This post is about something frustrating that many of us experience. Invisibility. Not the science fiction type (or even via a negative index of refraction by new metamaterials). I'm talking about the seeming invisibility we can experience in stores, doctor's offices, restaurants or just about anywhere involving customer service. A few examples:
1. Passed over in a store line. We were standing in line in front of a customer service counter waiting politely for 10 minutes for the customer representative to finish serving the person in front of us. The representative then walked to another cash register to put something away. Another customer immediately walked right up to her. Instead of asking that customer to please wait in line, she started helping him and left us waiting again.
2. Blown off in a restaurant. My brother made a reservation at a restaurant a few years ago. When we arrived, we were told to wait at the bar. Over an hour passed after the reservation time while people walked in off the street and were immediately shown to tables. Nobody else seemed to need to wait at the bar. My wife was in agony the entire time due to arthritis in her hip and knee (she had to stand since she couldn't use the barstools). The hostess noticed but did nothing.
3. Abandoned at our table. This actually happens frequently. We're greeted by a server at a restaurant with the usual "Hi! My name is ___ and I'll be your server tonight." That's the high point of the meal. Sometimes the server tries so hard to be "friendly" that it's positively creepy (like the server who kept laughing insanely and saying he wished he could spend more time with us). Other times the server is very condescending, treating us as if we are either 2-year olds or Alzheimer's patients who can't comprehend a menu. After bringing out soup and the entree at exactly the same time, the server disappears for the duration of the meal except for a couple of supersonic passes by the table to say "Everything tastes great, right?", leaving before we can say anything. One half hour after we finish eating, the server comes by with the check (and the obligatory "Whenever you're ready. No rush!"). The tab has a smiley face drawn on it.
I'm at a loss to explain why it happens to us so much. We're not overly obnoxious people. We tip servers generously when we're treated decently. We return to our favorite salespeople to ensure they get commissions. My wife thinks we're invisible because we tend to dress casually and don't look rich enough to trigger "cash detection" senses, but we were still invisible when I had to dress in business attire.
Ultimately, the problem is not us. In each of these cases, there's been a huge failure in customer service. There is little to no service at all. Yet the people involved still expect a big tip or appreciation for a "job well done". How do businesses stay open while their customers are treated like this?