I have major problems with poor customer service. I have owned two businesses over the years, our greenhouse business which we just closed and a small fishing resort. The things I have learned could fill a book.
This morning I went into town to place an ad in the local newspaper. I was their only customer, greeted with a "I will be with you in a minute" ..big sigh..rolls eyes attitude. I place the order for my ad to appear on Wednesday and Saturday. She reads my neatly printed ad back to me. She wants to "Sell " me on an extra ad in the Express Shopper that comes out on Saturday and reaches 8,000 readers. I reply "Funny, I never get the Express Shopper until Tuesday." Oh my goodness I have now attacked the poor little things whole world. "WHERE IN THE WORLD DO YOU LIVE ANYWAY?" I reply "Osage." I am informed that "Everyone gets it on Saturday" (so there old lady.) "DO YOU WANT IT OR NOT?" "Yum, no thank you, I get it on Tuesday." "WELL IT MUST BE A POST OFFICE PROBLEM THEN" I pay the bill, and hand her the check. She says "I have to write you a receipt." I am thinking how extremely kind of you, should I thank you for going out of your way to write me a receipt. ( It is after all part of your JOB...Duh) She hands me the receipt, she doesn't say thank you, so long, farewell, or goodbye. IF she worked for me I would fire her.
What she could have said but did not "Hello! How may I help you?" "I am sorry to hear that you don't get the Saturday Express Shopper until Tuesday" "Thank you for placing an ad with us" "Have a nice day" Being the only newspaper in the area, I suppose they think they have the corner on all the business..and I guess they do..another thing they have is no customer service. She never asked me if I was a subscriber either, and I am not. I read all my papers online. So If I have this correct, she is just taking up valuable space, not greeting customers in a friendly manner, not "Selling" her employer, and not saying thank you to a customer that pays their bill. I hear that readership and subscriptions are down..imagine that???
Before I left I handed her a typed letter to the editor concerning a Trigeminal Neuralgia Support Group. "I have a letter to the Editor, I emailed in a copy a few weeks ago and it was never printed" She said "Sign your name" I did and left:(
I'm simply amazed at customer service these days, just like you. In particular, how people's personalities rub off onto their job and affect the customer. I will sometimes look at a person, dumbfounded by their stupid or rude attitudes toward coworkers or towards me. Hello, can I speak with your manager please?
ReplyDeleteGreat post, you are so right on!
Sad that she could treat you that way. Our culture is becoming more lenient by the day. What was once unacceptable behaviour is now common. As a customer and as a service rep I am appalled by her behavior. Unfortunatly I have seen that bad type of behaviour from both sides of the counter. Both from service people, and from customers.
ReplyDeleteSometimes all we can do is bring it to the attention of the manager. And make sure that as customers we NEVER act that way.
I agree with you and with both the comments. I find that garden centers have the best employees. Friendly, courteous, knowledgeable and willing to help. At the other end is the discount stores by my house. If they bother to acknowledge you at all it's with a muttered hello. At least I think it's a hello. On even my worst days, I will always greet the cashier and usually say "how are you today?". To get a mumbled reply frosts my butt big time.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments!
ReplyDeleteflydragon..Gardening customers are just about perfect people to have as shoppers. I found that people were happy when they came to purchase plants, it is something they enjoyed,and pleasant shopkeepers keep customers..repeat customers. I tried so desperately to say Hi and Thanks for stopping by to everyone. I had high standards. Poor customer service is one of my big pet peeves.
Oh, don't get me started! I once asked a sales clerk if there Levi Jeans would be going on sale. She looked at me and said, "Why don't you move to town and take the paper?"
ReplyDeleteWhat the heck was that suppose to mean??
I read her name tag and her last name was Moody! I kid you not. I reported her and she called me later to apologize. I didn't feel any better but hopefully she never spoke to anyone else like that.
Ohhh, I would have me another one of those letters to the editor ready now.
ReplyDeleteGood post.
Pam