Customer Service Quality

[Gryffindorian]

I'm not a guy with high expectations, but I hate it when I don't get the kind of quality service customers deserve from retailers. It leaves me with a bitter taste in my mouth.

I was at Target, my favorite store, today to pick up some items. When I was ready to check out, I approached a register manned by a 20-something Asian boy wearing what appeared to be a Dr. Seuss Cat Hat. He didn't so much say hello when I placed my items on the conveyor belt. When he scanned one item twice, I brought it to his attention, and he said "Oh" like nothing happened. He finished bagging, I swiped my card, and he just placed the receipt on the counter and said, "There you go."

I refrained from saying anything, like "So long, sucker!" and felt it wasnt worth it.

Don't you think the quality of customer service has declined significantly in recent years? Pehaps this is due to the younger generation entering the workforce. How arrogant that they feel they're doing the customers a favor whereas we're the ones paying their salaries! Fortunately, not all of the customer service people I deal with are like that. What say you?

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Oh boy, I guess it's time for another "young people are what's wrong with the world" thread.

Customer service has gone to shit because employers don't want to pay to provide good service. Customer service jobs tend to be poorly-paid dead-end positions filled only by the dregs who are incapable of landing anything better. The nice people you find are in spite of this.

 

[tomalak301]

I think the first sign of trouble was the guy wearing a the Cat Hat thing. I would understand that if it was at some place like Toys R Us, but Target? Weird

As for your question, Customer Service has gone in the crapper for years. I'm actually more surprised when I do get good customer service than when I don't.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

I don't know that it's only recently. I think the more companies saturate the market with stores, the more they have to "scrape the bottom of the barrel" for workers.

I'm one of these people that prefers to find my own way in a store and still I'm frequently pissed off by the poor quality of the help when I do have a question.

One big reason I do 95% of my shopping online. Better prices, better selection & no interaction.

 

[Miss Chicken]

I think it has at certain stores.

The staff at my two local supermarkets are helpful and polite. The younger workers seem to be little shy, or maybe a little socially awkward but never surly.

I find the staff at electronic stores to be ignorant but they won't admit that their ignorance of a product.

I find that with book stores it depends very much on the store. We have one bookstore that is staffed by people with good knowledge of books, but some of the others are staffed by people who have probably not read a book since leaving school.

 

[Finn]

One question... Why is his ethnic background relevant?

Lot of people don't really give a shit about the cashiers. Some actually get offended by "friendly" cashiers so they may find it easier to keep them to themselves and keep the line going. It sounds like this fellow was distracted.

Plus, this is far from from being one of the worse customer experiences one might have....

 

[sojourner]

These days I am more worried about competent service than friendly service.

 

[Finn]

^Yes. I'd say so.

 

[Trekker4747]

I don't think it's any general decline, nor do I think it's any more common. This situation could've been due to the guy having poor training, him having a bad day, him not having any sleep last night, having things/issues on his mind or being at the end of a long shift. There's any number of reasons why the service you had from him could have been poor. Remember that guy standing on the otherside of the counter is a human being who is going to have his own issues and problems and is not going to be 100% perfect all of the time.

Most of the time the customer service I get out there is pretty good and I've no complaints on, but like with most things in life the bad times are going to stand out more than the good. I bet over the course of a good, long, shopping day you encounter dozens of people doing their jobs pleasantly who greet you and all of that and you don't give it a second thought but then you run into this one guy who's likely coming at the end of a nine-hour shift who's been studying hard for a big exam in school who's a bit absent minded and you're ready to say the whole industry of customer service quality is going down.

BS

I've plenty of complaints when it comes to your side of the counter and could say that the quality of people being a customer is going down (namely in how that other person communicates and treats me as a human being) but I realize that a majority of the people I encounter I don't have a second thought about but those few bad apples stand out.

Next time you go to target take not of the employees on the floor who smile at you, greet you, ask you if need help finding something, etc. and then really ask yourself if the one slacker at the register is really indicative of the dozens of other people who work in that building.

 

[Holdfast]

Most of the time the customer service I get out there is pretty good and I've no complaints on, but like with most things in life the bad times are going to stand out more than the good....

I've plenty of complaints when it comes to your side of the counter and could say that the quality of people being a customer is going down (namely in how that other person communicates and treats me as a human being) but I realize that a majority of the people I encounter I don't have a second thought about but those few bad apples stand out.

