Has Customer Service Left the Chat?

Kicking things off with a little HTBLO community check-in on the current state of customer service practices. Was there a new rollout? Did I miss a memo?

But first! It’s been brought to my attention that a new way to “laugh" in texts and comments has emerged. Young radio host diana.ayoub is claiming that 😂😂😂 is officially out and 🐬🐬🐬is in!

Diana reports, that the crying emoji is — Unc.

The dolphin emoji, however, has joined the party. And honestly? Those high-pitched, squeaky dolphin whistles do sound a like a fit of giggles.

Please know that if you march forward with this update most of your pals will be confused and think you’re losing it. That said, you will start noticing this change in the wild.

Okay, back to hospitality —

This past weekend, my husband and I tried to see The Invite, directed by Olivia Wilde. It was very last-minute and to my surprise the movie was basically sold out. A non-Marvel movie, directed by a lady, three weeks after opening and the only seats left were in the neck pain section? — You just love to see it.

Since The Invite was a bust, we pivoted to getting a bite at Finney's Crafthouse, a very low-key, regular-schmegular spot. Exactly what we were in the mood for.

The vibes were up and our waiter could not have been nicer. We ordered the avocado rolls to start. For mains, I got the southwest chicken protein bowl and Wing went all in on a cheesesteak sandwich.

Our waiter warned us that, as fans of the Cheesecake Factory avocado rolls (guilty) we might be disappointed by the Finney’s version. Guess what? Not the case, they held their own against the Factory quite beautifully🫡.

Everything was unfolding nicely until around bite three of my bowl, when I discovered a hair was woven into it.

A found hair will grind any meal to a screeching halt.

Wing immediately flagged down our waiter, who looked mortified. He cautiously asked if I’d like them to remake the dish. Honestly, before the follicle’s appearance I was very much enjoying the bowl. Plus, I was starved.

“Yeah,” I said “Let’s give it another go.”

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Second bowl was hair-free (gag) and yummy. The waiter checked back and asked if the manager had stopped by. She hadn’t. He assured us that she’d be over shortly.

We were back to enjoying our evening and I’d almost forgotten about the incident, when the manager sidled up to our table.

“How is everything for you tonight?”