What Ever Happened to Customer Service?

Why is it that when this Capital City hosts thousands of our nation's tourists for holiday weekends like Memorial Day weekend, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) seems to recruit its worst for customer service representatives. I hate how rude our own WMATA employees can be when tourists are standing around metro stations looking for help. I cannot tell you how many times I have tried to stop tourists from inserting 20 dollar bills into the ticket machines. I hate when I walk by and see the gleeful look of a tourist turn to shock and awe when they realize that they are receiving 15 plus dollars in change, all in quarters.

And why is it that the station managers or assistant station managers will not help you in buying the correct ticket, but they will stop you when you try to hand over your ticket to another visitor who might not have enough on their ticket. The other day a relative of mine had this happen, where she knew she was not going to be leaving the next morning to return to the West coast. She still had over 15 dollars of metro fare on her card, but she knew she would not be back any time soon to use it. So, when someone was passing by and had trouble with the card, she simply offered it to them as she exited, explaining she was leaving the city. Just then, a station manager came running out and screamed at her, making a scene, scolding her for trying to trade fare cards. No explanation was given. Now, you and I fellow Washingtonians know the rules, but innocent tourists do not. So, why not politely explain the rules to them instead of yelling at them in a very public manner. This leaves a lasting impression, and a very negative one at that.

That leaves you and me to undo the damage. So, next time you see a tourist about to insert that Andrew Jackson into that ticket machine, take an extra minute of your time - and perhaps miss that train you were running for - and assist them in buying metro tickets. The good karma will come back five fold.

What Do You Mean You Don't Have Frappucinnos?

I hate that there is a Starbucks on almost every corner of Washington's downtown streets. I once heard there are nearly 50 Starbucks in a 5 mile radius in Washington, D.C. Are there really that many yuppies in this town?

I hate that the Juan Valdez Cafe closed before I got my free coffee. Sure, their coffee didn't taste that great, but I was cheering for the underdog that opened up across the street from a Starbucks in Penn Quarter. Now all I have is this frequent coffee card that I carried around in my wallet for months.

According to the Nuestro Futuro page on the Juan Valdez Cafe website, they are going to do "Expansion internacional" in 2006. So much for that plan. I wonder how the Juans in NYC and Seattle are holding up?

Can You Hear Me Now?

I dislike loud talkers. I hate loud talkers on the metro. We all know the type. Mr. I just got done with happy hour so I am going to board the train with my friends and proceed to tell inside jokes and curse. What is it that makes these guys think that anyone on their nightly commute wants to hear that? Is it really necessary to use the f word every five seconds to get your point across? Last I checked, no one on this train had a RSS feed to your miserable life, so stop streaming your verbal vomit and let us have a few minutes to listen to the sound of the steel on tracks or read our day old Washington Post.

Oh, and you are scaring the tourists.

Do We Love to Hate D.C.?

Besides an appetite for networking, politics and the occasional scandal, the most important thing you need to survive the Nation's Capital is a sense of humor. This blog shares and archive those humorous albeit annoying things about the most powerful city in the World, Washington, D.C.

We all know the most common complaints - It's no New York, but it's the Hollywood for ugly people; the parking is a joke and the traffic is worse; Metro is increasing fares and decreasing trains; and perhaps what should be our new city slogan, "Our local news is your national news."

Contribute pet peeves, grievances, complaints and memorable moments on why we love to hate D.C.