Speaking from one side as a customer:
1) good service should be the norm, so it's not surprising that it's the "bad apples" that stand out. They are where the norm is not being reached. It's only natural for this to be what is highlighted in customers' overall experience.
2) If you expect customers to care about your feelings, you shouldn't be working with the public. This is not unique to retail by any means. When in any business context, it's astonishingly rare for others to see you as a human being. You are seen as the help, the waiter, the lawyer, the accountant, the doctor. Almost never as a human being in your own right. This is simply a function of the social role you occupy in that setting, which overrides the usual default approach people take with others.

Speaking from the other side as a business owner (not mass-market retail, but the issues are all the same really):
1) some customers are simply impossible to satisfy; they do not fit your business approach but haven't realised it yet. The solution is to identify them rapidly and subtly/politely disengage from them and decline their custom before the problems arise. Preferably by referring them to a competitor so they can go hassle them instead. Alternatively, simply lie back and take it... and think of the money while doing so.
2) staff can be nightmare to manage when they feel they have no stake in an operation. Good pay usually helps the problem, as does personal attention to their needs. Neither of these commodities is in great supply in mass-market retail, so the occasional dire customer service experience will always occur.

Having experience of both sides of the problem, I'd suggest it's simply a circle that cannot be squared. There will always be a lots annoying customer service and there will always be lots of annoying customers. Remembering that at the end of the day, it's simply a business transaction and not a dinner party goes a long way to reducing (dis)stress all round.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

I tend to agree with Trekker4747 on the "both sides" idea. Society in general has gone way downhill in the last 20 years.

To me, it's a consistent and very obvious slide.

 

[SeerSGB]

Best customer service I've had in a long time:

Last Tuesday, car was acting up, so I swung into Advance Auto to price a code-scanner. The guy behind the counter went to his car (OBDII, same as our car) got me his code scanner and let me check the engine-codes with it, then told me where to go get one $20 less than the one Advance had. He even walked me through on what some of the other problems spotted with the engine (nothing major, minor maintenance type stuff). I actually went ahead bought the scanner at Advance and talked to the guy's manager and told him how good a employee the guy was--which surprised the manager, since normally all (according to him) he gets is complaints from customers about this and that.

Compared to Autozone last month which netted me a "Well just take it to the dealer ship" and "not our problem" when the parts they ordered weren't the ones I ordered and paid for.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

I tend to agree with Trekker4747 on the "both sides" idea. Society in general has gone way downhill in the last 20 years.

To me, it's a consistent and very obvious slide.

But... that's... the opposite of what Trekker said.

 

[sojourner]

My example of bad customer witnessed this week. Was in the local grocery store, Publix, today. Spot a guy riding one of the complimentary electric scooters. Easily 300+ pounds wearing a dirty and stained "wife beater" shirt. Rolls by talking loudly on his cellphone, "Fuck! blah blah blah, No fuckin way! blah blah blah". His BO announcing his approach before he came into view. Felt sorry for whoever would end up dealing with him at checkout.

 

[Tora Ziyal]

I agree, the quality of customer service is declining. But it's been doing so for years, since long before this new generation was in the work force. Maybe even before they were born. I had a particularly unpleasant encounter with a retail worker a few days ago, and she looked old enough to be on Social Security.

I'm also inclined to agree with Trekker4747 that the quality of customer is declining. It's hard to say that businesses should go back to the old "The customer is always right" philosophy that I grew up with, when I see so many customers acting like fools.

 

[Trekker4747]

Speaking from one side as a customer:
1) good service should be the norm, so it's not surprising that it's the "bad apples" that stand out. They are where the norm is not being reached. It's only natural for this to be what is highlighted in customers' overall experience.

No system is going to be 100% perfect. Not taking bribe money or performing insider trading should be the "norm" for police officers and stick brokers but it still happens. You shouldn't judge and put down the whole because of the few bad apples you may encounter.

2) If you expect customers to care about your feelings, you shouldn't be working with the public....

I'm stopping you there.

Why, again, should I not be expected to be treated as a human being? Afterall it's how I treat people who wait on and serve me when I'm out and about. I care about other feelings and problems. A week or so ago I was at a restaurant and it took an unusually long time for me to get my food, the server was very nice and pleaded for my forgiveness as apparently there had been a computer issue. I told her not to worry about it as I didn't see it as a big deal. Shit happens. Now, sure, if someone is out-right mean and rude to me that's something else entirely but I can't say I have ever had that happen to me usually on the side of "bad customer service" I mostly get an indifferent person.

