Sweet Mary mother of God, something has gone terribly wrong in the chain of command at the SFO Noah's. It's one of those cases of over-computerization that has completely mechanized the minds of those poor workers. They remain caught in an automated bagel web of paper receipts that has entirely replaced their basic human faculty of common sense.
A line of 4 people took 15 minutes to get through. I ordered a cinnamon raisin bagel, untoasted with cream cheese on the side. One would expect the cashier woman to reach back onto the bagel shelf, toss me a bagel, a Solo plastic mini cup o' cream cheese, and bid me adieu. Five seconds at the most. Au contraire...
She laboriously types the order into the computer, prints it out, hands it to another guy who tapes it above the back counter next to 3 other order slips. I wait. And wait. And wait.
Meanwhile, they call another order. A girl - one of the 4 people now waiting - walks up but doesn't have her yellow paper. "I need the Yellow Paper!" shrieks the totalitarian puppet. It's obviously no one else's order. The girl gives an exasperated sigh, digs obediently in the trash circle cut into the counter top like one of those eskimo fishing holes, and finds her paper. She hands it to the woman, who rewards her with a frightening plastic smile.
During many more minutes of the same, I clutch my yellow paper ready to thrust it at the woman and make it to my gate on time. When my order is called, I grab the white paper bag and run. Mid-run, I find they've sliced the bagel and slathered 2 inches of cream cheese in the middle, which I will later wipe down to an acceptable thickness.
Computers have streamlined local and global systems in amazing ways, but I think the good people at Noah's should realize that some processes are better managed the old-fashioned way. They do a disservice to both their customers and their employees when they don't trust their workers to think for themselves. Noah's isn't the only offender, but they happened to catch me at a particularly disgruntled moment. read more