This has been bothering me for a while. It seems that the norm at any store lately, there is either bad or no customer service. Example: I was in a store the other day buying Nitendo DS games for my kids. You were supposed to take the empty case up to the register and the cashier was supposed to get the actual games from behind the counter. This cashier came back and the games she brought didn't even match the cases that I gave her...one was even a Wii game. Really, how hard is this? I think one game out of four was what I asked for... Then she appeared put out when I asked for the games that I originally wanted. I see cashiers at fast food places that apparently aren't able to take an order or make change. They practically throw your food at you and act indignant that you dared to come there and buy food. Even sit down restaurant service tends to be suspect... This was a job in college so I fully realize how hard it is. However, if I order fries, is it too much to provide me with ketchup without having to beg? If I have my kids with me, would it be too much to expect a few extra napkins? It drives me batty... Obviously I don't expect the same level of service at Wal-Mart as I would get at Neiman Marcus (Not that I could afford to shop there anyway:) )...but really. Do people have any pride in doing a good job nowadays?
BTW, I grew up in Georgia so I am as southern as you can get! I treat all store employees with a smile and respectfully.
I think many people in this country today have no work ethic. It is a big part of the problems we are having in this nation right now.
I stopped shopping at one store because of bad service on several visits. At the time there weren't a lot of shopping options nearby. I had to go back recently and had the opposite experience.
I have tried very hard lately to look for good experiences and it seems to be working. Also, my sons are both working in the food industry one at Quiznos and the other at Shogun, so I try to treat wait staff the way I would like them to be treated. Not that I was ever intentionally rude before.
Like Leah said, most of the poor service, which seems like it should be common sense, is due to poor training. Hearing "I am sorry you feel that way" really ticks me off!
Stop by an Apple store and your faith in great customer service will be renewed. :)
Oh, T., I'm sorry you've had these bad experiences! I've definitely seen what you've experienced. Still, I'm happy to report that in my teeny, weeny corner of Nevada good customer service is still the norm. Just this very evening, my husband, son and I went to a local burger joint for dinner. Riley the order taker greeted us by name, knew our order by heart and even remembered that my husband likes BBQ sauce with his meal.
I saw the same great service at our library, which was overrun with kids and stressed-out parents. I was really impressed because the poor librarian was short handed today and it was only 1.5 hours to close.
Perhaps the best example was last week's Taco Bell run. The kid who made my gordita handed it to me, smiled and said, "Mrs. F., your dinner was made with love!" I'm tired enough right now to get misty eyed at the memory...
Hang in there!
I hate to generalize but my ex-husband and I were talking about this the other day....teens and 20s have a sense of entitlement and don't want to work hard or be accountable. My ex hires a ton of people for drivers, shipping and receiving...same situation. We led our daughter by example: I have a home office so she heard the respect that was given to my clients/potential clients, I also would bring her with me on school breaks to product shows at universities and cancer research centers to help serve food or sign my guests in...she did great. I'm so glad I did, she is 18 and now works at a restaurant and has great reviews and compliments along the way. I loved the way she handled an elderly female customer dining alone that lost her keys. She obviously didn't have a cell phone, couldn't remember her daughter's number, didn't have AAA...my sweet daughter searched and searched the restaurant and grass in the area and ultimately found them. The entire process took two hours. The sweet lady hugged her after she found them!! My daughter has a good heart and has demonstrated great customer service due to the fact she cares and her parents led by example.
It's funny, I was just thinking today as we went through the drive-thru at In-n-Out Burger how pleasant and helpful all the kids working there were! And the other day I practically made best friends with the sales ladies at Soma and White House Black Market. And on Sunday when we were shopping at Target, the nice lady at the register gave my kids stickers (not even Target ones, I think this lady just had a sheet of stickers she brought in on her own - how sweet is that?)
People are always making snide comments about what hippies and freaks we are here in California, but I have to say, for the most part I get great service! I am trying to think of the last time I had really awful service, and it was when I had to deal with AT&T's call center in India. That was a truly awful experience. But then, that's what happens when companies outsource jobs to places where they make $1/hr...
Make sure you teach your own kids a good work ethic so no one will complain about them in the workplace.
** If customers were allowed to FIRE people, I'm sure we would all be better civil servants.
***There are customers tho that have TERRIBLE attitudes as well.
*makes note to self, never visit Tampa again*
I don't have those problems here. :(
always enter with smile on your face and you may start things off on a better foot. here in the south we usually greet who is waiting on me with "hey". that said, if you don't get good service ask to speak to the manager. again with a smile on your face, let him or her know what you expect and if you don't get a good response from the manager, be sure to let him/her know that you will no longer be a customer...and mean it. if nothing else it always make me feel good knowing i am making my point!
