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Show Jrp Cyclops t The need for Better Customer Bureau grows Three years ago Cyclops suggested sug-gested that a new organization be formed: The Better Customer Bu--- reau.? fT1; --h I wrote, "If the consumers have the Better Business Bureau as a safeguard against assorted shysters and double-dealing salesmen who wear plaid sports jackets, the local merchants also need an organization organiza-tion alerting them of wily and unethical customers." Over the past three years, we've offered numerous examples of bad customer behavior: -The man who asked a salesman at a new car dealership if he could . test-drive an Oldsmbbile and drive I it home to, show his wife. The salesman agreed and the man took the car, only to return it two days (and 2,000 miles) later. The man had driven the car to his wife's home-but the wife lived near Los Angeles, Calif. -The woman who demanded that the hot chocolate be served "very hot"-and then threatened to sue a - fast-food establishment when, after " bumping into another customer, the hot fluid spilled on her arms. The ' incident, she said, had caused trauma, and presumably without a N ' financial settlement ; she would -a'''' ''- 4--'T.'V -' -i!.?-',M''v . ' .: ' -: never eat a Hershey's Bar again. Even now Salt Lake restaurants are spreading the word of a man who orders a meal, then reaches into his pocket and pulls out a plastic case containing a dead fly. ' The man drops the fly into his salad or mashed potatoes, then hollers to the manager and demands a free meal. Last week, a Davis County restaurant res-taurant owner provided another example ex-ample demonstrating the need for a Better Customer Bureau. The incident inci-dent began when a Centerville couple cou-ple entered his restaurant with a fresh bottle of wine and a hearty . appetite. Throughout the , evening they sipped on the wine and, from all accounts, enjoyed the evening, ; They had no complaints on the food. . Jio complaints on the service. ser-vice. - The problem occurred at the end ; of the evening. They left their table to grab some sweets at the restaurant's restau-rant's dessert bar and, when they returned, re-turned, found that a too-attentive waiter had cleaned off their finished dinner plates and the small amount of wine remaining in their glasses.. . They were upset and rightfully 'complained. "I'm very sorry," said the assis- ' i r? ;. .v, ' ' ' " I v., tant manager. "Please accept my apologies-and I'll bring you two new glasses of wine." That was Apology Number One. Apology Number Two came from the waiter. "I'm very sorry, too," he told them. "I saw , the empty plates and didn't see you in the restaurant, so I assumed you had left In fact I was even nervous because your check was still on the table. Please, accept my apologies along with these two glasses of wine." . But two apologies were not enough. The next day she telephoned telephon-ed the restaurant and spoke to the restaurant chain's general manager. ? That brought Apology Number "I am also very sorry for the in--cident" said the general manager. "The waiter did not accuse you of leaving; he was simply bewildered as to where f you had gone, s Sometimes a waiter cleans off a table too promptly. I am sorry and .. - he is sorry." . v rxfw.-.-- , And five minutes later, the woman received Apology Number . Four. The manzser of the restaurant called the woman at her home and , said he was very sorry too. : ? " . Four apologies over a trivial in- cident But four apologies were not j , enough. . , , , j v The woman wrote a letter to the owner saying she had never before : been treated so rudely. In the letter the woman wrote, "The manager also said he was sorry. By mat comment I again feel at I have I been ; treated i rudely v by your ? employees. You empl0yees"really 7 don't care about the customer." . ; ' '," Get the picture? A manager .says ; he's sorry-and the customer says : that's an example of rudeness. An j assistant manager says he's sorry- ) and the customer says the staff is : ungrateful. A waiter says he's 1 sorry-and the customer is upset by j '. i. the response. A general manager s t says he's sorry-and the customer f ; becomes all the more outraged. 'Lu So the owner telephoned Cyclops 1 -p and asked what he should do. i i- "You can make Apology . ; Number Five," I said, "but it prob-1 r ably won't do any good. The best ? - answer is to support my plan for a f ' Better Customer Bureau to weed ! out such consumers." . . 1 "And one more thing... if the i lady ever comes back to your res- "Want don't serve her any more c wine. Customers like this should 7 not drink!" ( . , . J '. '" '- ; ' -. .- : ;' ... : . |