It took five ‘phone calls to set up a meeting with our local bank concerning something absolutely routine. Eventually we managed to get an appointment and turned up at 9am.
The bank was a few minutes late opening but nowadays that’s nothing unusual. We went into the place, spoke to the woman at the front desk and she invited us to take a seat. By five past nine I was fuming–by this time the front deskperson was returning from one of the side offices. I told her we were leaving because I refuse to be treated with contempt, like a serf waiting for an audience with the lord of the manor.
And she was shocked. Pointed out that she’d just been to ask the person we had an appointment with (who was in a meeting) how much longer she would be.
Well, I don’t give a damn how much longer she would be. 9am doesn’t mean five or ten or whatever past nine, it means 9am!
I’m willing to bet these useless, rude bastards are very familiar with all the usual mission-statement tripe about “excellence” and “customer service”…what a pity they don’t include basic good manners and punctuality.
