No More Taxis

[customersruinmylife]

Happy Christmas to everyone from the UK! Why am I still awake? Well, I am bound to the couch with the flu and have been asleep for more than 24 hours, so I am wide awake. Why haven't I been on CS for a few weeks? Well, I accidentally sat on my laptop...seriously. Now it doesn't work. It was on it's last legs anyway, so I'm saving for a new one.

So, I have quite a few tales to tell! So I might as well spend the night typing them up. I offically hate Christmas. Christmas drinkers are the WORST.

Part One

So, it was quite late in the evening and a customer came up to the bar and asks a co-worker to ring him a taxi. Now I don't agree with ringing people taxis unless it is an emergency. I don't believe we should be wasting our phonebill getting customers from one bar to another. But co-worker is very kind and went to ring them one.

Half an hour later, the customer comes up to the bar.

SC: One of your staff rang me a cab. Where is it?
Me: Oh OK, who rang you a taxi?
SC: One of your staff.

It was Saturday night, we had a lot of staff on.

SC: He was pulling beer out of that pump.

Yeah, that narrows it down.

Co-worker jumps in.

CW: Yeah that was me. They said a taxi was on it's way.
SC: Then WHERE is it???
Me: Hang on. I'll go check.

I went to ring the taxi company, but the line was busy. Well, it is Saturday night. I tried several times, and tried a couple of other companies. No luck getting through to any of them. I went back out.

Me: I tried ringing the taxi company but couldn't get through. They must be really busy.
SC: HE (points at co-worker rather violently) said he would get us a taxi!
CW: I did. I rang one for you and they said they would sent one right away.
SC: Then where is it?
CW: I don't know.
SC: YOU said YOU would get us a taxi!
CW: I rang one. I can't explain where it is! Maybe they got delayed. I don't know!
SC: You said you would ring us a taxi, and it's not here. That makes you a liar.

Co-worker is very friendly, but he will not take insults.

CW: Look, I did you a favour! I could have turned around and said "Sorry, we don't ring taxis" but I didn't. I went ahead and rang one. Don't you dare come up to me and call me a liar.
SC: Right, I want a manager right now.
Me: Right here.
SC: You're the manager?
Me: Yes.
SC: YOU'RE the manager?
Me: Yes.
SC: Then where is my taxi?!?
Me: I don't know. I tried ringing them to find out, and I can't get through.
SC: HE said HE would get us a taxi!
Me: And he rang one for you. But after that it is out of his hands. We are not a taxi company, it is not our responsibility if a taxi turns up on time or not.
SC: You know, this whole mess would have been avoided if you had just said "Sorry, we don't ring taxis"

He stormed off. A few minutes later, his wife came up to the bar, looking very sheepish.

SC's Wife: Hi...you don't ring taxis by any chance...do you?
Me: Sorry, we don't ring taxis
SC's Wife: Oh...OK.

Part Two

So, after that annoying experience, new policy was brought in. We do not ring taxis, using the simple excuse that our phone bill is too high and we're cutting costs.

So, regular idiot comes in.

Regular Idiot is quite possibly our most hated regular customer. He is rude, he smells, and he is a complete pervert. If an attractive girl comes up to the bar, he will get as close as humanly possible to her without actually touching her, and will STARE intently. And don't get me started on what he's like with the female staff...

So, we have been looking for an excuse to bar him.

RI: Ring me a taxi, I want to go home.
Me: Sorry, new policy, we don't ring taxis.
RI: WHAT?!? Who made that decision?!?
Me: Management.
RI: Well, you tell "management" next time I'm in here I am going to stab each and every one of you.
Me: OK...

He fled the permisis when he saw me going for the phone to get him a ride to the police station...

[rerant]

and he is a complete pervert. If an attractive girl comes up to the bar, he will get as close as humanly possible to her without actually touching her, and will STARE intently. And don't get me started on what he's like with the female staff...

Oh lawd, I had one of these guys a few weeks ago. He sat next to me at the bar for what seemed like an eternity and just STARED at me through drunken nonsensical gibberish I was trying to ignore.
Thankfully a friend of mine (staff) who I was talking to during this whole ordeal told him to pound sand. After this friend got a sufficient number of laughs in for his own pleasure, of course. Jerk.

[Mara-chan]

Happy Christmas to everyone from the UK!
So, it was quite late in the evening and a customer came up to the bar and asks a co-worker to ring him a taxi. Now I don't agree with ringing people taxis unless it is an emergency. I don't believe we should be wasting our phonebill getting customers from one bar to another. But co-worker is very kind and went to ring them one.

How does the phone system work in the UK? Are you charged for EVERY call? Do you have toll-free type numbers ("800" numbers here in the states), or no-charge local? Or is it just your workplace's phone system where they charge you by the use?

I'm just curious.

[Chromatix]

There are freephone numbers (0800 usually), but local calls are not normally free. (You might be able to get them if you pay extra per month.) The good news is that you don't get charged for incoming calls.

[PepperElf]

dang.

kinda makes me wish they could do for you what they did in hawaii...

one of the biggest cab companies (The Cab) had free phones installed in various areas. The phones automatically called The Cab dispatcher when you picked up the handset. And of course with caller-ID they knew where you wanted a pickup from.

though i suspect that wouldn't be as easy in other areas or countries. hawaii (oahu) only had a couple of cab companies and The Cab had the monopoly. (think it's the same company as The Bus too)

[bainsidhe]

Who's on first?

And around and around we go...

[Eric the Grey]

Part Two

So, we have been looking for an excuse to bar him.

RI: Ring me a taxi, I want to go home.
Me: Sorry, new policy, we don't ring taxis.
RI: WHAT?!? Who made that decision?!?
Me: Management.
RI: Well, you tell "management" next time I'm in here I am going to stab each and every one of you.
Me: OK...

He fled the permisis when he saw me going for the phone to get him a ride to the police station...

Looks to me like you've just gotten your reason to ban him. Threats of physical violence against your staff.


Eric the Grey

[Lachrymose]

"Read my lips...no new taxis!"

[otakuneko]

RI: Well, you tell "management" next time I'm in here I am going to stab each and every one of you.
Me: OK...

"Well, since you put it that way, let me ring you a cab. Here, have a drink while you wait, if you sit in that corner over there you should be able to see the cab when it comes!"
*discretely rings cops instead!*