Customer Service is Dead / People are Rude

[sampler]

Customer Service is Dead and I believe this has to with the epidemic of rudeness mixed with stupidity...

Correct me if I am wrong, but when I first got my crappy customer service job at McDonalds (decades ago) I was taught to always greet the customer with a SMILE and ask them "how can I help you", then I would take their requests and perform their requests in the most efficient way possible, AND the most cost effective for the client so that the client wasn't ripped off. If I was slow at processing their request I would say "I am sorry for the delay, it should be about x mins" and if I had the foresight that it would take a century, I would let them know that it will take some time and ask them if that was OK before there was no turning back for the client.

If they had a question, I would give them an answer that was actually CORRECT, and if I wasn't sure, I would find the answer out for them. I would never, ever, EVER, just give my best guess at the answer and respond with "I THINK..." , and I would never imagine to just respond with the words "I am not sure" and hope that they would just accept the fact that I didn't know, and that we could move on from there, with their question not answered.

When it came to the exchange of money, I would say the total and give them the time to count their money while I prepared their order (I was being efficient), instead of staring at them while they counted their money or worse, socializing with colleagues. And when I received their money I would say "thank you".

When it came to the part where you got what they needed, I knew that you needed to leave them with a good last impression....So, I would wrap their stuff nicely, ask them if they required anything else or any assistance etc. and gave them their stuff while reviewing the order with them to ensure everything was in the bag, and once we agreed it was all there... with a SMILE I would say, "Have a nice day".

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Now fast forward to TODAY, this is how customer service goes at most places (stores, services e.g. dental offices, etc.)...


CS worker: socializing with colleagues (or playing on the cellphone or computer), avoiding eye contact with customers in hopes that they would go to another employee.

You: Hi, are you open/can you help me?

CS worker: still socializing with colleagues, pretending they are still busy, but finally says "yes" (no smile)

You: Can you tell me ...(insert any question that they should know the answer to here)

CS worker: Um.... I think ..blah blah. I am pretty sure. or I am not sure.

You: Can you ask someone who knows?

CS worker: finally gives you the answer that she gets off a colleague

You: I am ready to check out now.

CS worker: It is $x. Takes your cash, and gives you the change and receipt. (no smile, no have a good day) Goes back to socializing or avoiding eye contact with customers.

You: Accepts the money and says, Thank you. Maybe you say have a nice day too, depends how mature or happy you are despite the crappy service you just got.



And don't get me started on those moments when they mess up or give you a faulty product etc.,

I hardly ever hear the word "sorry" from them when they clearly have inconvenienced me, instead, they have the nerve to treat the situation like it is somehow my fault !



Customer Service is Dead and I believe this has to with the epidemic of rudeness mixed with stupidity.

[Arvilish]

Funny that you said this while I see couple of ladies always backbiting at customers in superstore... Not surprised as at.

In fact this is how I heard about SC when cs at superstore were talking about how coupon* was fraudulent and how that customer was "so nervous" about redeeming this coupon...gee at least wait until customers leave....go talk back during your break! It SO unprofessional!

Facepalm
* It was this Finish one...I think I comment on that asking if it is real or not

On side note: expression of this couple in front of me was priceless! LOL

[sampler]

^ not surprised at all over here either... This reminds me when I overheard employees at Walmart once...

When I was at Walmart last Christmas, I overheard a customer service desk employee tell a floor employee "Don't tell people that they can get the item free if it scans incorrectly, just tell them that they will get the correct price" ...For some reason they didn't like the idea of honoring their SCOP policy.

[c_mcarthur]

two way street my friend....

[GracieAnne]

I did technical support for a major computer company for a year, I think my job title was, "Person to be yelled and cursed at until you feel better."

two way street my friend....

[harley]

I agree customer service leaves a lot to be desired these days, BUT the flip side of that is that there are a lot of crappy customers out there too. In a 7 hour shift we are lucky to get 25% of customers that are pleasant to deal with on any given day especially during tourist season.

