On Thursday, March 27, 2008, I have one of the worst Philadelphia experiences in my life. I visit the city two/three times a year for business and to enjoy family. I made the requisite appointment at Pierre and Carlo's knowing that my hotel was a short walk to the establishment from the gym. Business trips are frequently tiring, tightly and over scheduled, and leave little margin for error.
I arrived in jeans (clean albeit they were a tad sweaty from the walk-I feel almost compelled to mention this). There was an immediately sense of condescension and disrespect. The atmosphere descended into acrimony in just a few seconds. Susan (no, I didn't get a last name) was unfriendly, judgmental, critical and hyper vigilant about SERVING me. Her egregious berhaviors were exhibited in her inattentiveness, her absence of people skills, her complete lack of professionalism (wasn't she trained that familarity is not her purview), her carelessness in the performaces of her responsibilities(I had to have my brows redone when I arrived home), and in her inability to mask her absolute distain for me despite being well paid (and tipped)for her services. She's a paid employee and she had the temerity to attempt a series of questions that were far above her status as a paid employee! The expression "if you have to ask, you can't afford" didn't ask - could afford.
Pierre and Carlo's has a national reputation and I thought I would take advantage of that reputation. It's amazing to me that SUSAN made a value judgment, not knowing WHO I was, WHERE I came from, or WHAT I did. She simply reacted to the color of my skin. I won't list my (personal or professional) pedigrees, my accomplishments, or my titles. Thursday, I was a woman who needed her brows done and a bikini wax. How truly sad that the SUSANS are still able to find employment - not particularly advantageous when an establishment has a national reputation, Retrain or get rid of her!!!
Cons: Employees leave a lot to be desired in the application of their services
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