Customer Service

[Mitch Henessey]

Customer service can always be crucial, when you decide to spend your money anywhere (retail store, restaurant, hotel, etc.). Of course, the right prices always play a factor in the decision, because Wal-Mart employees have the notorious reputation of not being the most welcoming bunch. But customer service can be crucial, because I'm sure all of us want to be treated with the right amount of respect and courtesy. Associates who are polite and do their best to service you can be a positive, because the good service can help bring people back. On the other hand, rude and disrespectful associates could ruin everything, and bad customer service will probably make you think twice about coming back. You might not want to return to that particular store or restaurant, and you'll probably decide to spend your money somewhere else.

For me, customer service is important. I try not to get to nitpicky, when I go into any store. You don't have to go through some lengthy and detailed sales pitch, and excessive greetings aren't necessary, but if I need help, I expect to receive a nice amount of respect, courtesy, and attention. I'm usually more lenient, when it comes to restaurants. Waiters and waitresses don't have the easiest job in the world, and the pay is lousy. Don't mess up my food order, be polite, and we won't have any problems.

Bad customer service and rude employees always get under my skin. Rude employees, who can be assholes always drive me nuts, and some of these disgruntled employees can have that awful and nasty "I don't give a fuck" attitude. These type of employees have driven me away from certain stores (Office Max, Target), and some rude employees pushed me to the point of walking out. I canceled an order at Burger King earlier this year, while waiting in line, and demanded my money back, because some smart ass cashier or one of the cooks from the back (I'm not sure which one he was) pissed me off so much.

I also don't believe in the "I hate my shitty job, so I'm going to be miserable and take it out on the customers" stuff. Lots of people don't work glorious high paying jobs, and they still manage to show some respect and courtesy, and they provide the best service they possible can. Hating your job is one thing, but using that hatred or bitterness as an excuse for poor customer service is just pure bullshit. And I don't buy the "I'm not a people person" stuff. I know some people like to use this as an excuse for not helping customers and providing the proper service, but this excuse doesn't work for me. I'll admit, I'm not the most friendly person in the world, and I'm not the best talker, but if I have to deal with customers, I always give my best effort. I don't avoid them or try to hide, I do my best to help them, with the knowledge I have, and if the situation calls for it, I try to crack a smile every now and then.

So, with all that said, I have a few questions to ask:

When it comes to customer service, what do you expect?

Does bad customer service upset you?

 

[Mustang Sally]

I look for efficiency. Basic courtesy is all that's necessary; I'm not expecting these folks to be a part of my life any longer than it takes for them to ring up the sale and send me on my way.

As I see it, they don't have to smile, or ask me how I am, or make idle conversation, or deal with anything other than the sale they're ringing up.

Many people would find what I just said to be intolerable. They want salespeople to fall all over them with the notion that the employee "cares" about them; is concerned with their problems and wants to make their lives as easy as possible.

All I ask is that the customer service person do what they were hired to do. You might think there's a big difference in customer service when you're buying a car, as opposed to ordering a burger at Wendy's. Certainly, the car purchase takes more time and detail, but the notion of customer service remains the same....... do the job quickly and accurately. Make things as easy as you can. Say thank you......then say goodbye.

 

[Davi323]

Their job is to convince me to shop at their store again in the future. If I get the sense that they don't care, I don't care, and will go somewhere else. Essentially, whether they grasp it or not, anyone in the "service" industry is in sales. They aren't selling a certain product, but they are selling their company's reputation to me, the customer. There are restaurants that my GF and I will not go to again, despite having perfectly edible food, because the service is terrible, and the wait staff acts like they always have something better to do. That kind of shit pisses me off. Well known national chain, but poor service. There are a lot of restaurants near where I live, and it's my choice where I spend my money dining out. Convince me I should continue to spend my money at yours.

Same principle applies to Walmart/Meijer/any other Supercenter type store local to you. Given two choices, where one has employees that are friendly, even if it's faked, and one where it's obvious the employees are simply watching the clock until it's time to go home, I am going to go with the friendly ones, every single time. You may hate your job...but it's also your job to pretend you don't.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

Most of all you want to be served with politeness, and a smile. I used to work in retail and that is how I was told to act. Treat the customer with respect, be polite, smile and apologise if they have waited a while to be served.

