service observation

[The Edge]

Just an observation (don't want you all to think I do nothing but complain...)

What is up with general customer service these days? Either companies are not hiring good people, or they aren't training people and getting them spun up in their job well. It just seems like companies don't try hard anymore to please people. Yeah, they post all these elaborate "policies" and stuff, but the employees are taught not to follow them...they have to be efficient...get as many people out the door as possible...answer as many phone calls as you can....solve those problems quickly and get on to the next call.....and they're taught not to spend time on anyone and make them feel well treated. It's all about numbers....and they have people sitting in these secret rooms just crunching numbers and doing spreadsheets and algorithms to calculate numbers to measure how well employees do. I worked at Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, and even though the numbers would say otherwise, I think the employee who spent time fixing a botched up loan and got it to the closing table correctly and on time keeping the homebuyer from being homeless and losing his home is a better employee than the cranky girl in the next cubicle who may be really fast and answering phones and talking but provides no welcoming personal touch but remains at the top of the list for number of calls taken.

To put things in perspective:
Within the course of a week I....
1) Had to call Dominoes because a pizza was very late
2) Had to get a refund from iTunes because of problems and lack of service
3) Had to have my wife claim a refund from USPS Express Mail because it was not delivered even close to within the guaranteed time.


This is just wrong, and it shouldn't be like this. It should be about people, not numbers.

[Mr. 5020]

Originally posted by october

This is just wrong, and it shouldn't be like this. It should be about people, not numbers. You'll have to get over it. Numbers make money, not people.

[Ninjashadow]

I agree. I think the problem is that people just don't have pride in their work anymore. It's kind of hard to when you're working for 5 bucks an hour.

[The Edge]

yes. Mr 5020, I am over it.....it's not efficient for companies to really care about people. they say they do, but they don't. it doesn't make money. It's "do the minimum necessary to get the job done or customer satisfied, but we'll write all these elaborate policies so that we look good when we're investigated or sued."

[Ninjashadow]

A person is more likely to be a repeat customer if they get a full refund. Companies know this so they just give the person the refund and don't give a darn whether the person is satisfied or not.

[The Edge]

Yah. that is also true. Sometimes, on the inside, employees really get yelled at if somone has to get a refund....I used to get tons of lectures at Wells Fargo about how much money the company eats giving out refunds and paying fees for botched up closings and appraisal fees and stuff.

[Ninjashadow]

The average customer will spend around ten grand at one store (for instance Wal-Mart or Lowe's) over a lifetime and the store usually would rather lose twenty bucks to get the ten grand.

[The Edge]

i think it's way more than 10k. We used to grocery shop at walmart.....say we spend 400 a month.....that's 4800 a year on groceries. in 10 years of groceryshopping at walmart (not to mention other stuff you may get there) that's 48K on groceries at walmart.

[Ninjashadow]

That's true.

[Mr. 5020]

Originally posted by october

yes. Mr 5020, I am over it.....it's not efficient for companies to really care about people. they say they do, but they don't. it doesn't make money. It's "do the minimum necessary to get the job done or customer satisfied, but we'll write all these elaborate policies so that we look good when we're investigated or sued." And the employees have what incentive for doing better than that?

[Ninjashadow]

That's kind of my point, 5020. The employees have no incentive for doing anything extra.

[The Edge]

They have their pay. And pride in their job. Why should we pay them for mediocre service?

[julie21]

I know from my own experience from working with the public and also my son's in retail, that you can start in the job with the ideals of creating/maintaining good customer relations...but pretty soon, you see that a good deal of customers don't give a flying patootie about being polite to in the least. Yet you stand there day after say, smiling and putting out the "hello. How are you ?"etc and even going out of your way to assist them with things you don't even need to, but they still treat you like doodoo!
For the small pay yu get an hour, my son finally decided he hates retail and the cows that go with it on the other side of the cash register! Can't say I blame him!

[Ninjashadow]

Originally posted by october

They have their pay. And pride in their job. Why should we pay them for mediocre service?

Postal workers perhaps, but there's no way you call tell me a Dominos worker has either.

[Ninjashadow]

Originally posted by julie21

I know from my own experience from working with the public and also my son's in retail, that you can start in the job with the ideals of creating/maintaining good customer relations...but pretty soon, you see that a good deal of customers don't give a flying patootie about being polite to in the least. Yet you stand there day after say, smiling and putting out the "hello. How are you ?"etc and even going out of your way to assist them with things you don't even need to, but they still treat you like doodoo!
For the small pay yu get an hour, my son finally decided he hates retail and the cows that go with it on the other side of the cash register! Can't say I blame him!

