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Threequalseven
Joined: 08 May 2012
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andrewchon
Joined: 16 Nov 2008
Location: Back in Oz. Living in ISIS Aust.
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 Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 3:16 am Post subject: |
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| Weigookin74 wrote: |
There's nothing worng with asking for no mayo on a burger. What's the big deal? Is it really that complicated? The customer's always right. But that common sense has been lost on many folks here. It's not a sense of entitlement since I'm giving my money that I worked for to this person. The least they could do is provide some customer service in return instead of acting like a F*&^ d^& bag. I'm not American but if a resaurant worker behaved this way towards me in Canada, they'd get in serious trouble by their manager if I complained about it. That's what customer service is and keeps people coming back as repeat customers.
In Korea, especially in rural areas, I swear that sometimes I'm in the old Soviet Union where people are there to frown and provide minimal service without a smile because they're forced to be there. Evidently, they don't know the basic first lessons of capitalism. No wonder these businesses stay small and never grow because their service sucks! |
They know plenty. Before you raise a stink and make them lose face, consider the consequence of you losing some teeth through curtsy of jo-pok dental services. Think carefully about who you are and where you are at before you open your loudmouth gobby.  |
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Julius
Joined: 27 Jul 2006
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| Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 5:07 am Post subject: |
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| Weigookin74 wrote: |
| Threequalseven wrote: |
The OP's problem is simple. He tried to special order something. Period. This problem became perfectly clear to me when an American friend came to visit. She'd special order everything - sub this for that, no tomato, extra this and that. I've always thought this bevavior came with a certain sense of entitlement. Needless to say, we had some problems. It's like the person who said they tried ordering a burger without mayo. Really? Is it that big of a problem? Just eat the burger. Having worked in a restaurant, I swear people would just make shit difficult to the point where it's possible not to mess it up.
Anyway, so there's that. Also, living in "rural" Korea, I get the impression that us white folk seem cheesy and childish to older Koreans... and when I visit other parts of the country, I can see why. Despite dressing nice, you probably came off cheeky and entitled. I don't know to to overcome this. I always just order what I want, don't ask questions, eat what they give me and say thank you. If you want to make things more difficult than that, you're only asking for trouble. |
There's nothing worng with asking for no mayo on a burger. What's the big deal? Is it really that complicated? The customer's always right. But that common sense has been lost on many folks here. It's not a sense of entitlement since I'm giving my money that I worked for to this person. The least they could do is provide some customer service in return instead of acting like a F*&^ d^& bag. I'm not American but if a resaurant worker behaved this way towards me in Canada, they'd get in serious trouble by their manager if I complained about it. That's what customer service is and keeps people coming back as repeat customers.
In Korea, especially in rural areas, I swear that sometimes I'm in the old Soviet Union where people are there to frown and provide minimal service without a smile because they're forced to be there. Evidently, they don't know the basic first lessons of capitalism. No wonder these businesses stay small and never grow because their service sucks! |
Your attitude is so american. the entitlement, the "money will buy me respect", "you're here to serve me" etc.
No, the customer is not always right. Have you ever worked serving the public at all? Ever? Doesn't seem like it because if you had you'd appreciate exactly how timewasting, nitpicky, rude, stupid, ridiculous, arrogant, boorish, entitled, inarticulate, dumb, and self-centred the general public can be.
Service staff generally get don't get paid that much. They don't slave away absurd hours every day in horrendous jobs just to give you an ego boost.
The attitude is different in the UK. The server is king. If you want to be served well you must be polite, wait your turn, speak to the staff like they're actually human, etc. If you don't, you ain't getting served. Either you'll be ignored or if you push it you'll be asked to leave the premises.
You could always tell Americans. They walk in, yell for attention, make a whole load of ridiculous and unreasonable demands that are not on the menu.
Also in the UK service staff earn more. They don't depend on tips. Its not like the crazy slavery system you've rigged in the US whereby the server has basically behave like geisha to every idiot that walks in just to make a living wage. |
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drydell
Joined: 01 Oct 2009
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| Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 6:03 am Post subject: |
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Kimbap is made there on the spot.. Omitting the ham saves them money.. It is not a cause of inconvenience on any level - and it's not about being picky for spurious reasons. If you can communicate cheerfully and politely that you are vegetarian and they still won't oblige you- then move on and chalk it down to provincial ignorance..
