and Good Afternoon to you….

One of the first things we had to get used to was saying "Good Morning and Good Afternoon" to everyone.  Good morning didn’t come as that big a shock but I just can’t seem to say "Good Afternoon" and make it feel right. 

 

I was told on my first day that saying good afternoon would go along way to improving my experience as a customer on the island.  And they were right, service at stores restaurants, etc. are noticeably better if you say "good afternoon" first.

 

Apparently it dates back to much older times when ignorant stupid white people of the day wouldn’t address someone of a darker race and all the white people would be walking around saying "good afternoon" to each other and not the slaves/servants.  So when we finally reallized that everyone was more or less equal, it became tradition on the island for everyone to say "Good Morning/Afternoon" and to not say it in some cases can be considered racist.  Yikes…and all I wanted was some pancakes…. (as an aside Sue has learned to say good morning to "Andrew", who sweeps the street and may be some sort of prophet as he often tells her, "I think today is going to be a good day for you", I wonder if he is related to Miss Cleo…)

 

Anyway we have adjusted but unless you are from here such traditions haven’t been instilled into you like they have the locals, you are simply ignorant of your ignorance.  Recently the island has had problems with "poor service being reported by the workers at hotels and other touristy places".  We haven’t really noticed any of the poor service outside of retail….  Anyway the head of the society of hoteliers (

http://www.bermudasun.bm/main.asp?SectionID=24&SubSectionID=270&ArticleID=29997) believes that its the guest workers who are unaware that they should be saying "Good Afternoon" that is a big cause of the problems.  I thought that someone might want to point out to him that the tourists staying at hotels aren’t likely to be Bermudian and therefore aren’t likely to be offended by not getting their "good afternoon".  He thinks that guest workers should take a small course in Bermudian culture to improve things.  I guess if nothing else it will help them deal with managers who are likely Bermudian.

 

For my money if there is poor service its retail stores is where you will find it, where its pretty normal to feel more like  a pain in the ass than a customer.  This isn’t all places and all the time but it is much different than back home.  Someone posted this humourous guide for guestworkers to replicate the worst of it.  I thought it was more funny than accurate, although what makes it funny is that we all know of situations where a few of these things have actually happened…

 

It is the customer’s duty to say "good morning" first. If they neglect this duty, continue to ignore them for as long as it takes for them to get the message. Some customers require a lot of this training. I know it’s hard sometimes but if you give in, they’ll start to expect service everywhere they go and then what will happen?

• When a customer approaches, ignore them.
• The customer must only wish you a good morning and approach when you have signaled that they may do so. This should be done with a brief upward nod of the head and, for advanced practitioners, a glare or scowl. (Shawn Says:  its also common to hear "Next" like the Soup Nazi on Seinfeld :-))
• Once the customer approaches, look at them carefully to determine if they look like you, the Premier, Angelina Jolie or the Incredible Hulk. For these customers, you may drop the glare.
• Ensure that all necessary tasks have been concluded before you give the customer your attention. These could include: filing your nails; talking to your co-workers; taking phone calls from your ace boy/girl; debating whether Shakisha in accounts has the fattest arse in the island; educating all within earshot about the medical condition of the previous customer; and taking your lunch break.
• Repeat the glare frequently.
• Process the customer slowly. If they wanted quicker service, they’d go to Thailand or Jamaica.
• It is important to check if the customer is concentrating. In a hotel, this could be done by charging them for 9 nights instead of 3. In shops or restaurants, perhaps simply adding random items they have not purchased or overcharging by 40%.
• Speaking to the customer is unnecessary unless it is your aunty.
• You can also speak to the customer occasionally if you need to point out the error of their ways. Some are dumb enough not to learn from your glares.
• The customer is always wrong and it is your job to point this out.  [from bermudasucks.com]

Most of that is of course exaggerated but it still made us laugh, and hope it did you too…

 

Good afternoon,

 

Sizzle & Shizzle