The Great Service Topic - who was really good?

iObject said :

Also, on the negative side – is there some sort of fast-food time-space anomoly in Gungahlin that makes the two big name crap-food outlets especially slow?

Slowest. Fast-food. Ever.

True. KFC has been brutally slow at times. If I want fast food in Gungahlin, I go to Wok It Up which is awesome and fast.

Gary Singh is the patron saint of good service.

The Brad said :

Hansel and Gretels at Phillip – while the service is neither good nor bad, the staff there enjoy each others company, and their enjoyment of each other overflows to the customers.
I always leave there with a smile on my face.

how about trying the olive? we have left H&G now. all our coffee comes from the chocolate olive.

For customer service in Phillip, that i have had a good experience with, are the following establishments:

Chocolate olive cafe – very courteous and great attention to detail
Indian Affair – gary singh prides himself on his customer service
Jax Tyres – really helpful guys
Security One
george’s liquor
any of the chinese restaurants, special mention for mings,
Elite physique
Canberra Toyota – service section

Thanks Granny 🙂

It’s good to hear Pangaea are serious about the service thing. You know, I reckon good service can make up for ordinary food… not that their food is ordinary, it’s OK. But the service really makes you happy to go there again.

Now, Silo, they serve good food but I’m not willling to put up with their crap to get it. so I don’t go. I like the Vietnamese down the street. They’re normal and honest.

I went to Pangaea for my birthday because of ant’s review and we got amazing service also. The guy even gave us some free Italian hot chocolate to try, just because, and thereby ruined me for any other hot chocolate ever again!

I was pleased with the service I got at Pangaea, too (did a review, in fact!).

Also, I’ve noticed that the service at Tarocash at DFO is always very good. Really helpful, in that the help is helpful, not annoying. They actually add value. They seem to attract good staff.

I object, iObject! I just wanted to say that.

Also, on the negative side – is there some sort of fast-food time-space anomoly in Gungahlin that makes the two big name crap-food outlets especially slow?

Slowest. Fast-food. Ever.

I must say that the last couple of times I went to Pangaea in Manuka I was blown away by how good the two maitre-des (sp?) were.

The service was so good, my gf and I were compelled to tell them so after the meal (also top notch).

They admitted they were service specialists who had been hired by the place to improve their customer service and image, and boy were they worth every cent.

A company like that could make a mint in Canberra!

Sadly I could tell you of numerous BAD customer service stories….. But almost no good service stories…

Although I havent been there in awhile – But the staff at Jeanswest in Belconnen Mall were always outstanding….

Hansel and Gretels at Phillip – while the service is neither good nor bad, the staff there enjoy each others company, and their enjoyment of each other overflows to the customers.
I always leave there with a smile on my face.

The owner (Tall slim straw blonde lady) always remembers me because I religiously get jindi blue, crackers and quince paste.

She is always friendly – regardless of how her day is going (Which is great customer service IMO)

If you go I think tuesday nights it is, you get 15 or 20% off (Cant remember the day or percentage really) but quite often Mrs Danman and I head down there early in the week to get a cold antipasto dinner. I do not think that they have stretched themselves too far, having never been dissapointed when going.

Their deli section is quite impressive.

I go there for the stuffed capsicums and frittata sangers at lunchtime, and muggacinos and compliments almost anytime!

I love a good fresh food grocer. I used to go to Fruitylicious and I agree that they do have very polite staff. Unofrutnately I had to stop going there as they often didn’t stock the fresh food I needed and thought they had their fingers in too many pies and lost focus on their fresh food section. In the end I couldn’t justify making the independant trip there before going to Woolies. Maybe this has changed since the last time I have been. I might give them another go.

I now go to Woolies for my all my groceries and the occasional shop to HUB Asian Grocer (which is fantastic!).

I would have to agree with you, Danman.

I went in there the other day as they were packing away tables and stuff and asked if it was too late to get a muggacino.

Not only were they happy to make me one, but they also offered to let me stay and drink it at the store.

They are always friendly, and keen to recommend which is the best home-made cake or salad or cheese to try. I leave the place feeling kind of hugged.

I am going to have to give Fuitylicious in Gunghalin a huge plug – they always have happy cheerful sales assistants, a great selection of fresh food, fruit veg and a deli section.

The clincher for me was the other day – there was a line of about 7 people waiting to pay, it was bloody hot and the sales staff could see evryone getting a little figety, so the owner went to the freezer and got out a tub of the mini gelati waffle cones and started handing them around to everyone in the queue, keeping young and old alike happy to be waiting.

Small touches like that ensure my repeat custom.

Hahaha Wellington Macca’s, mate you were lucky you were served at all. Wellington has one of the highest unemployed populations in all of Australia. My girlfriends folks live on a property outside Wello and I avoid the town at all costs.

I had a similar experience in the Maccas at Wellington, central NSW. It took them 15 minutes to make a bacon and egg mcmuffin one morning. And I was the only customer in the shop.

That said, the Queanbeyan maccas also sucks arse, although I think they’re trying to improve it now.

As for really good service…? Don’t think I’ve had any at cafes, although the Kingston bakery is always good for quick and cheap food.

The trick to getting good service in hobart is to not mention Martin Bryant, and talk very slowly

I was recently in QLD, and stopped at Macca’s in Robina Town Centre. The two teenage boys behind the registers were having an in-depth conversation for several minutes, before they asked up the customers from the queue, and then the guy that served me stuffed up my order (which at 1 item, seemed relatively simple), whilst they other guy managed to royally screw up the other customer’s (slightly complex) order… This never happens in Canberra Macca’s…

Oh don’t get me started on the service in Paris. It is by far the worst I encountered in Europe. The Scots and the Swiss were fantastic.

Route 132D, even.

Canberra seems to have a lot poorer customer service overall

As somebody who’s been served in every capital city except Hobart, and pretty much every large regional centre in the country, and internationally in places as diverse as a fine bistro in Paris and a desert roadside stand somewhere along Route 32 in Mexico, I’d say service in Canberra is pretty much the same as everywhere else – that is, about halfway down a 10 point scale that has the US at 9.

Which is why it’d be good if people highlighted the really excellent places and people who give excellent service. They deserve to be publicly acknowledged (and I’d like to patronise them, so as to get good service!).

I’m not saying there aren’t people out there with good customer service, but Canberra seems to have a lot poorer customer service overall than other cities.

H1NG0 said :

Oh and added to that, customer service does not apply in Canberra. We are all greedy public servants and should be treated as such, thats why we are astonished when someone is actually helpful.

rubbish.

I work in sales, in the IT industry, and am very diligent to provide the best levels of service to my clients, as they are my life. If i am prepared to go hungry, I treat them badly.

not ever going to happen.

I receive great customer service every day. There are places that i frequent for coffee with clients, and lunches, the staff are always professional and courteous. (Chocolate olive for one, in phillip….)

Oh and added to that, customer service does not apply in Canberra. We are all greedy public servants and should be treated as such, thats why we are astonished when someone is actually helpful.

If we are discussing Cafe service, then Cafe Injoy at Gold Creek gets my vote. It is the type of Cafe where you need to go to the counter to order, however their service is very quick and efficient. Even when the place is packed, I have never had to wait more than 10 minutes for my food. Amazing service.