As I drove past McDonald’s Tuesday, I remembered my humble beginnings in the workplace; specifically at that particular McDonald’s I was passing. I remember being 15 and very impressionable. My managers drilled it over and over that the customer is always right. Fries not hot enough? We’ll replace them because you said they were too cold. Not enough ketchup on your burger? We’ll replace it because you said so. Totally unhappy with your meal? We will refund it because the customer is always right.
Well, I’m all grown up now. I have many opportunities to see adults act bizarre, unruly, rude, disrespectful, and obnoxious while under the influence of alcohol. It is very difficult to subscribe to that old theory of the customer always being right when you are driving down the freeway at 70 miles per hour and your drunk passenger suddenly decides to open the moon-roof and crawl out on to the roof.
If you slam on the brakes, he becomes a missile. Now, we have a problem. In the case described, the passenger was an employee of one of our largest accounts and was in the vehicle for a company party. To make it even more complicated, the person is also responsible for booking limos in his position including the one that he was riding in.
Of course, in his drunken condition, he did not feel he posed any danger to himself as he was “totally in control” as he asserted. He reminded the chauffeur who he was, how much his company spent with our company each year, and basically declared himself in charge.
What would you do in this situation?
Print | posted on Wednesday, April 01, 2009 9:42 AM