My most overwhelming impression had to do with customer service. I went out to a seafood restaurant with my book club friends. One of the women ordered a glass of wine. The waitress said that they were out of that particular wine, could she suggest another alternative that had a wonderful oaky bouquet; it was medium dry and would go well with our seafood choices? Sold! Then she offered suggestions for our meal, promptly brought put the wine and bread, delivered the five meals at the same time, with help, continuously checked to see how we were doing and if we needed anything else, and then offered coffee and dessert after we had a long visit. And the most miraculous thing of all was that we did not have to beg for the bill.
In Armenia the US concept of customer service does not exist in any form. If I complain about customer service here, people say that if I think it is bad here, I should visit Russia, as if that is an excuse. In restaurants it is difficult to get waited on, meals never come at the same time, the waiter never checks back with the table, and it is a struggle to get someone to bring the bill, to come back for payment, and then to bring back the change. You never want to leave a tip, and they do not expect it. A service charge is added to all bills.
I went to Nordstrom. As I walked into the women’s clothing section a saleswoman asked me if I was looking for anything in particular. I told her that I needed two pairs of washable pants for work. She went over to the sale rack (half-price), pulled off three pairs, took me to a fitting room, checked back on the fit, told me that she thought that we could do better, went and got a few more pairs of pants, two pair fit beautifully but she did not have black (just grey and brown). So she said that she would locate them that day and have then shipped to my home free of charge so that they would arrive before I headed back to Armenia. I was blown out of the water. And I thought of my full shopping day in Yerevan trying to buy pants with no help or suggestions. They were all short by three inches.
A new Gyumri grocery store has opened down the street from me. The place is extremely disorganized, and I feel as if the owner has no grocery experience. And this is reflected in the customer experience. When you walk in, all bags must be placed in lockers. Someone follows you around the small store, never offering help, though that person does seem put out as I peruse the shelves just to see what they have (mostly candy, sweets, and alcohol.) I make my selections (pasta, juice, cheese) and head to the checkout area. The two women there, who have no other customers, cannot be bothered to look up. I put my items on the counter, and experience the surliest reaction possible. She is about 20 years old and is annoyed that I do not have smaller bills. Why would I ever go back? Because every other store of this type is the same.
I am working on a tourism project for Gyumri. The hospitality industry depends on a warm welcoming smile, a “How can I help you?,” and free information. (Bus schedules, rates, restaurants, events, etc.) I feel as if climbing Mount Rainier would be easier.
Gyumri is having all its city trees trimmed by a trained arborist, I'm sure.
Closeup of trimmed tree.
When I arrived back in Gyumri on January 7th, I could not find any eggs, but there were plenty of pigs heads.
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