Money for nothing .. and the CHICKS for free

They say the only thing that cuts across everything, unites people and sometimes destroys them is - Money. We love everything about it. Songs are dedicated to the sounds it makes and the colours it comes in, rap stars are even named after it. And with everyone wanting a bigger share of the pie, it’s no surprise when fast food chains that talk about customer satisfaction generally but making higher profits over quality or quantity. Where am I going with all this? Well, I had two diametrically opposite experiences at two fast food joints in Bahrain. I visited one of the more popular pizza joints after a long break of six months or so and was surprised to discover the sham that is the SALAD bar. The size of the plate for the salad selection had gone down from a nickel to a quarter. And if you wanted the nickel back you need to pay more. It was daylight robbery considering the fact the only thing edible in the salad bar – the pasta- had disappeared, all in the name of customer service. But the ying to this yang was a popular batter fried chicken fast food joint. I reached there after lunchtime, a day of hard work and some back breaking, heart stopping, mind numbing, clutch-brake control practise, in other words, a gruelling driving lesson (which by the way is material for a whole new article). Ordered two meals, some popcorn and a cookie. When I offered by credit card for payment. The lady behind the counter shook her head to say they accept only cash. I had maybe a Dinar and a half in coins that would only buy me half the things I wanted to satiate my hunger. So I looked heaven wards and agreed. When I my order was packed, a knight in Shining Armour revealed himself and asked the lady to give me all that I had asked for originally. I was pleasantly surprised. “ You pay next time you come”, was all he said without taking down any of my details. Now that’s what I call customer service and customer satisfaction not to forget value for money. So maybe money afterall doesn’t drive everyone and humanity still exists.