Customer Service? By TITVS-ADVXAS

"The Pallasades Shopping Centre provides the first point of entry to the City Centre for most shoppers and is commonly regarded to as "the gateway to the city". Average footfall ove

r the year is approximately 400,000 per week. The centre is a pleasant, safe and secure shopping environment with over 90 units for the shopper to choose from. Major names include Woolworths, Argos, HMV, JJB and Peacocks. There is also a wide range of smaller, specialist shops, exclusive boutiques and a chance to take a break in one of the well-established eating houses. The centre is directly above New Street Station, also enjoying a 1200 space multi-storey NCP car park."

Directly quoted from The Pallasades Website, what this link doesn't tell you is:

Un co-operative staff who's job I'm told is to sit reading Newspapers and News websites, although if you stand by The Leeds Building Society and look over their shoulders they do seem to spend a lot of time looking at girly websites but my eyesight may not be as good as it used to be.
Family members of staff hanging around, ready to verbally abuse you when you complain about their relatives.
Foul, Filthy Smelly Toilets that when open remind one of a week old soiled pamper.
Foul, Filthy Smelly Toilets that when closed for cleaning makes one wonder if they are just re-arranging the inch deep pools of urine on the slippery floor floor
Units being closed down in readiness for major alterations to New Street Station

Yesterday I was able to confirm all of these bullet points. I went to the Men's room only to find it was closed for repair. I approached The Customer Service Desk and waited for 10 minutes before being acknowledged. The member of staff was having a private chat with someone and their eye contact/flirtiness lead me to assume (incorrectly) that they were boyfriend and girlfriend, and I Had to clear my throat to be noticed. The young lady started to talk to me. I simply and politely asked "Who is responsible for the Men's toilets, as I needed to use them". The young lady phoned someone then used her 2-way radio, and then told me that the urinal was blocked and they were awaiting plumbers, as the urine soaked floor was approaching the dangerous level (Which I assumed meant that it was dangerous for staff as the urine was in a position to now get splashed onto their own clothes.)

I then asked if there was anywhere I could sit and was told that seating was removed several years ago as "we used to get people sitting on the seats". I was also told that if I was desperate for the toilets, then McDonalds was around the corner. I decline saying that I would never support McDonalds even by pi$$ing on them if the were on fire.

After hanging around by 'Peacocks' for about 30 minutes, I returned to The Customer Service Desk, just to if there was an update on The Men's toilets. Before I could speak, the female who made me feel so worthless before said "The toilets are still closed. I've already 'told' you to go to McDonalds". I spoke to her newly arrived colleague, and sarcastically said "At least I didn't have to wait for her to finished speaking to her boyfriend this time". The first lady butted in to say "My boyfriend is in West Bromwich at work, that other guy just hangs around the centre"

So someone she fancied was OK to hang around, but an overweight middle aged man was told to go to McDonalds (to get fatter I presume)?

I then asked the young lady if she was worried if her lack of customer care would bode well with her employers should I decide to complain about her obvious lack of job skills? To which she retorted "Well we've been taken over by Birmingham City Council, since last week, so I'm not worried that they would even be bothered by anything you would say to them" She was then joined in her assault on me by a scruffy filthy looking toothless pensioner standing nearby, who said "I'm her Dad, Why are you so bothered about the men's toilets? Are you a pervert? Are you gay? Are you a pervert (again)? Are you gay (again)? Why don't you just pi$$ off and go to McDonalds like you've been told to" I also mentioned again about there being no seating for people, but was again told that they were removed because people used to sit upon them, but if I wanted to sit down, I could go to Starbucks OR McDonalds. I tried to use the analogy of wanting to sit down at a bus stop, and being told to "go and knock on the front door of the house by the bus stop and sit down in their living room or use their toilets", but my sarcasm was completely lost in their utter dimness.

So do I assume from my foray that:

"ALL EMPLOYEES OF BIRMINGHAM CITY COUNCIL SHARE THE ARROGANCE THAT POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE BY THEMSELVES CAN GO UNPUNISHED OR UNREPRIMANDED? AND THAT RUDENESS CAN BE CONDONED? AND THAT WE CAN TAKE OUR DAD TO WORK AS BACKUP?"

[I have tried to correct the poor grammar of these people in my recollections above]