[c_mcarthur]

I agree customer service leaves a lot to be desired these days, BUT the flip side of that is that there are a lot of crappy customers out there too. In a 7 hour shift we are lucky to get 25% of customers that are pleasant to deal with on any given day especially during tourist season.

Like the ''WHERES THIS?'' question, instead of hi, can you help me?

[harley]

Like the ''WHERES THIS?'' question, instead of hi, can you help me?

That's one of them and typically it will be when you are trying to help someone else. Don't wait your turn just interrupt because their time is more important than the other customer. That being said it's time to go to work and meet todays pleasant people. Everyone have a great day.

[nursegirl]

I used to work at Walmart while I was in university, my co workers were horrible. They would talk bad about other customers in front of customers, and even CSM's would come and complain to me about people price matching when I was busy cashing people out. Absolutely unprofessional. I HATED how some cashiers would get annoyed with people price matching when they would do the same thing during their breaks. The drama there was ridiculous, a co worker accused me of doing something (which I did not do) and yelled at me in front of a line full of people which caused me to break down in tears (I'm pretty emotional).

But on the flip side, we got some pretty bad customers as well. The ones that pissed me off were the ones that held 1 item in their hands, while in a regular checkout lane and complained about people price matching. LIKE PLEASE GO TO EXPRESS PLEASE. I think everyone should work a customer service related job at least ONCE in their lives, so they don't treat people like their personal slaves and punching bags.

[emdoug]

So thankful to be out of customer service work.
I totally understand the employees, you're likely being paid minimum wage, you're dealing with customers (often not pleasant) your entire shift, given duties other than just checking customers out, would rather be doing a million different things. I have only had a few really good managers in all of my cs work, and honestly if you don't have a good manager work is even less desirable, so I completely feel for those cs reps who dont have a smile on their face every single time a new customer comes to the till, or don't make direct eye contact, they want their day to be done already.

For the most part I always ask them about their job when I'm checking out, because I remember my days being so dull and it was refreshing when someone did anything other than complain to me about their day/purchase, haha.

[Arvilish]

I think its about professionalism! I have done hard jobs too but will never bite back or yelled at customers! Its important to remain calm, professional and NOT take things seriously! Ignore things...it makes life easy!

Even the most 'respected professionals' face complicated 'customers' despite being paid highly in the end. In the end, it is the attitude that counts!

[sampler]

two way street my friend....

Two way street? If you are saying customers can be rude, yes, of course. But if you are saying CS workers are allowed to be rude if they get rude customers, then I do not agree. Two wrongs don't make a right.

Of course customers can be rude...but no one is paying them to do a job during the interaction. Even if a customer becomes difficult, you don't start calling them names or reciprocate in anyway (that is how the situation can escalate) , you treat them the way your company wants you to handle the difficult situations as you are representing them (I doubt that involves cut eye, condescending remarks, rude tone, scream matches, swear words, puffing of the chest, etc. etc.) If you don't agree with how your company wants you to treat customers, then it is time for you to talk with your manager to see if things can change, or find another job. I knew before working at my second customer service job that I would have to handle difficult customers, I accepted that, It was the bad part of the job...every job usually has a bad part.


However, my rant was not addressing rude customers, it was addressing CS workers who are rude to customers at the START of an interaction. (the CS worker is either sick of the job as a whole and doesn't want to do it, or they are treating every customer with dirt because of the one customer who pissed them off ---neither is a reason to behave rudely at your job, or a reason to not do the simplest tasks that your job requires you to do).

