Saturday, June 17, 2006

Customer Service

I rarely rant about certain things, but this one needs to be addressed.

Where in the hell do customer service workers get off being rude to people???

I work in customer service. I know that the customer is number one priority as far as my job goes, and their satisfaction is above no other.

So why do I see all these other customer service type people being rude. This has turned rapidly into a major peeve of mine.

Example. I am sitting in the drive thru line at McDonalds for my soda. I get to the window, and the cashier asks if they can help me. So far, so good. I place my order, and then they tell me my total. After that I say thank you before I pull through. About 95% of the time, the cashier doesn't say anything to my thank you. This irks me like crazy.

Then, and this has happened on way more than one occasion, I pull to the window after my thanks was snubbed. The cashier takes my money and hands me my change. I say thank you again. What do I get....a blank stare. Then I pull up to the second window. The worker hands me my food, often never speaking because they are either incapable, or forgot how. I say thanks yet again and......blank stare.

It's very rare that I have ever been thanked after thanking someone in this type of situation. I know these workers are mainly kids who are working and going through school, but to me this doesn't matter. If they are gonna take the time to put on the uniform, then they need to put on the right attitude to go with it, and not giving good customer service cannot be tolerated in a job like that. Ever.

Example. I go into Wal-Mart a lot. It's open late and has fairly reasonable prices. I like the fact that I don't have to face the senior citizen rush after I leave work. (no offense to you senior citizens out there, but you do seem to congregate in stores before midnight on a daily basis for some reason.)

I get there, and most times it seem that the only person even doing their customer service job correctly is the senior citizen greeting at the doors (I love those people, they are soooo cheerful)

I usually go there to get my check cashed, maybe visit my LCD HDTV set that I can't afford yet, pick up a movie and maybe some groceries.

Most people in the other departments are there and will be glad to help you, but you have to find one. The ones who really get on my nerves in Wal-Mart are the ones who work the service desk.

More than a handful of times I'll be waiting in the unusually long line for the desk and I'll be the next in line to be helped. Great...it's almost over!

However, as one person clears out of the way, and I wait for the obligatory "Can I help the next person" line, all I hear is silence. I know I'm next in line, so I look toward the cashier, who either has her head in something on the register, or who, 9 times out of 10, is staring blankly at me, as if willing me to either hurry and move forward, or to go home.

I get my check cashed and go on my way without so much as a thanks. Great customer service indeed!

The point to this rant is this: If you are one of the many, many people who work in the customer service industry, then by God, show the customer some service. Impress your customers with your extraordinary skill at making them feel important, because to some, you are all that they have. Believe me, and I speak from experience, if you make your customer feel like they are number one, even if you don't think they are and even if your experience with that customer isn't all that great, your kindness and manners will definitely have made a big part of their day.

End Rant.

2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

you know how i feel about this......one of my peeves too! My thing is that manners are something that should be taught to us from the time we can speak. I mean my 2 year old thanks me every time I get him a cup of milk or a snack, why can't the drive thru chick or cashier?

2:53 PM  
Blogger mindtwister said...

Exactly my point. You and I have the same peeves about many things ;)

10:47 PM  

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