Most Koreans I've encountered are perfectly able to understand such a concept and are accommodating.. If they are not being so it's probably some underlying anti-foreigner nonsense.. |
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geldedgoat
Joined: 05 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 6:12 am Post subject: |
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I've run into this issue on only one occasion in Korea, when I unsuccessfully tried to order ramen (not ramyeon) without beef. The waiter retreated to the kitchen with my request, a clearly audible hubbub ensued, and a few minutes later she returned with a, "No, we can't; that's not delicious." I gave her a reflexive surprised look, then got up and walked out.
I've regularly, and I mean several times a week, been able to successfully manage to get various kimbap restaurants to withhold mayo, ham, egg, and imitation crab from my tuna kimbaps, not only without complaint, but with a smile (they would even compensate for the omission of ingredients by bulking up on the veggies and tuna, even though I never asked for nor expected it). OP, I have no idea what issue caused your inconvenience, but I always ordered in Korean (well practiced beforehand)... maybe that was the problem? Do you have a Korean friend that can tell you if your pronunciation or accent is difficult to understand?
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If a restaurant doesn't want to cater to my dietary needs, then I feel no need to spend my money there. That this behavior is apparently common (and I have been told by Koreans that "chefs" in Korea tend not to like changing anything about their dishes) elsewhere in the world, in this advanced age, is very surprising. People have different tastes, allergies, and food-related morals, and to act indignant at a customer's request to honor them in any capacity is beyond bizarre.
| Julius wrote: |
| The attitude is different in the UK. The server is king. |
Did anyone else read this and get flashbacks to Fawlty Towers? Yet another reason not to visit there, I suppose. It's not like British cuisine has much (any) reputation internationally anyway, so I doubt I'd be missing much. |
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korea.teacher
Joined: 04 Feb 2009
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| Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 4:05 pm Post subject: |
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Something to consider. Many people have special dietary needs - vegetarian, diabetics, people with food allergies, etc., - and ask if it might be possible to modify a meal before it is prepared.
Last edited by korea.teacher on Wed Sep 25, 2013 1:32 am; edited 1 time in total |
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rainman3277
Joined: 13 Sep 2009
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| Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2013 6:40 pm Post subject: |
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| Steelrails wrote: |
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| Last weekend I asked the waiter at an "Authentic Italian" restaurant in Seoul to not put corn on my pizza. |
It's no less authentic than a Taco Pizza, BBQ Chicken pizza, Canadian Bacon, Cheeseburger pizza, feta cheese, chorizo, cheddar cheese, etc. that regularly gets marketed back home.
Unless you ate purely authentic Italian pizzas back home, lose the sense of indignation and cultural superiority. |
Do you have any foreigner friends in Korea? If you do they must have to walk on eggshells around you with their comments. The guy says corn isn't authentic italian pizza and they means he is being indignent and culturally superior? Jeez. unclench |
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Steelrails
Joined: 12 Mar 2009
Location: Earth, Solar System
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| Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2013 7:01 pm Post subject: |
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| rainman3277 wrote: |
| Steelrails wrote: |
| Quote: |
| Last weekend I asked the waiter at an "Authentic Italian" restaurant in Seoul to not put corn on my pizza. |
It's no less authentic than a Taco Pizza, BBQ Chicken pizza, Canadian Bacon, Cheeseburger pizza, feta cheese, chorizo, cheddar cheese, etc. that regularly gets marketed back home.
Unless you ate purely authentic Italian pizzas back home, lose the sense of indignation and cultural superiority. |
Do you have any foreigner friends in Korea? If you do they must have to walk on eggshells around you with their comments. The guy says corn isn't authentic italian pizza and they means he is being indignent and culturally superior? Jeez. unclench |
I dunno, the same way people who have strong political opinions can hang out with Democrats or Republicans who are their friends and not care if they make the odd political comment.