A smile costs nothing, and its always nice to have a pleasant person serving you. Small talk isnt really important, but its nice to have a quick chat with the person serving. If it's a hot woman then the more the better

If you are speaking to a store worker and asking for help, then product knowledge is always important. I fucking hate asking someone working on an electrical department about something, and they have no idea. Useless cunt. Learn your products. That will make me want to come back in your store.

If I ever get exceptional customer service, I sometimes let the manager know, as I was always pleased to get recognition for my service when I worked in that ASDA store while at university. It's nice to be thanked for a job well done.

 

[Dagger Dias]

I look for someone who knows what they are doing, are legitimately TRYING to provide a positive experience for the customer, and above all someone who shows kindness. I come from a very stubborn impatient family. If we are eating dinner at a steakhouse and the wine isn't poured properly, or there is even the smallest little detail incorrect about the food, my father will demand to see a manager so he can yell at them. It's very embarassing for me and hurtful toward the workers who most of the time are truly trying to provide a service for him. I've told myself that I will never be that kind of customer. When I am dealing with customer service associates anywhere I try to be as kind and patient with them as possible. It makes their job less stressful, and they will be more likely to help you further.

On the other side of the issue, I work in retail so as a Merchandiser & Customer Assistance Associate (basically, one step below management at our store), I end up dealing with customer service issues a lot. I might not know all of the product knowledge that a customer needs help with, but if that ever ends up happening I immediately find someone who does so they can get the help they need. I make it a point to make sure every customer leaves happy having been helped with what they needed. Most people don't come into a store out of boredom, they want to buy something or need help with something. Maintaining a positive experience in customer service for all of my customers is an important priority for me because when it comes down to it, the customers are our true bosses, and our job is to provide a service for them.

Bad customer service does upset me, in the few times I have dealt with it. I will ask to see a manager, but unlike my parents I maintain a calm attitude toward the manager, who has a very stressful job. They have to deal with angry customers on a daily basis and it makes their job easier if I am polite to them when voicing my complaint. Now, when I get a MANAGER who is incompetent as well, that's when I finally get mean or threaten to take my business elsewhere. That happens very rarely for me. I guess I just have more patience than most people. Or the fact that I understand how it is from the customer service associates' side of the fence. Anyone who's been there will understand themselves.

 

[FunKay the Inevitable]

As someone who works in customer service, I can tell you what I look for in my own performance. I try to smile and act polite at all times. I also try to keep the customer entertained. They don't necessarily want to be shopping for their food. It's a necessity, but it's very dull so I try to make them laugh or crack a smile. That's about it really, and I've recieved pretty solid feedback from the majority of customers I've helped/worked with.

Of course there are some rude people who crop up every once in awhile. Sometimes if you smile at them you get a dirty look or they yell at you or whatever. Simply put, I maintain the smile and polite attitude and it drives them nuts. For some reason, being nice to them sends them over the edge. It's rather entertaining, almost like a car crash.

So in essence, I'll try and be nice to you whatever the weather/attitude you have. It makes me look good, makes the customer feel a little better (or angrier if that's the desired effect).

 

[Dowdsy McDowds]

Just to rock the boat a little, in the long-term I wonder how big a role customer service will actually matter. Yes, people like to be treated with respect, courtesy and made to feel important when shopping for goods, but with the advancement and growth of the online and de-personalised shopping experience likely to grow rather than go backwards, I wonder how much the act and play of interaction when shopping will matter.

I used to work in an independent shop where we sold a whole host of different things. Primarily it was a music shop so the usual instruments, sheet music, note pads and accessories were the main draws. Upstairs there was an electronics section, mainly high end stuff such as Sony and Bose goods, as well as an assortment of CDs and DVDs. There was also a restaurant and a convenience section, which is where I worked. The shop closed over the summertime as it could not keep up with the market demands and had been struggling for sometime.

Ordering things online is (in theory) one of the most convenient ways of shopping as you type in what you want, you see how many items are in stock, related products pop up, there are no queues, there's no traffic, there's no worry about loading your stuff into your car/onto a bus then dashing off somewhere else. It's efficient, no doubt, with perhaps the major complaint arising from posting/delivery, which is handled by a different company or organisation than that which you bought the goods from.
The smartphones are also tied to the online aspect too; seriously, how many products these days DON'T have one of those scannable square code things? Their name escapes me at the moment.