I still treat that person as a person and assume nothing about them as a whole or their work ethic (and certainly not the work ethic of their entire industry.) Maybe if more people did treat that person on the otherside of the counter as nothing more than an emotionless drone to do our bidding with a smile then there would be more smiles and better service.

Couple of days ago I said good morning to a customer and asked if I could help them and got no response as they stood there staring. So I moved a little closer and asked again, assuming they didn't hear me realize I was talking to them the first time, the person snapped back at me, "I'm thinking!"

That sort of situation sort of makes me feel less like a person when the first time around that person couldn't dignify me with any kind of response and when I do my job and ensure I'm helping people they yell at me. I frequently encounter people not wanting to give me their full attention -rather they talk with others or into a phone-, I have people tell me they're looking and I go off to do something else only to have that person stand there, make a decision, and not show any sign they're ready to be helped it goes on and on.

Treat that person helping you like they're another person deserving of respect and communication and aren't just some drone to do your bidding. That's one of the biggest problems we have in society as people still very much want to live in this serfs and lords society where the lowly wage-slave worker isn't deserving of being treated as a person.

Aren't deserving of being acknowledge until needed, and expected to read minds and bounce to your aide the very moment you decide you want something without any outside or obvious signal.

Aren't even deserving of being given full and undivided attention and even most of the time expected to read minds and see from the lord's point of view to know exactly what it is that they want.

I'm a human being. Another person. Treat me like one. I have my good days and bad days. I'm not capable of simply turning off emotions so if I'm having a bad day it's probably going to come through a bit. I've no super powers so I need as much input from you as possible in order to help. I'm deserving of your attention and your response when I greet you.

Treat people just like that.

Like people.

 

[DonIago]

My example of good customer service-
Ordered a camera bag from Ebags for $40, then, right on this site actually, saw a 20% off ad good at Ebags. Grumble. Went to the site fully prepared to cancel and re-place my order, but it had already shipped. Discovered I could have saved about $10 with the discount.

Sent them an email late last night/early this morning, and by noon I'd gotten an email letting me know they'd credit me.

Very impressed and happy.

Once upon a time Borders sent me a replacement DVD after I reported that one I'd ordered had just never shown up. Shame about them going out of business.

 

[Amaris]

Aside from returning obviously defective merchandise, the customer is never right. Especially the customer who claims that the customer is always right. The customer is always placated to the best of the service rep's ability, and there are some service reps whose ability is abysmal. That's really all there is to it.

An example of good customer service: anytime I have to call Netflix. I had to have a DVD returned because it had broken right in two as soon as I pulled it out of the sleeve. Without argument, the rep sent me a new disc and an extra sleeve to send the broken one back. The turnaround was a day. Nicely done.

An example of a good customer: When I worked at Lowe's and a customer needed help building a jacuzzi tub. His estimate from the local Home Depot was high, and I knew I could assemble him one for less. So I created a list for everything needed and made instructions on how it had to be assembled. After everything, including home delivery of all the parts needed, I saved him a couple of thousand dollars. He reached over my work counter and grabbed me in a bear hug. Later that day my manager came by and told me a customer had left a glowing report on what I had done.

 

[Gryffindorian]

Oh boy, I guess it's time for another "young people are what's wrong with the world" thread.

For whatever it's worth, my dealings with customer service reps and sales associates have been mostly positive. Sure, there are grumpy old people, too, who act like they're doing me a big favor by ringing up my items, but most of the unpleasant ones I've dealt with are people younger than 30. I just thought it might be generation-oriented.

One question... Why is his ethnic background relevant?

....

Well, I was describing his characteristics in terms of age and race demographics. As to why, I thought perhaps it might have also been cultural. I'm sure there were other factors to consider, but I've noticed that a lot of Chinese cashiers don't physically hand me my change or receipt; they put it on the counter surface. Funny how that works.

I don't think it's any general decline, nor do I think it's any more common. This situation could've been due to the guy having poor training, him having a bad day, him not having any sleep last night, having things/issues on his mind or being at the end of a long shift. There's any number of reasons why the service you had from him could have been poor. Remember that guy standing on the otherside of the counter is a human being who is going to have his own issues and problems and is not going to be 100% perfect all of the time.

