Good Service of the Week Award

I am pleased to deliver a long-overdue Good Service of the Week Award.

It is so clear when shop or restaurant staff have been well-trained or even selected to be polite and obliging.

I don’t mean gushing, or chasing you around the premises pestering  to help you try things on.

I just mean being polite and courteous, and making you leave feeling happy you made a purchase.

Falling into this category this week is Asian restaurant chain Itsu.

I don’t usually bother with lunch, but not feeling 100 per cent this week I decided to treat myself to keep up my spirits.

And if I am going to eat  at midday, sushi is usually my food of choice – light, balanced and simple.

Tesco’s version comes in the form of a tray packed with mayonnaise oozing, garlic infused,  wads of rubber, as does the sushi sold at Marks and Spencer.

So it is lucky that when the mood takes me, Itsu is just up the road from London Bridge, with an array of fresh, authentic Japanese fare.

And not just the quality of the food, the staff always greet you with a smile and a “how are you?”.

After they have handed you your lunch they smile and wish you a good day.

Not just the odd one or two, they are all polite and cheery, so it is obviously an Itsu thing.

I cannot tell how much of a difference it makes.

So much nicer than the usual scowl you get.

In some places I don'k know why the staff don't just wear a badge saying “I hope it chokes you” and be done with it.

Well done Itsu for overall sterling service.

By the way, in Japanese Itsu means "when?".