Talking of convenience, malls and superstores are very convenient nowadays. Over the years they have included more and more differing items under one roof so that you can buy your weekly shop, get photos developed, buy a whole new top-to-bottom outfit, treat yourself to a new TV and DVD player and take your pick from this week's new DVD and musical releases. While staff cannot just be rude for the sake of it, if someone is perhaps not quite up to the standard in terms of service that the customers normally expects, I think the convenient aspect of the malls/superstores would outweigh the disappointment of poor service. Unless it was more than just one employee and was instead a store-wide issue.

What I'm getting at is that while I do agree that customer service is important, in the coming years I don't think it will be as crucial as it once was given that the ease of online shopping seems only likely to grow and superstores that can bulk-buy items that in turn pass savings onto customers don't seem to be going anywhere except expanding. The service in superstores is still a matter of importance, but diminishing. With smartphones and the right apps, a lot of people will likely know where a certain item is located without the assistance of a shop worker. Even the till system is becoming de-personalised as more and more self-service kiosks are springing up.

 

[CH David]

It's not just stores and food joints and all that. Hospitals are also very customer service-y when you think about it. That's my point in this post, as I happen to work in a hospital. You don't really think about it because you are more concerned about getting better at the hospital, no matter how it happens. Right? Right. You always see someone in a certain area, maybe putting stuff away in cabinets or machines or dropping something off. Customer service right there.

My job is direct customer service, in two facets. One, I need to provide the nurses and doctors with the proper supplies and equipment, and those supplies go to the patients, who will hopefully feel better afterward.

It's not the most glamourous job in the world. My department has on many occasion, due to being corporate and keeping the bulk of supplies in a warehouse a half hour away, not been able to provide our customer service properly. Just last night the Labor & Delivery unit was out of tubing for epidurals. Those that don't know, epidurals help with the pain of labor. Okay it's a pain killer. Warehouse was closed, and we are out of the new tubing. Two other places carry it. L&D, and the Recovery unit. Had to steal from Recovery to appease L&D. I did my best to get them the supply needed, even if it was just six. I'd like to think I provided the best customer service to them, given my situation. Would you agree?

I don't like my job anymore, well my department and all the crap that goes on with it. But that doesn't mean I need to make anyone else feel like shit. It's a hospital, patients are already feeling like shit, nurses have to deal with them, PCTs have to be elbow deep in shit (sometimes literally) so I do my damndest to put a smile on and legitimately try to enjoy my day. Sure, I have a day every once in a while where I feel overwhelmed or just can't keep the smile going, but once you get to where people can see you, suck it up and do what you gotta do.

Good customer service is crucial for loyal customers. You can't/don't/won't treat me well while I am in your establishment, I will take my money with me and not come back. No bueno for any business.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Just to rock the boat a little, in the long-term I wonder how big a role customer service will actually matter. Yes, people like to be treated with respect, courtesy and made to feel important when shopping for goods, but with the advancement and growth of the online and de-personalised shopping experience likely to grow rather than go backwards, I wonder how much the act and play of interaction when shopping will matter.

I used to work in an independent shop where we sold a whole host of different things. Primarily it was a music shop so the usual instruments, sheet music, note pads and accessories were the main draws. Upstairs there was an electronics section, mainly high end stuff such as Sony and Bose goods, as well as an assortment of CDs and DVDs. There was also a restaurant and a convenience section, which is where I worked. The shop closed over the summertime as it could not keep up with the market demands and had been struggling for sometime.

Ordering things online is (in theory) one of the most convenient ways of shopping as you type in what you want, you see how many items are in stock, related products pop up, there are no queues, there's no traffic, there's no worry about loading your stuff into your car/onto a bus then dashing off somewhere else. It's efficient, no doubt, with perhaps the major complaint arising from posting/delivery, which is handled by a different company or organisation than that which you bought the goods from.
The smartphones are also tied to the online aspect too; seriously, how many products these days DON'T have one of those scannable square code things? Their name escapes me at the moment.

