ON THE MARK.

ARE CANADIANS TOO POLITE??

In the aftermath of yesterday's column, several of my Facebook friends wondered aloud why I didn't complain to management after receiving shoddy service at The Keg, a popular upscale restaurant.  I think the reason might be simple.   I'm Canadian.  Generally, we don't make a big fuss if we feel we've been taken advantage of.  Maybe that's why the service industry in Canada is substandard when compared to the United States.   In America, you have a god-given right to complain.  You can scream and stomp your feet and demand to see the manager and everybody around you will likely support you with applause or a "Way to go, you tell 'em".  Usually, a manager will immediately rectify the problem by offering something for free.  A couple of desserts, a gift certificate, a sincere apology that it will never happen again. They want your business, and they'll do anything to keep it.  Besides, what's a free meal or a gift certificate to a place that does 30-40 grand in business on a busy night?   But in Canada, if you're unhappy with the service and you put up a fuss, there's a real danger that everybody in the restaurant will stare at you, as if you're ruining their meal by not accepting mediocre service.  If you're the type who worries what other people think, you likely won't put up a fuss.  You'll eat the meal, nod approval to the server, pay the bill, tip the server 15-20%, and then when you're leaving and they say "I hope you enjoyed your dining experience", you will likely lie and say "Yes, thanks very much."   Only in Canada.

Let's face it.  Canadians are the nicest, most trustworthy people on the planet.  We're lovers, not fighters.  No matter where Canadians go in the world, we are trusted and respected.   That's because we're friendly, non-confrontational and welcoming.  We also see how some Americans respond and react, and we're appalled by their behaviour.  We generally see them as loud, obnoxious and demanding, when in reality they're just sticking up for their rights.  In some cases, we should be more like Americans.  There's no harm in demanding higher standards when it comes to the service industry.  In the States, if you don't provide good service, you're out of business pretty soon.  In Canada, you can get away with poor service because your customers aren't nearly as demanding.  We seem to be OK with mediocrity and that's exactly what we get.   Some say Canadians are negatively influenced by U.S. culture.   Had I gone to a Keg-like restaurant in the U.S., a manager likely would've come to my table BEFORE I even had a chance to complain.  "How's the meal going, sir?"  "Not very well" would be my response.   And then the problem would be solved.

Not one person from The Keg has attempted to contact me with regards to this issue, and I don't expect they will.   You can't tell me that word hasn't leaked out to someone high up in the chain that there's an unhappy customer out there.  A guy whose blog is read by hundreds, maybe thousands of people.  A guy who went on CHML radio today to recount his Friday night from Hell at the steakhouse chain.  There's another several thousand who know.   If it's my company, I'm in damage control mode.  I want to make the customer happy, and ensure that he/she is a customer for LIFE.  Maybe I should've acted like an American and complained loudly that my meal wasn't enjoyable and that the five star service I expected was woefully inadequate.   Instead, the Keg took advantage of my Canadian sensibilities, and I ended up paying for it.  Silly me. 

Congrats to Christine Sinclair, winner of the Lou Marsh trophy as Canada's outstanding athlete.  This was an absolute no-brainer.  With all due respect to Milos Raonic, Christine Nesbitt, Steven Stamkos and other fine Canadian-born athletes, Sinclair is heads and shoulders the best.  Her performance in that Olympic semi-final against the Americans might be the single greatest performance by a Canadian athlete in HISTORY.  The fact that we lost because of poor officiating shouldn't take away from that performance.  Let's just give her all the other year-end sports accolades that will be awarded this month.  She is, simply, the best.

ESPN had a trivia question up on Twitter that is driving me crazy because they haven't revealed the answer.
The Question:  Next to Joe and Kobe Bryant (35,000 career points) what father-son duo has the most points in NBA history.   I'm pretty sure I have the right answer, but I need some help.  Message me if you think you know it.

How bad are the Buffalo Bills?  Plenty.  A friend of mine said he bought a pair of tickets for Sundays' game against the Rams on Thursday afternoon from Stub Hub.  Price was 39 dollars per ticket, and he sat 8 rows from the field.  Too bad the Bills played like bums and got beat 15-12.   I don't know how coach Chan Gailey has kept his job.  The Bills host Seattle at the Rogers Centre this Sunday, and my spies tell me you will be able to grab tickets from a scalper for 60 bucks a pop.   On Stub Hub today, there are lots of tickets available starting at 84 dollars.   Me, I'll watch it on TV.   That way, if it gets ugly, I can always turn to another station.