Customer Service

What the hell happened to customer service? The other day my wife and I were on one of her trips to (Insert name of random store here). Which as always ended up being a trip to that store, that store, this one over here, and OOH I love this store. You know the kind of trip I'm talking about, you know you do. Well a Kohl's store recently opened nearby and we decided to stop in and check it out. The first contact with anyone in the store was at the front door where someone asked us if we wanted to apply for their credit card. Like many people these days we said "No thank you", but that didn't stop them they kept on asking and we eventually left their jurisdiction somewhere along the back wall. Yeah I exaggerate but get used to it. There is a lot of nice stuff that they carry. Much of it was out of our price range but they also had a fair amount of items that were reasonably priced if not a bargain. However some items that we were curious about didn't have a price attached to them and there was no sign on the shelf or display. Unfortunately there were no employees in sight to ask for information, it was only after noticing the small scanner on a pillar that we were able to find the prices we sought. But where were the employees to point this out? Where we the employees assigned to those areas who might actually know the price of something off the top of their head because it was their responsibility? They were clustered in groups of two or three talking to one another. And when we passed by these groups we overheard that they weren't talking about anything work related at all. Not once did someone turn to look at us, or any other customer, and ask "Can I help you find something?" or "Do you have any questions about something?" Nope, just talk about the Marlins game or what Lulu did last night at the club. As we left the store, my wife and I decided that we wouldn't come back to that store unless we needed something and they were the only solution. Leaving the parking lot we finally saw the banner posted on the side of the building, GRAND OPENING TODAY.

Many people these days have come to expect that kind of service when they shop and they really shouldn't. I worked for over 12 years in a customer service related job. I stocked shelves at a grocery store, a company that prides itself of making the customer happy and getting what they want whatever it takes (within reason). I always enjoyed asking a customer if they needed help with anything and if they did, making sure that they got what they wanted or a promise to get more if we were out. Many times they asked for something we didn't even carry as a regular item so I would offer to special order it for them, if that would take to long then I would try to suggest other stores where they might check for what they were looking for. I learned that helpful tactic from Miracle on 34th Street, it's a movie go rent it if you have no idea what I'm talking about. How hard is it for people these days to at least say good morning to you or actually try and help a customer.

Flip side of the argument now, this is where it gets good. Many people these days have come to expect the kind of service where they get whatever they want. I have seen people come into a grocery store expecting to find lumber and concrete, and then get upset and let out a big disappointed sigh when they can't find it there. My favorite of course is the customer who comes in and asks for a product and when you tell them that we don't carry it anymore because it was discontinued by the manufacturer, they say "But I bought it here last week". Of course they don't realize that their "last week" was about 18 months ago. Just because the saying "the customer is always right" is plastered across front desks and nailed into your brains, doesn't mean it's true. Bringing back a carton of milk with just the dregs of backwash left in it and complaining that it didn't taste right does not mean you should get your money back or even another carton. It means either you were too stupid to figure out the taste difference or that you're a liar. The other day I was in the grocery store trying to get the person behind the counter to get me the lottery tickets I wanted, a chore in itself, when someone came up and explained to a manager nearby that they had accidentally forgotten some bags and didn't realize it until they got home. When the manager asked what was in the bags the customer said it was two frozen turkeys and pot roast. Without asking anymore questions or even a raised eyebrow the manager told the customer to just go ahead and get replacements of what she had forgotten and to bring them to the front desk so that she could sign it out for her. Did the manager ask for a receipt? No. Did the manager even think of asking questions to try and determine the validity of this customers claim? No. This manager, who has been with the company quite some time to rise to that level of responsibility merely did the quickest and easiest thing to do to make this customer happy. No matter that it probably cost the store at least $60 in lost profits to make this lady happy. Did she actually forget two frozen turkeys and a pot roast? I don't know. But if you forget to bring home something like that then you deserve to starve that night. A trip to the store where you get two frozen turkeys and a pot roast is something that you have probably planned and written down because you're going to cook a big dinner for some festive occasion, how the hell do you forget to bring home the main parts of that dinner?

Customer Service starts with both sides, the customer and the employee. Both have a responsibility to act with respect towards each other and not treating the other as a nuisance to their day. Common sense and courtesy are not something that takes a great deal of effort, in fact it doesn't take any effort at all to do. Please, Thank You, Yes Sir, No Ma'am. How hard is that to actually say? Managers give pep talks to their employees and usually say something to the effect of putting forth that extra effort to help a customer. There is no effort to it, it's easy and simple to help the customer and you shouldn't need a pep talk to do it. Especially if you work at a section of the store called Customer Service Desk. It's stupid proof to figure out what to do there. However customers these days are more and more becoming irresponsible with everything from their purchases to their children in the store. Go shopping and have fun. Don't turn it into a trek across the Sahara where you drag your kids and scream at them for being kids. Go shopping and get what you are looking for, but be responsible enough to go to the right place to find what you want. You don't have to settle for whatever is on hand, if you ask nice enough and are polite you'll either get what you want or find out where to find it. That's enough for now I think go shopping, buy stuff and support the economy. Blah blah blah. Make me a turkey dinner.