It varies. Our local ShopRite didn't advertise what's what and they're new to the area. So I emailed them and they were quick, courteous and will give me the money I should have saved when I was there.
I would tell their managers if it's a consistent problem. I would stop going there if it wasn't resolved. I think there will always be bad eggs (like the person in Nordstrom's that didn't think I was worth helping once) but I go with the overall vibe of the store.
I know what you mean! I used to think it was because no one wanted those lower paying jobs, so employers couldn't be too picky. But you would think with so many people out of work, employers could have a little higher expectations. Also, I've had this experience with people who were likely being paid nicely. So it's not just the jobs on the lower end of the pay scale.
It absolutely infuriates me when some acts like I'm a thorn in their side because I have the nerve to buy something at their place of business!
My daughter and I were just commenting, the other day, about how helpful and friendly and competent a person at a mini-mart was. We actually wondered why he was working there! Then we had a conversation about how sad it was that it was noteworthy that the guy was -- you know -- doing his job!!!
ETA - I am always friendly and cheerful when interacting with sales clerks, wait staff, etc. Even when I'm getting no response - or worse - rudeness in return.
Oh T.:
I'm a Pharmacy Tech for Walgreens - customer service is their #1 priority. If you receive bad customer service at Walgreens - talk to the store manager immediately.
The problem with cashiers not being able to make change? We don't challenge our children in school. We prime them to succeed on the SOLs and everything else? Well, it's not as important...unfortunately, it IS important.
I/we taught our boys to count change back. We did a bunch of baseball fund raisers so when people gave them $20 for a $14 purchase, I would make them count back like this $1 is $15 and $5 is $20 - thank you for your purchase and supporting the Little League.
you are right - many people do not take pride in their jobs anymore and it's a shame.
I noticed that too and it drives me insane!!! I actually found friendly stores and started shopping their exclusively. It is too much for me. "Oh, I'm sorry, that I bothered you by spending MY money at your store. I'll just go ahead and shop somewhere else from now on. Please forgive me for intruding on your day." UGH!!! I thought that when the economy tanked, they would have been so very thankful to have a job and that they would do everything they can to keep that job and keep their customers. Apparently, I'm wrong. It seems like people aren't content anymore. They expect everything to be handed to them on a silver platter and they don't have to work for anything. People who are lazy are not content and it seems like more and more people have the entitlement attitude. Which is why our whole country is trying to spread the wealth. That's what I've been observing.
I seldom get poor service in stores or restaurants. Not sure why, but people are generally nice, even if they don't have the best job skills. I can only recall one waitress, many years ago, who treated me rudely. I didn't take it personally, but I did choose to leave the restaurant before ordering.
Great subject...I'm all about GOOD customer service. My job is my career that being said. Most of my jobs have had to do with customer service, and we were always trainned to be courtious, attentative, but mainly the #1 rule was- THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT. Even though you knew the customer was wrong your had to make everything possible so the customer would leave the premises content.
Now days, you get totally the opposite, you have these people talking to you like if you were trash. You get to the register to finish your purchase and you see the cashier girl talking to the other girl at the other register gossiping about what they did the night before. You wait in line about 15 minutes before they acknowledge that your are ready to pay...mean while they are ringing you up, you get to hear the entire story of what they did with the bf and if not they are texting or talking on the phone. AAAUUUGGGHHH I can go on and on.
T. I hear you. It seems like there is no longer any pride in the job you do.
When I go to any store and receive good service, I compliment them and then go to the manager. It's nice to be able to give them good news during the day!!!
you are not alone...good luck!!
It's not like when Bloomie's trained me how to be an effective salesgirl. There is no training. And, that stock phrase," I'm sorry you feel that way." I tell them to cut the 60's psychological pap unless they go to therapy. But, the companies do train them to say such put downs to seemly be sympathetic.
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I think its more on there is no work ethic. ( from my experience) The younger generation ( 18-25) really have poor work skills and dont care about thier work ethic. Its scary to think what the next group of up coming teens are going to be like when they become adults. I hope Im wrong, but I think its going to be worse than what it is now...
I totally agree!! customer service is a thing of the past- I am actually always surprised when I get good service. **with the exception of chick-fil-a, they are always awesome!** I always handle the typical bad service with a smile and kind words- after all, everyone, especially those in service areas need encouragement. I think about how I would feel stuck behind a register, or having to serve food to people with the "maybe" that I might be compensated for it. I say good karma- pay it forward. Although based off economic situation you would think anyone with a job would be joyful- especially when there is a line of people begging for one!
You hit the nail on the head, so to speak! Far too many people do not take pride in doing a job well these days. I don't understand it, either. It drives me crazy, too, especially when I get a dose of attitude thrown at me to go along with the poor service!