Talking of convenience, malls and superstores are very convenient nowadays. Over the years they have included more and more differing items under one roof so that you can buy your weekly shop, get photos developed, buy a whole new top-to-bottom outfit, treat yourself to a new TV and DVD player and take your pick from this week's new DVD and musical releases. While staff cannot just be rude for the sake of it, if someone is perhaps not quite up to the standard in terms of service that the customers normally expects, I think the convenient aspect of the malls/superstores would outweigh the disappointment of poor service. Unless it was more than just one employee and was instead a store-wide issue.

What I'm getting at is that while I do agree that customer service is important, in the coming years I don't think it will be as crucial as it once was given that the ease of online shopping seems only likely to grow and superstores that can bulk-buy items that in turn pass savings onto customers don't seem to be going anywhere except expanding. The service in superstores is still a matter of importance, but diminishing. With smartphones and the right apps, a lot of people will likely know where a certain item is located without the assistance of a shop worker. Even the till system is becoming de-personalised as more and more self-service kiosks are springing up.

I definitely understand what you're trying to say here, Dowds. In most ways, shopping online can be more convenient, because you don't have to worry about long lines, crowds, and customer service won't be a factor, because you can do everything from your computer. But the very realistic and common threat of identity theft is still out there. Some consumers won't take the chance of putting their credit card numbers and checking account info online, so taking the trip to various retail stores will still be a common method of shopping. Also, shopping in stores can allow you to retrieve your item a lot quicker. Shipping can be a problem, if you decide to buy online, because the waiting time for the arrival of your specific item can always be unclear. And if you want fast delivery, you'll have to spend more money. Why wait and spend extra money, when you can just hop in your car, drive to a store, and pickup the item yourself?

Although, I do agree with the rental stuff. Renting movies online and from kiosk machines can be more convenient, because when it comes to renting movies, you really shouldn't need that much help, if you already know what you're looking for. Also, when you're picking out a movie, personal preference usually triumphs over wanting the best quality product, so there's a good chance you won't need too much assistance. Netflix recently took a huge hit (losing over 800,000 customers), but you still have Redbox and Blcokbuster Kiosks, and you can rent movies from Amazon and the iTunes store, so a good amount of different options still exist.

Smartphone apps can be very helpful and informative, but I still think customer service will have a good amount of importance in the future, because certain situations will always call for physical help. Customers could need help loading heavy items in their car, and you might need an associate's help for finding an item in the receiving area (or "the back") or the associate will have to retrieve the item from top stock (depending on the store's set up), if the item is out of stock on the sales floor. Also, a verbal explanation could be more helpful in some cases.

Technology and the internet will continue to change things for the future. There's no doubt about it, but problems will call for the help of real people. For example, I'm sure we've all encountered the many self-checkout machines at various retail stores. Sometimes, these machines can help customers avoid long lines, but these machines can have hiccups and cause problems, and some people will make mistakes during the computer's checkout process, and when this happens, a cashier will have to help the customer solve the problem. The advances in modern technology have been great, but there will always be a need for associates to provide helpful customer service.

It's not the most glamourous job in the world. My department has on many occasion, due to being corporate and keeping the bulk of supplies in a warehouse a half hour away, not been able to provide our customer service properly. Just last night the Labor & Delivery unit was out of tubing for epidurals. Those that don't know, epidurals help with the pain of labor. Okay it's a pain killer. Warehouse was closed, and we are out of the new tubing. Two other places carry it. L&D, and the Recovery unit. Had to steal from Recovery to appease L&D. I did my best to get them the supply needed, even if it was just six. I'd like to think I provided the best customer service to them, given my situation. Would you agree?

This sounds like one of those "my back was against the wall" type of situations, so yeah, I do think you did the best you can do, given your situation. It doesn't sound like you had too many options, so you just did what you had to do, because a crucial tool was needed for the epidurals. You wanted to help and do your job, and there's nothing wrong with that.

 

[HBK-aholic]

Having worked at a cheap retail store (Primark) for over a year, I assure you all customers were the bane of my existence and at the end of the time I was there I wanted to kick 90% of them in the face. Most people assume that those working in retail or supermarket jobs are stupid, or are going no where in life. They treat you like shit. What they fail to realise is many people are working there to get themselves through college or University, and that many of them will end up with jobs better than the one the customer has - this is especially true of people who shop in the cheaper, discount stores.