Dude, the second I go out for the night, I leave all the crap on Dave's behind. I care about my drinking, my sports, my food, my smokes, my fun and most importantly my friends, way too much to let stuff like that get in the way of a good time.
In my town in Korea, we've only had one pure basher foreigner and eventually everyone just told him to shut up or don't hang out. Actually I was his best friend. Loyalty and honesty counts for more than your opinions. If he ever went too far, I let him know. Didn't ruin things.
Anyways, there are far better things to talk about- EPL, Lotte Giants, Sex, TV, life, food, booze, international news, play games, hit the club, screen golf, etc.
You want not fun to be around? Someone who takes every topic at hand and turns it into a Korea bash and is always moaning and complaining and calling everyone else stupid. |
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atwood
Joined: 26 Dec 2009
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| Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2013 9:11 pm Post subject: |
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| Julius wrote: |
| Weigookin74 wrote: |
| Threequalseven wrote: |
The OP's problem is simple. He tried to special order something. Period. This problem became perfectly clear to me when an American friend came to visit. She'd special order everything - sub this for that, no tomato, extra this and that. I've always thought this bevavior came with a certain sense of entitlement. Needless to say, we had some problems. It's like the person who said they tried ordering a burger without mayo. Really? Is it that big of a problem? Just eat the burger. Having worked in a restaurant, I swear people would just make shit difficult to the point where it's possible not to mess it up.
Anyway, so there's that. Also, living in "rural" Korea, I get the impression that us white folk seem cheesy and childish to older Koreans... and when I visit other parts of the country, I can see why. Despite dressing nice, you probably came off cheeky and entitled. I don't know to to overcome this. I always just order what I want, don't ask questions, eat what they give me and say thank you. If you want to make things more difficult than that, you're only asking for trouble. |
There's nothing worng with asking for no mayo on a burger. What's the big deal? Is it really that complicated? The customer's always right. But that common sense has been lost on many folks here. It's not a sense of entitlement since I'm giving my money that I worked for to this person. The least they could do is provide some customer service in return instead of acting like a F*&^ d^& bag. I'm not American but if a resaurant worker behaved this way towards me in Canada, they'd get in serious trouble by their manager if I complained about it. That's what customer service is and keeps people coming back as repeat customers.
In Korea, especially in rural areas, I swear that sometimes I'm in the old Soviet Union where people are there to frown and provide minimal service without a smile because they're forced to be there. Evidently, they don't know the basic first lessons of capitalism. No wonder these businesses stay small and never grow because their service sucks! |
Your attitude is so american. the entitlement, the "money will buy me respect", "you're here to serve me" etc.
No, the customer is not always right. Have you ever worked serving the public at all? Ever? Doesn't seem like it because if you had you'd appreciate exactly how timewasting, nitpicky, rude, stupid, ridiculous, arrogant, boorish, entitled, inarticulate, dumb, and self-centred the general public can be.
Service staff generally get don't get paid that much. They don't slave away absurd hours every day in horrendous jobs just to give you an ego boost.
The attitude is different in the UK. The server is king. If you want to be served well you must be polite, wait your turn, speak to the staff like they're actually human, etc. If you don't, you ain't getting served. Either you'll be ignored or if you push it you'll be asked to leave the premises.
You could always tell Americans. They walk in, yell for attention, make a whole load of ridiculous and unreasonable demands that are not on the menu.
Also in the UK service staff earn more. They don't depend on tips. Its not like the crazy slavery system you've rigged in the US whereby the server has basically behave like geisha to every idiot that walks in just to make a living wage. |
So in the UK it's either take it or leave it? If I ask for a lager and get a porter by mistake, the bartender will just tell me to drink what he gives me or F$$k off?
If you don't like your more successful and powerful overseas cousins, no one cares, but to exaggerate a simple customer request into "a ridiculous and unreasonable demand" is not only spinning the original comments but in the context of the rest of your post, obnoxious.