You have cows as customers in Aussieland?

I know how your son feels, though. I've worked in a few hotels and guests can be real jerks. And I hate to say it because I know we have several that post here, but the worst guests by far (as a whole) are hockey parents.

[julie21]

Ninjashadow:You have cows as customers in Aussieland?
Yes...we have to make up the population somehow!
The worst guests in Oz hotels are AFL and other codes of Fotball players on 'end of season' trips to the big smoke!
No one even needs to turn their glass upside down...it's just 'on'!

[Ninjashadow]

I love it when fights are booked ahead of time. That way you know when to be there.

[julie21]

...or not! ;)
That's why I love my AFL...so many fights! Though the old days are gone and they're under so many regulations, penalties for Clubs etc...takes all the FUN away!:(

[Ninjashadow]

Yep. Violence is good.

[Lucky]

Lesser paychecks, bigger paychecks, strict policies, and whatever else you can throw at an average American employee will not make him want to be a better customer servant than he already is (not). Most of us are taught in school to lead, take charge, and make it big... not be humble, caring, and a good servant.

[The Edge]

Lucky, that is true a lot of the time.

[Delmar]

Originally posted by october

Just an observation (don't want you all to think I do nothing but complain...)

What is up with general customer service these days? Either companies are not hiring good people, or they aren't training people and getting them spun up in their job well. It just seems like companies don't try hard anymore to please people. Yeah, they post all these elaborate "policies" and stuff, but the employees are taught not to follow them...they have to be efficient...get as many people out the door as possible...answer as many phone calls as you can....solve those problems quickly and get on to the next call.....and they're taught not to spend time on anyone and make them feel well treated. It's all about numbers....and they have people sitting in these secret rooms just crunching numbers and doing spreadsheets and algorithms to calculate numbers to measure how well employees do. I worked at Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, and even though the numbers would say otherwise, I think the employee who spent time fixing a botched up loan and got it to the closing table correctly and on time keeping the homebuyer from being homeless and losing his home is a better employee than the cranky girl in the next cubicle who may be really fast and answering phones and talking but provides no welcoming personal touch but remains at the top of the list for number of calls taken.

To put things in perspective:
Within the course of a week I....
1) Had to call Dominoes because a pizza was very late
2) Had to get a refund from iTunes because of problems and lack of service
3) Had to have my wife claim a refund from USPS Express Mail because it was not delivered even close to within the guaranteed time.


This is just wrong, and it shouldn't be like this. It should be about people, not numbers. Now that you have that off your chest...do you feel any better?

There is nothing wrong with expecting quality service and even demanding so in order to keep your buisness. Just don't let it ruin your joy.

[The Edge]

Nah, it doesn't ruin my joy.

It's really just something to talk about here and help me get my post count to 1000 ;)

[Ninjashadow]

It took me a month and a half to get to 1000 and about two weeks to get to 2000. I have WAY to much time on may hands.

[Delmar]

Originally posted by ninjashadow

It took me a month and a half to get to 1000 and about two weeks to get to 2000. I have WAY to much time on may hands. You are probably going to pass me by the end of next week.

[The Edge]

Well look at me, just over 600. I registered 5 years ago, and this past January I was only at 200....so in the past 2 months I went from Journeyman to Veteran to Old Timer to over 500 club.

[The Edge]

That's cus I got time here at this Air Force weather course. But come April 18 when I go home, back to the kids and I won't have as much time :(

[Ninjashadow]

Originally posted by deardelmar

You are probably going to pass me by the end of next week.

Vacation is almost over, so I wont be spamming as much.

[Ninjashadow]

Originally posted by october

That's cus I got time here at this Air Force weather course. But come April 18 when I go home, back to the kids and I won't have as much time :(

That's over a month away! You can get to 1k by then.

[The Edge]

i know i can ;)

[Sold Out]

Yeah, customer service these day stink....mainly from the younger members of the workforce.

I worked for a drugstore when I graduated high school. I was taught that 'the customer is always right' and that good customer service was not an option - it was expected. I was mystery shopped and graded on my customer service. When I left that job, I really paid attention to customer service at other places of business. If the companies are not going to enforce good customer service, then there is no reason to expect it.