it amusing, and this brings me to my other story:

Let's make my story short, I walk into a restaurant with a friend, waitress comes, I ask her about one of the dishes on the back of the menu, and she describes it to me saying that it "comes on a bed of rice", I think for a moment "Oh I thought it was a sandwich..I guess not". My food comes, first a salad and I'm just pleasantly surprised at the portion and then the food.
All the while I'm thinking, wow these people are really generous with their food. But I never even eat anything past the salad.

My bill comes, I'm being charged twice the amount that was on the menu..Confused, I get my menu to confirm the price. Yep, I didn't imagine it. I ask my waitress and she says that she brought me the dinner entree. And I ask her why did she do that when I was pointing at the back of the menu when I ordered. She apologizes to me for that but then says "I assumed you understood when I asked about the salad"

Obviously, I didn't. For some reason I decide "I'm going to take a stand on this" so I tell her that I am not paying for something I didn't order especially if I was POINTING to her my order(Now normally I would have just paid it after some arguing but something that day just was telling me No)

She talks to the owner of the restaurant, comes back and tells me that he said that I have no choice but to pay the bill.

Now, I'm following my random, but new found determination to 'take a stand' ..Shouldn't restaurants be more accommodating or understanding like, yes it was both of our faults we'll compromise...that sort of thing? Customer might not always be right, but it was AT LEAST half their fault for the confusion.

I go to talk to the owner...First thing he does...is tells me he doesn't care, then he cuts me off, then cuts me off again, and again, then brushes me aside, then the cutting thing, then walks away from me.
I got annoyed and the poor guy didn't realize this but his rude reactions triggered an automatic response in me that makes me stubborn as a brick wall.

He comes back, he's willing to compromise a little, upon MY suggestion... stupid, he charges me for the salad I ate and for the dish I wanted to order, but it was too late cuz when he had walked away from me something in me just went off.
@%*@&$#%&!!

And I basically told him No.

At the end, he was yelling, I was standing, a waitress kept showing up and displaying her disapproval of me, other customers were glancing over and then I was told to leave the restaurant..in a very loud, angry way.

Now THAT was a first.

Along with some other things that basically said that he didn't want to see my face or hear my voice and he didn't need me to pay anything. And even took my bill away...

I tried smooth talking...apparently I sucked at that...really sucked. But I was so proud of myself for not losing my temper. I even apologized to him or would have if he hadn't cut me off again.

Me and my friend tipped the waitress, randomly estimated our bill ( I only paid a guess-estimate amount for the salad) left it on the table, and walked out.

All in all, it was a very amusing situation. At the moment I felt proud for 'taking a stand' and especially for not losing my temper. I didn't yell once. I think. Either way, if I had lost my temper and trust me on this, it would not have been a pretty sight.

After we left it was an amusing moment for me, but later on, I actually tossed and turned and wondered if I did the right thing. I made a man a barely knew incredibly angry, got his employees upset, made other people uncomfortable just for the sake of what?

I dunno. I keep trying to figure out what would have been the right thing to do Islamically and I got differing opinions from my parents.
My mom says that while I did a good thing not getting angry, I should have just paid the money if I saw he was getting upset.

My dad says that I did the right thing and should have even taken up the owner's offer (or threat) and not paid them anything because of their rudeness.

So the whole thing was amusing and even funny at times, but my mom and dad failed to see the amusement in it. There was even a funny point when the owner was yelling at me and he said, "WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO? GIVE YOU FOOD FOR FREE? I'LL LOSE MY JOB!"

And I said, "First of all, of course you won't lose your job, you're the owner"

lol

CC, out

P.S. The owner didn't lol at my comment.

P.P.S. While I might have been wondering whether I did the right thing Islamically, I would be MORE than happy to see your guys' opinions on whether you think I did the right thing. Ciao.

13 comments:

Farnnay said...

lol. i didnt know the story about you hitting a tree. hahaha.

did you EAT the fatoosh?

lol.

mint.fresh.muslim said...

HILARIOUS! Good on you for standing your ground and maintaining your cool! Must remember to do the same if the sitaution ever arises, nice work ;-)

Muslim Girl said...

Haha lol. I totally agree with your dad.. the owner/employees were rude, and weren't following the rule that the "customer is always right" - ESPECIALLY considering it wasn't your mistake.

