more London smiles (updated)

Bill's is a new chain, well at least to me, of restaurants in London. http://bills-website.co.uk/  I had been to the one in Islington a couple of times and really liked it as much for the food, which seems to have something for everyone, vegans to carnivores and all those in between, as the ambiance and the staff/service.

We tried the one in Hoxton Square this time, and both my colleague and I were just the tiniest, weeniest, bit disappointed with our first tastes of our food when it came.  It just happened that the waitress was standing nearby and must have overheard or caught our expressions, (good attentive service), and asked us if everything was okay.

It was.  The food was good but just not rave about.  They offered to change our meals but no, we insisted that everything really was fine and that if she hadn't asked at that precise moment, we certainly wouldn't have mentioned it.  When I say it was good, I'm not being British in a "don't make a fuss" way, we both cleaned our plates.

Anyway, after our clean plates were taken away the manageress came over to discuss our meal with us and to see if there was anything they could do.  This wasn't just platitudes, we both felt it was true service with a smile.  So Ellie at Bill's in Hoxton Square, (and the waitress whose name and photograph I didn't get), a big thumbs up to you, and we'll be back.  

Meanwhile, a huge thank you to someone I've been wanting to feature almost since I began with the idea for this blog, Jackie at Waitrose in Finchley Road, NW3.  

Jackie mainly works on the tills and like so many of the staff at this branch have worked there for many years and know their customers by name, (Sue I'd also like to give you a thumbs up and a thank you).

However, like the day I took this picture (apologies for the fuzziness and a bit of thumb!) the shop was mayhem busy and although there may have been tills with less of a queue, regulars would rather wait for Jackie than go through quicker somewhere else.

So Jackie, a big thumbs up and thank you for making that weekly shop so enjoyable and I so love your smile, that I'm going to stick another picture of it here!

As always, if you have come across some special person doing their job with a smile or you want to say thank you to someone, please do send us your guest post to everdayfolk@gmail.com together with your contact details and pictures if you can.  If you're taking a picture of someone, please ask for their permission first.  Thanks.

23.11.13 - This P.S follows a lovely Sunday hug-smile-fest in Waitrose on 17th November. I was at Jackie's till (of course) having a little chat when lovely Sue joined us and finally let me a get a shot of her. While this was going on the smiliest dancer/Pilates teacher ever, Joumana of @IJADdance @JouDance, joined us and we had a lovely tete-tete.  Funniest thing was the lady in the queue behind me, who was sweet and patient, must have wondered about this weird lady hugging and photographing people as she shopped.

Another London thumbs up or two

My first thumbs up this week goes to to Barnet Council recycling bin men; not people usually associated with "pleasant service" but Keith and Paul give a lie to this reputation.

For those unfamiliar with Barnet's (current) recycling policy (it is changing on 14th October in some ways), they give you a blue box and a black box.  The black box if for paper and glass while the blue box is for cans, some plastics and cardboard. Yes, you have to separate your paper and cardboard and woe betide you if you get this wrong as you get this "note from the headmaster" stuck on your boxes telling you off and that you must redo it.

Not yesterday.

I had been having a clear up of some old personal files and had been shredding like mad so I had two big bin bags just full of shreeded paper, way too much for the boxes.  I had left the boxes on top of the bags with hopes that even though there are strict instructions not to use bags, they would see that it was all paper and they would make an exception.

As it happened I was home when the truck came down the road so I came out in to the street to explain what the bags were.  I was greeted by Paul (on the right of the picture)  who just smiled and said no problem.  However, as I turned back to my boxes I saw another man, Keith (on the left of the picture) going for my stuff, so I explained to him what I had been explaining to Paul, and again, a lovely smile, a "no problem" and a couple of thanks from the two of them.  So, Keith and Paul, a thumbs up from us for service with a smile, thank you.

Later in the day, I was down in the West End and coming back on the bus with my mother, she thought she had lost her pass getting off the number 19 earlier, (pleased to say she has subsequently found it), so we got on a bus at Piccadilly Circus with some trepidation since often the drivers are so grumpy in the traffic and tourists of the West End that if you don't have the right ticket there and then, they'll just tell you to get off.

Not so yesterday.

We got Andy.  (He didn't want his picture here for company policy reasons).  Andy not only gave my mother a right to travel pass but he looked up the bus company that runs the 19 so she could call the right depot. 

We then watched Andy deal with the many tourist requests all the way along Regent Street and Oxford Street not just with patience and a smile, but with genuine assistance.  All those requests for "go to seldridge?" (Selfridges) "go to ford square" (Oxford Circus) and on and on were deciphered and answered with the same courtesy we had received.

So Andy on the 139, a big thumbs up from us and since I haven't got a picture of you, here is a nice picture of a 139 at Piccadilly Circus from Timitrius 

http://www.geolocation.wsv/W/File%3ALondon%20139%20bus,%2028%20March%202011.jpg/-/en

I'm afraid I also have to give one thumbs down this week, not to a member a staff, but to a member of the public dealing with a member of staff.

To the man being rude to the young woman on the bread counter in Waitrose, Finchley Road, at around 10:15am on Thursday, 19th September, .   Unnecessary.   You know who you are.

So, to end, as I always do, if you want to say thank you to someone or just tell us about a nice smile that made your day, this is your pin-board and we're happy to put up guest posts.  Just follow the contact details below.   Thanks.