There is a sense of entitlement that people have now a days, where people think they should be able to treat customers any way they want because they don't get "paid enough", or that they should get paid more if the employer wants you to be nice to every customer.....nooooo, that isn't how it works... by accepting the job offer you are accepting the job duties of the job, you don't get to pick and choose. If you feel that it is not paying enough, then look else where or upgrade your skills so that you can make the big bucks that you deserve. If I had my way, everyone would be millionaires, but that's not reality, life is not easy nor is it fair all of the time (that is another discussion that I will not entertain. I am talking about how it is now, not "how things should be"). Notice in my Mdonald's scenario I mentioned easy tasks such as greeting the customer and smiling, these are EASY tasks that can be completed at the START of an interaction (the customer hasn't had a chance to be rude to you, so you have no excuse to SMILE or say HELLO), if people find this difficult to do, then they should learn how to do it...imagine you are taking a selfie (whatever works for you) at the very least you should say Hello if you don't want to smile...OR, find a job that doesn't require it.


I worked at McDonalds ! Hungry AND rude customers is what I got (I believe that is the worst kind), and guess what? I was still able to say Hello to each customer and do the duties of my job. I was grateful that I had a job and I was getting paid $6.50 per hr. I didn't cut corners, I did what I thought was expected from the job, and to me that wasn't asking too much from me. Did I hate the rude customers? Of course, but I didn't provoke them, I would triple check that I did the order correctly and made sure I did my job so they couldn't complain about me. And I was extra extra nice to the customers who were pleasant to me.


Again, I am not saying a CS worker should love the customer who is verbally or physically abusive. I am pointing out that CS workers don't bother to do the simplest tasks of their job, the last time I checked, It was easier for me to say Hello or smile to a customer, than it was to take their order, so that is why I did it with every customer. Part of my job was to greet the customer... and if you think your employer is asking too much for you to smile, at least say "Hello" to the customer, because they you can say you at least greeted them.


The basics of customer service is what I am asking for (e.g. greeting, helping me get an answer). I know it is possible because some CS workers are able to give me that. Recently I have started to fill out surveys on these workers to commend them for providing me with service...yes, I am impressed now a days when someone says Hello with a smile, or even just hello.

[dahliagrower]

Good topic .... but put your money where you're appreciated .... If the store doesn't treat you as a customer - don't give them your business .... That's how I've looked at it for the last 3 years.

I absolutely hate shopping at Walmart (IMO their staff don't get shown that it's of value to actually care about customer service .... you do get some nice people but it's the exception not the rule), Canadian Tire is right behind them (purely lack of training) and RCSS ..... I prefer to shop where I feel I am being looked after - and it's usually worth a bit more to me

I don't think customer service is dead.... but I do believe customers are different .... we have less patience than before and higher expectations .... and a lot more do feel "entitled" ...

[scouponer]

Miss Target! always had great customer service, happy staff...went out of their way to be helpful! Never had anything but positive experience!
Don't get me started on sdm or walmart cashiers...had some very bad experiences. Mostly good experiences at RCSS except when my cashiers gave me a hard time about coupons once with big line up and next cashier over overheard conversation and started yelling at my cashier that I was doing nothing wrong so they start arguing meanwhile I now have not only my line of customers giving me the stink eye for holding up the line, but also another line of customers now giving me the stink eye as well. It was crazy...I mean I appreciated the other cashier coming to my defence but talk about being the centre of attention. Not good

[SassyAshley]

A lot of this comes down to what the company is willing to accept, like nursegirl said if the CSM do it yes employees below them will do it. The questions comes down to what management will do.

I personally work in customer service in what I would call a medium size company, I am in the main location and in total we have 5 locations across Ontario so usually if there is a complaint it comes to head office. Now there are always two sides to every story but our focus has been and will be customer service and our management takes any and all complaints seriously and does address them. As some have mentioned yes it is a two way street, no I do not get to be rude to a customer because they are rude to me but we do have lines that cannot be crossed. Just recently we closed an account due to a customer`s behavior towards both another customer service person and their sales rep. Yes we focus on customer service but there are lines that can be cross and a lot of what happens comes from management. In our case we know our management will stand behind us but with that being said there is an expectation on end. Obviously in some other companies this does not matter maybe because they tend to be larger companies and feel it is what it is but it all starts with management.