Customer service: you're doing it wrong

Item A:

We stopped into a service station on the way home from visiting friends. It was cold and we just wanted something to drink, so we went into the Little Chef (not, admittedly, a gastronomic centre). They were advertising Aero hot chocolate - thick, bubbly and something else [probably indulgent], went the copy. We ordered one each.

When the hot chocolate arrived, it was watery, thin, not all that hot, and had lumps of powder still undissolved. It tasted lousy - weak and watery, a million miles away from the lush drink advertised on the menu. Serious Bunny and I looked at each other.

"I don't want to drink this."

"I don't either."

"I'm going to send it back. Do you mind?" Because getting into this kind of conversation, in Britain, can be non-trivial.

"No, go on."

Five minutes later we finally managed to attract some attention.

"Excuse me - this isn't as advertised. It's really weak and there are lumps in it and it tastes awful."

"Uh ... The machine's broken, so we have to do it by hand."

"Well ... it needs about this much more powder in it."

"I can go and put some more in it if you like."

"No thanks. Really. We'll leave it."

Item B

Wales, two or three years ago. We've stopped, with the parents in tow, to look around. Llangollen's a little town and the parking costs about 45 pence for two hours. Bless :)

We decide to get a coffee. We find a cafe that advertises various coffees, including lattes, which cost about £2.50. That's about the outside of what I'll pay for a latte, but okay - screw it, we're on holiday, you know?

When the lattes arrive, they have evidently been mixed straight from a packet with water from the kettle. What's wrong with this picture?

We just don't get it in this country. If you can't deliver the product you're advertising, you shouldn't be selling it. You certainly shouldn't be selling a vastly inferior product for the same amount of money. And I'm sure it's our fault, too - there's something in the British psyche that's just allergic to complaining. But complain we must, because being ripped off is not okay. You only have to travel to, say, North America, to work out that good customer service is not rocket science.

Item C

When I am running the country, it will be mandatory for anyone working in a supermarket to be trained in how to pack customers' bags if this is something their job requires them to do.

Putting all the really heavy items into one bag and all the lightweight items into another = FAIL. Putting objects in with no regard for what's squashable/stackable/fragile = FAIL. Failing to consider item size when packing the bag = FAIL.

I googled to try and find interesting (and preferably factual) things relating to the crapness of British customer service, but the internets failed me. I should probably complain to someone :P