Plus you make it sound like everyone in the UK is a lazy, self-absorbed sod. Which, except in your case, I doubt. |
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Threequalseven
Joined: 08 May 2012
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| Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2013 9:21 am Post subject: |
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| atwood wrote: |
So in the UK it's either take it or leave it? If I ask for a lager and get a porter by mistake, the bartender will just tell me to drink what he gives me or F$$k off?
If you don't like your more successful and powerful overseas cousins, no one cares, but to exaggerate a simple customer request into "a ridiculous and unreasonable demand" is not only spinning the original comments but in the context of the rest of your post, obnoxious.
Plus you make it sound like everyone in the UK is a lazy, self-absorbed sod. Which, except in your case, I doubt. |
I've never been to the UK, but as an American this comment fills me with shame. "Your more successful and powerful overseas cousins"? First, what kind of capitalist takes credit for the achievement of others? The U.S. may have a more "successful" 1% and a more powerful weapons, but in terms of the well-being of the majority of people, the U.K. has us beat by several measurements including wages, poverty, healthcare, and education. |
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atwood
Joined: 26 Dec 2009
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| Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2013 3:56 pm Post subject: |
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| Threequalseven wrote: |
| atwood wrote: |
So in the UK it's either take it or leave it? If I ask for a lager and get a porter by mistake, the bartender will just tell me to drink what he gives me or F$$k off?
If you don't like your more successful and powerful overseas cousins, no one cares, but to exaggerate a simple customer request into "a ridiculous and unreasonable demand" is not only spinning the original comments but in the context of the rest of your post, obnoxious.
Plus you make it sound like everyone in the UK is a lazy, self-absorbed sod. Which, except in your case, I doubt. |
I've never been to the UK, but as an American this comment fills me with shame. "Your more successful and powerful overseas cousins"? First, what kind of capitalist takes credit for the achievement of others? The U.S. may have a more "successful" 1% and a more powerful weapons, but in terms of the well-being of the majority of people, the U.K. has us beat by several measurements including wages, poverty, healthcare, and education. |
Take your statistics and pack them up in your handbag of shame. Unpack your wallet and buy yourself a sense of humor and if there's anything left over, a sense of worth as well.
Besides, UK healthcare, education? Better? You need to look again. |
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Julius
Joined: 27 Jul 2006
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| Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2013 5:17 pm Post subject: |
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| Threequalseven wrote: |
| the U.K. has us beat by several measurements ....... education. |
That must be true, because atwood is obviously unable to read.
| atwood wrote: |
| So in the UK it's either take it or leave it? If I ask for a lager and get a porter by mistake, the bartender will just tell me to drink what he gives me |
Only thats not what I said though is it?
If treating service staff as equals is so hard for you I suggest you join the taliban or whatever. |
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nate1983
Joined: 30 Mar 2008
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| Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2013 7:22 pm Post subject: |
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| atwood wrote: |
Besides, UK healthcare, education? Better? You need to look again. |
Surely you haven't seen all those rankings where UK universities dominate the top 50 global programs? There must be a whole 4 or 5 of them on there, while the US only has 30+... |
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12ax7
Joined: 07 Nov 2009
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| Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2013 10:04 pm Post subject: |
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| nate1983 wrote: |
| atwood wrote: |
Besides, UK healthcare, education? Better? You need to look again. |
Surely you haven't seen all those rankings where UK universities dominate the top 50 global programs? There must be a whole 4 or 5 of them on there, while the US only has 30+... |
Have you even bothered to check the scores and compare tuition fees? |
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atwood
Joined: 26 Dec 2009
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| Posted: Thu Sep 26, 2013 1:34 am Post subject: |
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| Julius wrote: |
| Threequalseven wrote: |
| the U.K. has us beat by several measurements ....... education. |
That must be true, because atwood is obviously unable to read.
| atwood wrote: |
| So in the UK it's either take it or leave it? If I ask for a lager and get a porter by mistake, the bartender will just tell me to drink what he gives me |
Only thats not what I said though is it?
If treating service staff as equals is so hard for you I suggest you join the taliban or whatever. |
That is what you said. Now you're changing your tune.
Why don't you stand behind your words, Julie?
And why are you recruiting for the Taliban? |
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