Annoyed at bad customer service in my local pool hall

It would be really easy to make this a VERY long post, but I'll honestly do my best to cut to the chase...

So, there's this pool club where I've been going for a couple of years. Even though I know the owner and spend piles of money there, the staff (all girls) are still often incredibly rude to me.

Despite this, I am never rude back.

I think there is some sort of weird psychology going on whereby the nicer I am, the more they see me as a suitable target for the venting of their various frustrations and neuroses. OK, so maybe it's also because I'm English and they're pissed off that their country is slowly splitting into a two-tier society of those who can speak English and those who can't, but anyway...

Tonight I was taking a shot, and while cueing I found that I was unable to continue because one of the staff was behind me inspecting the cloth on the opposite table, thereby blocking my backhand.

I politely said excuse me (in Polish), and yet she remained in exactly the same spot. I waited a few seconds and then said excuse me again, thinking that maybe she hadn't realised that I was waiting to take a shot.

At this point she blurts out a huge string of words in Polish, and taps her head with her index finger while calling me an idiot.

OK, so earlier she had had to clean the table after someone had spilled drink on it (not me I should stress! ...I hadn't even got to the club when the spillage happened), and now she was there seeing whether or not it was dry. Yes she was doing her job, but honestly she could have moved 50 cm to the left or right and still had access to the table. I on the other hand had to play the cue ball from where it sat (as I didn't have ball in hand).

Forget the fact that I know the owner of the club (a very nice guy who on more than one occasion has personally phoned me to apologise for the actions of his staff). Forget the fact that I've spent thousands of Polish zl there over the past two years...

I think that in principle it should be possible for anyone to walk in off the street, pay money for beer and a table and thereafter expect to be treated politely. This evening I experienced a level of customer service which was obviously well below the bare minimum standard for any club operating in the developed world.

I wonder, dear AZBilliards user, what's the worst service you have ever received in a pool club in your part of the world?

Please let me know. ...Maybe if your anecdotes are shocking enough I'll start to feel better about the horrible rude girls who work at my local pool hall.

david(tx) said:

I'm guessing they are aware that you are a friend of their boss, and since that can't be rude to him they take it out on you.

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Although it falls far short of a justification, that's the best theory I've heard yet.

In any case though, I expect someone somewhere has had worse service from staff at a pool hall, not because there is anything normal or to be expected about that in itself, but simply because this forum has so many users who together have spent so many years in pool halls. Just considering the 'numbers game', I'm kind of anticipating that I'll elicit stories of something far worse...

Maniac said:

Frankly, I wouldn't put up with crap like that. I would have spoken up, and spoken up loudly! Got somebody's attention (like the manager, or the owner himself). The "squeaky wheel gets the grease", so they say.

Your "friend" the boss should be seeing to it that you get preferential treatment, not the exact opposite!!!

If I owned that club, those girls would be seeking new employment.

Maniac

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I'll be writing to him first thing tomorrow. :wink:

Dunnn51 said:

This sounds more like a psychology problem to me. It is not YOU per say; it is what you represent (to them). Find out what that is and you'll find your answer. Sounds like the owner may know what it is.

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Although I expect you are right to say it's a problem of psychology, I really don't feel like having to adopt the role of therapist after I've paid money for a service. If they pay me then maybe I'll help them sort out their resentment, aggression, or whatever psycho-sexual issues are at play here, but until then I'd just like to concentrate on pool so that I can improve my game and enjoy my evening.

In the past I've worked as a waiter on minimum wage in London. I decided that even if I had to work my ass off for very little money, I would at least do my best to enjoy interacting with customers, and failing that at least to be professional.

Although I'm not 'servile' by nature, I saw my job as just that ...a job. If someone asked something of me, they were not addressing me as a person; they were simply talking to a waiter. They didn't know me personally at all. If someone politely asked me to move out their way, I would not dive into some ego battle with them. I'd just smile and move.

Right now in Poland (and I suspect in a lot of countries) jobs are rather hard to come by for a lot of people, and so I'm surprised that this girl tonight was so quick to open the hatch to her twisted unconscious and let her daemons get all up in my grill, as it were.

Bob Jewett said:

Do you ever tip? Is tipping expected in that pool hall? Do other customers tip?

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I used to tip, but after I consistently received cold, slow, unfriendly service, I stopped. Tipping is generally a very rare thing in this country, and certainly not expected.

Bob Jewett said:

When the manager notices what's up he comes over and says that he sees that I'm giving a lesson and he doesn't want any of that in his place as he is the only one who gives lessons there. He agrees to let us finish the hour, but he doesn't want to see me try that again. The place is closed now.

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Ahahahah. What a d1ck. :grin: ...When I read "The place is closed now" I was pleased that at least a kind of natural justice came into play there.

Scaramouche said:

Ying and yang.
You are a masochist and they provide what you desire.
Now move on so I can have my couch occupied by a more interesting case.

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Another good theory, but alas a wrong one (albeit delivered with an entertaining note of satire). :wink:

Far from being a masochist, I'm practically addicted to having fun (which ok might qualify me as suffering from other emotional problems, but certainly not masochism).

As I was there with some good company, I ended up having a very enjoyable evening ...despite the staff rather than because of them.

Now standing by to hear other users' horror stories, ready to provide tea and sympathy. :smile: