Does anyone else remember a time when Customer Service used to mean more? Not just putting people on hold, and repeating the same things over and over again, but actually doing something to serve the customer. When people went out of their way to try to make sure every customer was, not only satisfied with the service they received, but downright happy with it. What happened to those days? When did the bare minimum become enough?
As a person who hopes to one day co-own a game store, the lack of customer service in the world lately boggles my mind. Everything from wait staff neglecting tables, to no one asking if they can help in a store, to customer service people on the phones being just plain unhelpful. The concept of customer service, what it really means, is dying, the final pitter patters of its frail little heart are quickly fading away. What has caused this atrophy in the desire to help?
There was once a time when the customer was always right, and maybe that's not entirely true. (I know people who could really milk that one for all it's worth.) Now it almost seems as though we have gone to far the other way, the customer is never right. (No one says it, but come on, we have all seen it at least once.) What ever happened to a happy medium? Maybe the customer is right, unless they're a complete tool.
Why is it so hard to get people, who get paid to help, to help? If I give you every 99% of the details of my account information, why can't you reset an email address for me so I can access my account? If I'm at your table, and it's not busy, why aren't you at least coming over when you can see me looking for you? If I'm pacing in a store, obviously trying to find something, why are you walking right by without asking if you can help me find something? These should be common sense things.
Customer service is such an easy way to make sure more and more people come to your place of business, or buy your product, or order your service. So when did customer service go out the window in place of whatever is easiest?
For anyone in the customer service industry, or in any industry where they may interact with customers, I really hope you are the exception to what seems to be the rule as of late. Only you know if you are, but please, I beg you, as a consumer, take pride in what you do and ask yourself each and every day if there is anything more you can do to help? We need you to save customer service.
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I worked at 7-Eleven for a while and I can tell you, there were some really strange customers but I was really friendly and helpful to everyone. And you know what happened? We learned each other's names, they grabbed something off a high shelf when I couldn't reach it, I taught someone how to pump their own gas. My point is, giving good service helps you as much as anyone else. Your job can really suck but your attitude can make it even just a little bit better.
ReplyDeleteYou got it girl, and thats my point. If your job sucks, and you aren't putting your best into it, then of course it's just going to suck more. Wereas if you try to make the best of it and stay positve regardless of the suck job, you might find it gets better. AKA better tips, boss noticing you going above and beyond, customers thanking you and really meaning, knowing that in however small a way you helped someone else.
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