Bob Hoskins was right when he said ‘it’s good to talk’. And sometimes it’s good to have a moan too. I like a whinge; but, you know, not all the time. Whining is particularly prevalent among expats in my experience… especially when it relates to the UK. I can’t stand unremitting grumbling. I feel quite strongly that if I complain about something I like to balance things up by praising where it’s due too. We quite often forget to do that; we’re happy to gripe but forget to congratulate. It must be done.Therefore, TeaStains is proud to announce The TATS awards, the TeaStains Award for Tremendous Service. All of the following awards relate to my recent UK trip.
- The woman in Leon (The Strand) for giving me a free cup of tea because I looked like I needed it! (Don’t worry Leon Powers That Be, I also bought a choc tart and your recipe book.)
- Errol – downstairs in the café at Marks & Spencers in Marble Arch.
- The staff in Fat Face Cov Garden, during the ‘your husband is here and we’re transferring him to hospital’ debacle. They found me telephone numbers and checked out the location of the hospital for me and were lovely while I panicked.
- The (cute*) underground man who let me through the non public access way at Oxford Circus because I’d waited for the children so long…
- All the rail men who didn’t bat an eye lid (or laugh out loud in our faces) to Jen and I for being such dozy travellers and who helped us get our travel back on track…
- 02’s lovely techie staff who talked me through (several times) how to get my emails on my UK sim card in my Thai Blackberry …
- The Waterstones near the Hazlitt Theatre man (Ben? also cute*) who gave me the Orange Prize ‘bag for life’ free of charge because they’d run out of cotton bags to buy…
*Small print: can I point out that being cute in no way clouded my judgements. Their cuteness was noted quite separately from their earning a Tremendous Service award.
So have you had any great service lately? To whom would you present a TATS Award?
So have you had any great service lately? To whom would you present a TATS Award?
9 comments:
the woman in asda yesterday who gave me two nectarines for free because she couldn't find the code to put them through the till. thanks, random asda woman!
what a good idea for a post :)
B, Excellent. I'm so glad to hear of lovely people everywhere... well Asda anyway. Good for you.
WineDirect. I ordered half a case of scrumptiousness, recently, to be sent to my Dad as a thank-you for a big fat favour he did me. I placed the order on a Wednesday evening; the wine arrived at his house in the very north of England on the Friday morning. What's more, they had printed my message to him on a nice little card, rather than on a sticker on the box or on the delivery paperwork. Highly recommended. (The wine was good too, I arrived in time to test it!!)
My local butcher who gave me a free steak the other day because I always shop there!! What a lovely man :-)
C x
The lovely man in the pine shop, who is going to deliver my bookshelf next week, despite being holiday - no wait!
Free steak. Am impressed.
Love that award, JJ. I think it's good to remember to thank people as well as grumble about them.
I absolutely love this idea, JJ. Nothing to add now, but I'll keep my eyes and ears open...and isn't that great, to be on the lookout for random kindness (and hopefully giving it too) ?
WineDirect? Fantastic Queenie but I guess they don't deliver to Thailand...
Carol, free steak? Yum (as long as I don't have to cook it.)
Amanda, oh that's brilliant. When you buy something you do rather want it there and then, don't you?
Debs, me too. I do like a whinge - especially with a good friend - but we must do the praising bit too, I think.
Sue, Thank you. Do come back and report any random kindness when you stumble on it.
I'm still swooning - oops, I mean impressed - after the nice man who saved us on our trip to not Fife. And he was also cute.
I've encountered some wonderful souls lately, though not in a customer service type role. I'll keep my peepers peeled though; it's a lovely idea.
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