The Pret a Manger predicament

DAILY MAIL'S BREAKING NEWS: Pret a Manger expect employees to 'be charming', 'have presence', create a 'sense of fun' and not 'annoy people' or be 'bad-tempered'! Emotional slavery, I say! Or perhaps just normality?

So according to a recent article from the Daily Mail, the 'bizarre' revelations on Pret a Manger's guidelines for employees are somewhat shocking. 

Uhh... Since when was encouraging your employees to provide good customer service out of the ordinary?

Customer Service 
 
Good customer service is being attentive, friendly, positive and helpful. So what exactly are Pret a Manger doing wrong? Surely -  like any other role which is customer facing - a personable attitude is a requirement in the job description!?

Could you imagine a job interview where the interviewee explains how they are naturally irritable and feel insulted when customers ask them for help?  I can't.

Would they get the job after insisting: 'If customers want something done, they can do it themselves'? Don't think so.

I hate going into shops where there's grumpy, rude people at the counter! Or having to wait around while co-workers argue or finish their gossip session before being served. That's bad customer service.

Hypocrisy

The Daily Mail then accuse Pret a Manger of taking down the list of things they 'do' and 'don't' expect of their employees from their website because they were so TERRIBLY ashamed.

No.

As expected, a spokesman for Pret told the Daily Mail that 'they are for internal use for staff and the website is an external facing platform for communications with customers.' 

Duh! It doesn't take a rocket scientist to work that one out.

I can't believe the Daily Mail even published the article after realising that they were dramatising something so far from noteworthy.

Either way, where are guidelines for working with the Daily Mail on their website? Nowhere to be found! Hypocrites.

Get over it

The article can be compared to a little kid throwing their toys out of the pram because Mummy wouldn't give them Haribos... Kicking up a fuss over something which doesn't truly matter - since Haribos aren't vital to the wellbeing of children. In fact, they're bad for them.

The only difference is that the Daily Mail is made up of adults. 

At the end of the day, it's not like Pret a Manger are forcing their employees to continue working there as slaves. If the employees don't want to provide good customer service then they can go attempt to find a job elsewhere. Perhaps a job working in the back-end of some shop sorting out deliveries would suit?

But then again, even that requires some sort of human interaction!

I would love to know your opinion in the 

comments box below...