I just returned from a week in New York City.   Paraphrasing what NFL quarterback Jim McMahon said on leaving BYU, “My favorite view of New York was the one in the rear view mirror on my way out.”  That’s not entirely true, or course, but there is certainly some truth there.

I had fun in New York.  Who doesn’t have fun in a place with that much culture and that much cultural diversity?  We went to the theatre, to the museums, to the historic places, to the touristy places and everywhere in between.  Some of the best food in the world can be found in New York.  In some ways I really enjoyed being there.  It’s a great place to go every four or five years, if only to remind you why you live in the mountains.

The thing that I marvel at is how poor the customer service is everywhere you go.  “They’re just New Yorkers,” people say, as if to excuse the way people treat you.  “Oh, it’s okay that they treat you like that then.  I didn’t realize they were from New York.”  The level of customer service was so poor you hardly dared ask for directions or advice for fear someone would bite your head off.

In a great city with so much to offer culturally, I don’t see how they can get away with treating people that way.  I have been to other areas where tourism is a big part of their livelihood and they don’t mistreat tourists.  Not only do they “tolerate” them, they embrace them.  Would that be so hard in New York?  Surely there’s someone in New York who needs a job who’s not a jerk.  We joked that in order to get a job in customer service in New York you have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you really are incapable of treating people civilly.

If I didn’t learn anything else on this trip (and I did) it was that the customer is king.  People who are treated well are more likely to spend more, and encourage their friends and family to return and do the same.  Those who are mistreated close their wallets and encourage people to avoid going to such a place, even if you are from New York.  ‘Nough said.

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