For those who understand and the rest who are simply the duds!!
A Saturday evening in me’s life. I promise my younger sis (whose exams are fast approaching) and mother that I shall bring them some Subway sandwiches home for food. This way neither mother has to cook nor sis needs to take time off her studies and go out for a dinner. (I am sure an angelic ring appeared on my head!) Post this, I said, I would go out with my hubby for dinner! All set, agreed…
I leave house for Subway (4.5 mins exactly) and find the place jammed with people. Some wanting to catch a quick snack before watching the 9 o’clock movie and some enjoying the ‘companionship’ more than the sandwich! Finally, I manage to find a person to make me my precious sandwiches. (Unfortunately my favorite guy Mr. K – who makes the best sandwiches in the whole world, is on leave….damn) I instruct him to make two 6” Roast Chicken breast and one Chicken Sheek (No amount of bird flu can scare me off the Roast Chicken breast sandwich in Subway!! Yummmmm) without onions (stinky) and tomatoes (gooey) with Mayo and Mint Mayo and a dash of Honey Mustard in Honey Oat Bread… “Sorry Maam we are out of Honey oat and Honey Mustard” (What do they have against honey?? Bad one! I know) After another soft curse under the breath, an understanding smile and a nod for compromise, the sandwich begins to be made at a painstakingly slow speed. Twice he puts onions and removes it as I point it out but to his credit (!) he does that to tomatoes only once. It takes three reminders to get him to understand that he need not heat it as it is a take away and I want two out of three sandwiches cut in 3” pieces. Another self-assured and oh-I-am-so-cool guy standing at the cash register sums up my bill. I pay it, pick up the bag handed over to me and leave.
4.5 mins later I reach my mother’s house and open the bag to find three completely different sandwiches bundled in there. Damn it! I call them and tell them about the goof up, explain them with one and a half ton of patience that my sandwiches were too peculiar to be given to any customer unknowingly and they sure are lying right there (Inside the damned microwave…I suspect) Then I explain him the address, give him the phone number and urge him to hurry the (right) sandwiches home and take away someone else’s food delivered to us. (These guys do free home deliveries so this was hardly out of line…) 15 mins later I get a call. “maam what sandwiches did u order?? We have to prepare them so that we can come and deliver it” I get irritated. “How do you expect me to tell you all the improvising of the basic sandwich over the phone?” 3 mins and 1000 stupid arguments later, I tell them to just get to my house with the monies and take these sandwiches back………………..
Irritation and that too on empty stomach affects everybody’s moods. Poor Aai has to get up and whip up a dinner for her and sis. All my offers are turned down saying that I have done enough (!) already. Tempers flare and amidst all that I and my hubby (who made an appearance at that unfortunate moment) leave the house with the stack of sandwiches. Another 4.5 mins and I march into the outlet and demand my money. Trying to make as less a scene as possible I turn down their offer for making more sandwiches, throw in extra sandwiches for the trouble caused, give me a credit instead of cash back (How dare they?? grhh…….)……… I walk out glorious with the monies but I don’t feel glorious. The mood’s still foul. We drive wordlessly to Oasis – a restaurant en route NDA.
This place too is jam packed. People waiting everywhere. (No repeats….I cant take no more tonight) We are received cordially. Told to wait but assured that we will indeed get the table quickly. “Why don’t you start with some drinks at the bar instead” Ah! Some alcohol will do my system good!! We go to the bar and watch the barman frenzy the drinks. I watch him as he whips an excellent Bloody Mary. I am tempted to try it I tell him so. I watch him for 10 mins prepare other’s drinks but he manages to engage us in (actually quite meaningless) banter. The economy of his movements therapeutic. The speed simply amazing. He manages to fulfill more that 13 orders in the 10 mins with help of only a cleaning boy doing his work in the background. He finally serves my husband his ‘elixir’ – Beer!! He is yet to make my drink. But I am not irritated anymore. His efficiency makes me feel better. After not feeling like talking for half an hour (trust me, it happens very rarely to me!) and the eerie silence (that gives me creeps) he surely feels like a welcome relief. He does all the talking and working as we listen and watch.
Aha, we get the table. My stomach gives a growl but this time in anticipation of food! The barman tells me that he will have the drink delivered to the table. Ok! As soon as we settle the drink gets there. One sip and I know it’s indeed a well made concoction. We sip our drinks and nibble on our snacks and thank the bar guy (and alcohol) for lifting our ‘spirits’! And I see the same barman walking hurriedly towards our table (about 35 paces away from the bar and the place is still packed with people) We are surprised.
“Maam, just wanted to know if you like the drink”
“Oh yes of course! Its lovely. Thank You!”
“That’s all I wanted to know. Enjoy your dinner!” and he’s gone.
In a space of an hour two professionals from the hospitality industry gave me two terribly contrasting experiences……………We both looked at each other, smiled and went on digging in the Fish Lasooni Tikka!!