I was always nice to customers, and went out of my way to help them - more so when I first started and had no idea how horrible people were - but even towards the end, I always smiled and helped wherever I could. This niceness got me and many other staff members verbally abused and even threatened. This was often due to issues WAY beyond our control, such as an item not being in stock, or the fact management change the layout of the store weekly, and if you only work weekends you go into work on a Saturday and everything's changed, and you're magically expected to know where it's gone. Some customers want a small-talk conversation, others just want a smile and for you to ring up their items as fast as possible and as a store we had complaints from people 'They didn't talk to me enough' to 'They were asking me questions, I just wanted to buy my things!' We could never win. We didn't get any support from management, who were solely interested in how their customers felt, and never mind the staff working ridiculously hard for minimum wage. My current job is in a hospital, where I spend my days lifting heavy patients, moving them, and even dealing with bodily fluids. Yet I prefer this, and actually believe it to be easier than working in retail.

This is seriously one of the worst industries you can work in, and while there's no excuse for an employee being rude to you, just think about how you treat them, and that their last customer could quite possibly have been swearing at them and blaming them for things they have no control over. Even an employee not having a good understanding of their products isn't entirely their fault - few industries give their employees training on every item they sell. I'm not saying that employees should treat you horribly, because they in no way should, and should be as professional as possible. I'm just offering an alternative viewpoint on why they may not be 100% happy all the time.

Oh and one thing I hate - 'If you hate the customers so much don't work there' which is all fine advice, when there are 500 jobs to choose from for everyone, let alone these people working part time through college. But there isn't, and at least these people are working as opposed to sitting at home claiming benefits.

 

[BK Styles]

Having worked at a cheap retail store (Primark) for over a year, I assure you all customers were the bane of my existence and at the end of the time I was there I wanted to kick 90% of them in the face. Most people assume that those working in retail or supermarket jobs are stupid, or are going no where in life. They treat you like shit. What they fail to realise is many people are working there to get themselves through college or University, and that many of them will end up with jobs better than the one the customer has - this is especially true of people who shop in the cheaper, discount stores.

Primark. I have so much sympathy for you. I wouldn't wish that on an enemy. *shudders*

All of this above is so true as well. I work in a WHSmiths in a train station. I'm part time, but have been doing full-time hours since I finished University, and have been there over five years. I wouldn't say I love the job, nor do I hate it, but moments I enjoy and moments I detest usually centre around interactions with customers.

For me, customer servivce is nothing more than common sense. If your job is to sell something, if someone comes into a shop, that is your aim. Your number one aim is to have them leaving with a product, and the best way to do that is being friendly, informative, and helpful.

However, whilst I try to be all of the above, with some customers, it's just THAT much harder than it should be. Now, WHS gets some bad press because when a customer comes to the counter, they are bombarded with £1 big bars of chocolate, Haribo, Pringles, etc. A lot of customers have issue with this, and will make a point to vent their displeasure rather agrgessively. Now, I don't agree with these offers, but if I don't ask every customer and my manager finds out, I could get in trouble. But a lot of customers don't seem to realise this (or care).

Also, being in a WHSmith, 90% of issues customers have is pricing. We are very expensive. For UK readers, 1.85 for a 500ml bottle of Coca Cola. Yeah, it's THAT bad. But what most customers refuse to consider is that I have no say in the price. I am merely there to enforce it. And yet the amount of times I've had people shot in my face and threaten me over prices in the alst five years is quite a long list. And every time I have responded as politely as possible, whilst biting my tongue and resisting the urge to tell them to about turn and fuck themselves anally.

My point is, Customer Service is very important, but there are a lot of people who shop who do not give the same level of politeness to the employee. People who work in shops are people too.

 

[J.J.]

I worked in retail for 6 years. EVERYONE should work in retail to see what it is like to be on the other side. I worked in grocery retail - nothing worse than someone being inconsiderate and leaving a pack of meat on a grocery aisle and then it goes bad. Now imagine how much that adds up to a day, that results in hours cut down the road because stolen items and items left from refrigeration results in "company shrink". People feel its the workers job to clean up their mess. No, its not in their job description or training aid. Accidental spills, yes, their job. But cleaning up after lazy adults isn't. If everyone went through the retail experience then they'd respect stores and workers better. We want the customer to buy, but want to be left alone to perform our checklist. Nothing used to bug me more when people wouldn't pay attention to the signs