Ask Betsy

Dear Betsy,
More power to you for reporting your recent shocking incident in a restaurant.

This happens all too often to us as an Indian family, when we dine out. We are used to second class treatment and enduring the insults of ignorant, bigoted staff and in our experience, the more expensive the restaurant, the more ignorant and insulting the staff. We don’t drink alcohol and more than once have been shown resentment of management who would rather have our table for a more profitable group who will drink alcohol and spend more money. My advice to you is to never go there again and make sure you tell all your friends to avoid this place If Bahrain is to encourage international tourists then they will expect high standards of service. This restaurant can undo all the hard work the authorities are doing to attract tourists. You should have mentioned the name of the establishment and shamed the manager.
K.M.G.

Dear KMG,
Thanks for your words of support. I received lots of messages of sympathy about this article and many people related their own similar bad experiences to me.
I am sorry to hear that you have suffered also and I agree that Bahrain needs to sort out “Customer Service” if we are to be serious about tourism. There will always be inconsistency anywhere in the world, and we all have holiday horror stories to recall.
My worst ever experiences are undoubtedly from restaurants in Portugal, where I found the staff consistently rude and skilled at double charging and adding unordered items to the final bill.  But, good experiences do exist.
Recently, I had to make a business trip to Shanghai and was more than a little apprehensive to be travelling there alone and was not expecting much in the way of high standards. 
I must say that I was mega-impressed with the customer service everywhere I went. From the local markets to five star hotels, staff were unfailingly polite and always genuinely concerned that you should receive nothing but the highest service and leave absolutely satisfied. 
I did and would return to China without hesitation as I truly enjoyed my visit and left with a very favourable impression.
I also spent a lot more money than I had intended to, but that is what good service can do and that is what we need to offer here in the kingdom to secure jobs, improve our economy and stay ahead of our competitors.
Have you had a great customer service experience in Bahrain? Let’s celebrate excellence, share it with GW readers, email me at betsymathieson@hotmail.com.

Dear Betsy
I am a regular reader of GulfWeekly. One of the columns I love to read is your column.
Recently you mentioned the Carrot and Honey Happy Mask (July 4 issue). One of the ingredients; wheatgerm oil is new to me. What is it? Can I get it here in Bahrain? If yes, where can I get it? What is potato flour? What is carrot oil?  These ingredients sound totally new or am I still in the dark ages? Help!
An Avid Reader.

Dear Avid Reader,
I am happy that you enjoy reading GulfWeekly and in particular, my column! None of these are new ingredients and they have been used for centuries around the world. Wheatgerm oil can be found in beauty shops and pharmacies, as can carrot oil, which is, in its true form, an incredibly nourishing essential oil.  Potato flour can be found in local supermarkets, usually in the same section that you find regular flour and other baking ingredients. 
Nature has bestowed upon us a treasure trove of goodies that can be both eaten and used externally for our health and beauty. Enjoy!