“Hello yes, I’d like a Sweet and sour chicken, Hong Kong style, and…” I said to the man who stood in front of me in my local Chinese take-away as he noted my order.

Ring Ring!

“Just one moment”, he said answering the phone, “Yes please….uh huh…. uh huh…… uh huh…… uh huh….. OK, anything else?……uh huh……and your name?…… uh huh…… that’ll be ten minutes, see you then”

He handed the telephone order to the kitchen, then he returned his attention to me.

“Yes Sir?”

“OK. We are quite busy, so it will be about fifteen minutes.”

This did not add up.

“Hang on, you just told the man on the phone it would be ten minutes?”

“I am sorry, but we always answer the phone.”

Clearly, as I am already here and waiting, he will get my order regardless, whereas an unanswered call could result in lost business for the restaurant. I understand the commercial reasons for his behaviour, but I do not want to wait the extra five minutes.

“I am not happy, I want my order in ten minutes, as it would have been had you not answered the phone.”

“Err, Certainly Sir.”

I sat back to read What Car magazine from November 2004 and awaited my food. Various people came and went for phoned-in orders, and eventually my food appeared. After fourteen minutes.

Now, normally I would behave in a slightly different manner than this passive acceptance of poor customer service, but you cannot be too careful when people are preparing your food. Especially when in the best case scenario it probably already contains some dog.

From now on, in the same situation I will say to anyone looking to answer the phone, “I have made the effort to come here in person, if you answer that phone I am walking out!”.

Unless I am really hungry of course, or in dire need of Kung Po Chilli Chicken, or can’t be arsed to cook. Being an altruistic consumer warrior can only sustain you for so long.

No tags