Dec 16 2007
queues (US = lines)
Text-messaging is probably popular here because its a way of having fun with friends without using too much cell phone battery while you’re in a queue. In just one one day I queued for a cumulative total of 2 years, 3 months, 1 week, 8 hours, 24 minutes and 7 seconds at:
- after-party London fancy hotel, because I’m worth it, check-out
- London Underground ticket-issuing machine, because I’m really Joe Public
- British Rail Ticket office, because I haven’t yet queued enough today
- Letting agency office, because I was just a would-be renter.
- NatWest counter who cashed my cheque to pay my first months rent but they directed me to another queue to take my a standing order
- NatWest information to set-up a standing so that it pays automatically in future
- Marks & Spencers public
loos, ladies,restrooms,toilets, washrooms, because I really can’t decide what to call them and have lost the ability to say TOILET in public or LOO, really, I go all pink and start inspecting the top of my shoes. - Bar. Apparantly this bar staff found out that a 3 foot bar can render me invisible. Sigh. Luckily, fellows on the customer side of the bar noticed my little queue-bashed-face and pointed the bar-staff over to sort me out before a I subjected everyone to a wreckless outbreak of public blubbing.
It feels like UK systems maximise having people stand in queues awaiting their service distribution. This is very economical for the service provider in terms of cost, they under-staff and turnover remains high. British consumers appear very patient with this approach to providing them with service. I’d much rather the services provided adequate staffing to ensure that, as a customer, I do not have to plan for standing in a queue…..
queues (US = lines)