I leave house for Subway (4.5 mins exactly) and find the place jammed with people. Some wanting to catch a quick snack before watching the 9 o’clock movie and some enjoying the ‘companionship’ more than the sandwich! Finally, I manage to find a person to make me my precious sandwiches. (Unfortunately my favorite guy Mr. K – who makes the best sandwiches in the whole world, is on leave….damn) I instruct him to make two 6” Roast Chicken breast and one Chicken Sheek (No amount of bird flu can scare me off the Roast Chicken breast sandwich in Subway!! Yummmmm) without onions (stinky) and tomatoes (gooey) with Mayo and Mint Mayo and a dash of Honey Mustard in Honey Oat Bread… “Sorry Maam we are out of Honey oat and Honey Mustard” (What do they have against honey?? Bad one! I know) After another soft curse under the breath, an understanding smile and a nod for compromise, the sandwich begins to be made at a painstakingly slow speed. Twice he puts onions and removes it as I point it out but to his credit (!) he does that to tomatoes only once. It takes three reminders to get him to understand that he need not heat it as it is a take away and I want two out of three sandwiches cut in 3” pieces. Another self-assured and oh-I-am-so-cool guy standing at the cash register sums up my bill. I pay it, pick up the bag handed over to me and leave.
4.5 mins later I reach my mother’s house and open the bag to find three completely different sandwiches bundled in there. Damn it! I call them and tell them about the goof up, explain them with one and a half ton of patience that my sandwiches were too peculiar to be given to any customer unknowingly and they sure are lying right there (Inside the damned microwave…I suspect) Then I explain him the address, give him the phone number and urge him to hurry the (right) sandwiches home and take away someone else’s food delivered to us. (These guys do free home deliveries so this was hardly out of line…) 15 mins later I get a call. “maam what sandwiches did u order?? We have to prepare them so that we can come and deliver it” I get irritated. “How do you expect me to tell you all the improvising of the basic sandwich over the phone?” 3 mins and 1000 stupid arguments later, I tell them to just get to my house with the monies and take these sandwiches back………………..
Irritation and that too on empty stomach affects everybody’s moods. Poor Aai has to get up and whip up a dinner for her and sis. All my offers are turned down saying that I have done enough (!) already. Tempers flare and amidst all that I and my hubby (who made an appearance at that unfortunate moment) leave the house with the stack of sandwiches. Another 4.5 mins and I march into the outlet and demand my money. Trying to make as less a scene as possible I turn down their offer for making more sandwiches, throw in extra sandwiches for the trouble caused, give me a credit instead of cash back (How dare they?? grhh…….)……… I walk out glorious with the monies but I don’t feel glorious. The mood’s still foul. We drive wordlessly to Oasis – a restaurant en route NDA.
This place too is jam packed. People waiting everywhere. (No repeats….I cant take no more tonight) We are received cordially. Told to wait but assured that we will indeed get the table quickly. “Why don’t you start with some drinks at the bar instead” Ah! Some alcohol will do my system good!! We go to the bar and watch the barman frenzy the drinks. I watch him as he whips an excellent Bloody Mary. I am tempted to try it I tell him so. I watch him for 10 mins prepare other’s drinks but he manages to engage us in (actually quite meaningless) banter. The economy of his movements therapeutic. The speed simply amazing. He manages to fulfill more that 13 orders in the 10 mins with help of only a cleaning boy doing his work in the background. He finally serves my husband his ‘elixir’ – Beer!! He is yet to make my drink. But I am not irritated anymore. His efficiency makes me feel better. After not feeling like talking for half an hour (trust me, it happens very rarely to me!) and the eerie silence (that gives me creeps) he surely feels like a welcome relief. He does all the talking and working as we listen and watch.
Aha, we get the table. My stomach gives a growl but this time in anticipation of food! The barman tells me that he will have the drink delivered to the table. Ok! As soon as we settle the drink gets there. One sip and I know it’s indeed a well made concoction. We sip our drinks and nibble on our snacks and thank the bar guy (and alcohol) for lifting our ‘spirits’! And I see the same barman walking hurriedly towards our table (about 35 paces away from the bar and the place is still packed with people) We are surprised.
“Maam, just wanted to know if you like the drink”
“Oh yes of course! Its lovely. Thank You!”
“That’s all I wanted to know. Enjoy your dinner!” and he’s gone.
In a space of an hour two professionals from the hospitality industry gave me two terribly contrasting experiences……………We both looked at each other, smiled and went on digging in the Fish Lasooni Tikka!!
2 comments:
:) Sometimes its the old world charm that really works. There are times when you really want to be pampered and waited on..Glad your second exp was better..:)
-Ketaki
i had fun reading that.. !.. although it didnt sound like you were too happy about the subway mess.. i could write an entire book on my experience here in the states.. mcdonalds..walmart.. taco bell.. ppl with minimal IQ rackin yer brains out in your time of need !..pain in the butt !@.. i will write something about this soon !
Post a Comment