I think you did the right thing. Islam asks people to stand up for what is right.

Little Ms Blogger said...

I like how the tree was following you around the parking lot. I think my father had the fear I'd have my own tree and sent me to driving school (or it could be that I told my sister I had been on the road driving and got behind the wheel and hit a parked car).

I think you took the right action in the restaurant although I openly admit, I probably would have backed down and paid the bill.

Soda and Candy said...

Hahaha, here's to "finding the LOL in the moment".

I cannot stand bad customer service, I can't say I've really experienced it in America though. In Australia I had a cook come out and tell me that Australians like onions (so therefore I shouldn't have complained even though I specifically asked what was on the burger and requested nothing but meat and cheese)

Chuckle said...

i say make the waitress pay your bill. or atleast the part she got wrong. and then you pay the rest of it. seriously it was because of the stupid waitress that you got kicked out of the restaurant. this place sounds like it was dearborn too.

Liza said...

I had a similar experience at an IHOP of all places, where they took over 50 minutes to bring our order, brought the wrong order, and by then I just wanted to leave and pay for our drinks. I wasn't going to wait another 50 minutes for them to figure out what my order was, especially considering the place wasn't busy that day.

I can't tell you what the Islamic thing to do is or even the Christian thing, but common sense tells me that if an owner yells at a customer, especially if the customer is being agreeable, then that's his loss not yours. If I was at that restaurant and saw that exchange, I would have been texting all my friends, "Dude don't come here! Now only do they get the order wrong they yell at you for it!"

Funny story by the way!

Rationality said...

Good morning;
You cracked me up LOL
you have to embrace the sense of humor side you have.
It's nice thing to take things easly, that indicates you have strong presonality cuz not anyone could endure that.

I can't imagine your father's face after you struk down the tree lol

Can business owners fire themselve?
Yeah if they are complete failurs only life can fire them.. but that guy situation is so weird *chuckle*

Thanks for shaing us your funny stories you made my day.
kind regards

Artistic Logic said...

haha you're so funny and my hero and im glad you stood your ground, they sounded like jerks!

rachaelgking said...

I'm with your Dad. 100%. If you POINTED to the dish you wanted?! That's ridiculous. I was a waitress for years and I never would have tried to trick someone like that. You don't get tipped more by taking advantage of people. Sheesh.

S said...

I def. laughed at the "Well you're the owner" comment. I had an experience similar to yours. I was at a restaurant and it was Muslim owned, supposed to be amazing. I order appetizers (really expensive) for my cousins and I, an entree, and a dessert. The waitress brings out our food after a long while. We ate because we were starving as soon as we got the food. But then...after we're stuffed and done eating...I'm like where did our appetizer go. So I asked her if they had forgotten and she was like no it's coming out in a few minutes. I'm thinking we've been sitting in this restaurant for over an hour and my appetizer is coming after my dinner! So I explained the concept of an appetizer to her and that I didn't want it now nor did I want to pay for it. She brought the owner, whose only response to me was, that my appetizer (chicken wings) take longer than my dinner (burgers, fries, and a desi meal w/ rice) to make and that next time he'll change the menu. I felt a little sarcasm there. Anyways, I paid for it. IT was cold and it was not yummy eating it later. I hate bad customer service.

Two nights ago...my husband and I went to a Haitian restaurant...they didn't even take that long in bringing out our food, but they felt it was too long, so they gave us dessert on the house. That's what you call good service!

controlled chaos said...

Lilu- I just kinda felt bad not tipping the waitress cuz I already was clearly pointed as the bad guy in the restaurant and she did try defending me at one point and then the owner kinda blew up at her.

saba-hmmm I completely agree. I wish ALL restaurants understood good customer service

Soda and candy-that's soo annoyinggg...

little Ms. Blogger- i was so close to backing out too...im such a wuss sometimes

minty muslim (lol) and MG-thanks guys

Madame Lefty- Are you the type of person that is never afraid of taking a stand? cuz you seem like it, I would totally be your friend

Sulthana said...

lol!! Loved this post, especially telling the idiot owner he can't fire himself. You should name and shame the restaurant. I think you did the right thing standing up, not sure I would've lasted more than a minute myself though :-)