Yes, i know times are changing, blah, blah, blah, but the last several years have left me pining for the days of good customer service. I don't notice a lot of people in outward-facing jobs having much in the way of people skills or the desire to learn them.
A recent trip through the drive-thru of a local fast food restaurant added to my frustration and nostalgia for people who say "thank you" and "have a nice day" when taking my money, coupled with a desire to make things right - to give a customer the type of service she is paying for.
On this particular visit I sat in my car checking my order just after it had been handed to me. I order strangely (I'm a pick eater), so I always double check, especially since this particular place seems to have an aversion to repeating orders back, making correct orders a game of Russian roulette.
The girl in the drive-thru said "there you go" and when I didn't immediately pull forward (there was no one behind me) she asked, "Well, what are you waiting for?" Her tone was snotty and I had to restrain myself from making a rude comment in return. I explained that I was checking my order, aghast that someone would speak to me in such a way after taking my money.
Fast forward to a week or so after that. I had the opportunity to attend the 2011 Sweet Adelines International Convention, hosted in Houston, Texas this year. I'm not sure exactly where the line separating good customer and bad customer service was, but my friends and I experienced nothing but smiles, thank yous and excellent attention to making sure that our experience with whatever business we were patronizing at the time was a mutually pleasant experience. I can't say enough good things about how we were treated in Texas, beginning with the Doubletree in downtown Houston. Everyone, from the valets to the concierge was cordial, attentive and on the spot with whatever we needed.
This was the customer service I have missed for so long. I wanted to scoop all those people up in my purse to bring back home with me in the hopes that some of that goodness would rub off on folks here.
So, there's my customer service rant (and rave). Tell me about your good/bad experiences.
I STILL won't patronize Sonic after that bad experience you and I had there years ago, and never will again. Especially after we got home and found that Sonic appears to purposefully hide any way to give them feedback through the web (or did at the time). Of course, I get it from good stock, since my parents quit Wal-Mart after the local store lost their vacation pics.
ReplyDeleteAnd I guess that's the point - customer service won't magically change for the better if we don't react to bad customer service. You say "especially since this particular place seems to have an aversion to repeating orders back," and then remark on the girl's snotty tone in this episode. And yet I bet you've been back since. :) So where's the negative feedback loop? In business, everything is a race for the bottom in search of profits, so unless you can show the company a loss of money due to bad customer service, there is NO incentive for them to strive for anything better.
This is one of my pet peeves! The girls at DQ here don't say anything when you are at the window. And I mean ANYTHING. I can ask them for ketchup and they don't acknowledge they hear me - I only know cause I will watch them go put it in.
ReplyDeleteHonestly - I would take a "there you go".
And not go back? Impossible - cause we only have DQ, Hardee's and Subway here - and Subway isn't fast (they are usually nice tho)
Complain? Small town - I can't guarantee they wouldn't find out it was me. Course, THEN it would make it so I never go back....