Most of the time the customer service I get out there is pretty good and I've no complaints on, but like with most things in life the bad times are going to stand out more than the good. I bet over the course of a good, long, shopping day you encounter dozens of people doing their jobs pleasantly who greet you and all of that and you don't give it a second thought but then you run into this one guy who's likely coming at the end of a nine-hour shift who's been studying hard for a big exam in school who's a bit absent minded and you're ready to say the whole industry of customer service quality is going down.

BS

B. BS.

I'll agree to having poor training as one of the primary reasons for poor service, but having a bad day certainly isn't an excuse for being rude! People shouldn't bring their emotional baggage or personal problems to work. It's called professionalism, which is obviously lacking in a lot of people in the customer service profession, by the way, not industry as you stated. (Industry is oil, porn, automobiles, etc.; the positions held by employees in the industry make up the profession.) Anyway, I'm willing to tolerate employees bitching about their relationships, kids, sex lives, car problems, etc., but having personal issues doesn't give one a license to treat customers with disrespect. I've had my share of shitty things in life, but I've never once yelled at co-workers or customers because I was "having a bad day." I showed up for work, shut up, performed and finished my duties as expected.

I've plenty of complaints when it comes to your side of the counter and could say that the quality of people being a customer is going down (namely in how that other person communicates and treats me as a human being) but I realize that a majority of the people I encounter I don't have a second thought about but those few bad apples stand out.

You bet they do. I was at Best Buy (need I say more?) last week inquiring about an item, and the person helping me (a 20-something guy) was too busy chatting with his buddy rather than pay attention to my questions. One of the worst things a sales associate could do is ignore a customer. Bad for business.

Next time you go to target take not of the employees on the floor who smile at you, greet you, ask you if need help finding something, etc. and then really ask yourself if the one slacker at the register is really indicative of the dozens of other people who work in that building.

I'm aware of that. Thank you for your input.

 

[Amaris]

Another thing is that most of these folks are taking said job because it doesn't require too many hoops to get (well, except for the recent economic downturn). It's just a job, something to be done until it's time to leave. You can't really blame them. Many of them are subject to poor management that doesn't care about anything other than cutting every corner everywhere, or management that's so bogged down with unrealistic directives from higher up the chain that they just can't hold it all together, and morale suffers.

Too, the compensation for these folks is rather low. Suppose you're making $7 an hour. You work hard for 40 hours a week, and you take home $280 a week minus taxes. The guy who works next to you talks most of the day, goofs off all the time, and still takes home $280 a week minus taxes. Where's the incentive? So you work hard and maybe they put your name on the posterboard for a month? "Hey guys, John here's our employee of the month!". Personal pride doesn't pay the bills, and the corporate ladder has become rickety and is replete with missing rungs. 50 years ago, a guy could start as a bag boy and retire as the Regional Sales Director. It's just not that way anymore. Upward mobility is shot to hell. So when you're talking to the Cashier, and she's not smiling, keep in mind that for her, she may be fully aware that this is likely a stop gap job or a dead end job, and her morale is affected.

Now, when I was a Cashier/CSR/"Everything else" in retail, I always smiled to my customers and greeted them politely, offering to help because it was my duty to see to the customer's needs (I feel this way anyway). Then again, I was 16 - 23 years old, in a decent economy, where I could get another job if things got bad. Now, though, people are fully aware they may be stuck in these penny ante, low level jobs with haranguing managers and lazy fellow employees. I learned that lesson early on. I got my first job at 14, working in a greenhouse. Nearly broke my damn fingers fashioning plant hangers for 6 hours a day, every day, aside from using the mulcher and soil aerator to fill topsoil containers. Work can be hard, unrewarding, and you'll receive little to no recognition for what you do, even if what you do is hard as hell and no one else is willing to do it.

I learned that you should always be thankful for a job. Not that you should be walked on, but that you should keep in mind that you have a means to bring in money for yourself, and while it may not be the best, too many are without. Of course, those on the corporate side know all about that and use it to their advantage, but then again, we're in a situation where everyone's trying to find the best balance for profit and employment. It's a tough balance to make.

I think I'm rambling.

Anyway, my point is that I do my best to give customer service agents a break because they're likely dealing with shit on the back end and on the front end, and the last thing they need is me getting in their face to yell at them for not honoring a 5% off coupon that expired six months prior. Now, to be fair, that doesn't excuse the really poor service from such folks. Smart people know that expeditiously taking care of a customer's needs gets that customer out of their face fast, so the good ones just do the job and get that line moving. Just some advice.