25 things vanishing in America, part 2: Customer service

[Darthphere]

LoL! You'd be shocked when you see how many iPod Touch models we have returned because it's a piece of s***. You have your time and money saved.

Don't even get me started with XBOX 360s..

But see, that's just bad consumer thinking. Why buy an iPod touch at $230 when you can get a 120 GB Classic iPod that plays video and everything for the same price almost? Oh, it doesn't have a touch screen and wifi, who gives a ****, buy a DSi.

360's on the other hand. Eh, it's like playing russian roulette. I've had mine for 3 years and it hasn't broken.

 

[Maximum Carnage]

Damn! Lucky bastard! I've had mine for the same time period .. and it's currently being sent out as we speak. This is the third time, unfortunetly. >l

Personally speaking, I'd rather pay $40 and have the console swapped out immediatly, instead of waiting for the damn thing to be sent out for weeks on end. :/

 

[BeserkerHilf]

I work part time at a bank, so I tend to cut people some slack and do the common sense thing and not give people a hard time. It absolutely irritates me how arrogant people are.

I just got off work, dressed in my black tie and white shirt, and headed over to sears to buy a mattress. being 21, I have no idea what I'm doing so I'm looking for help. the place is a ghost town. I do, however, recognize this "lady" that comes into my branch. This "lady's" hairdo looks like someone wrapped her hair in cheese doodles, so she's unmistakable. I see her then see a sales associate some distance behind her. She calls over to me yelling something like I work at Sears.

I correct her mistake, trying to drop a hint that I work at her bank, but she arrogantly strides away mumbling, "Well you look like you need a job with the way you're dressed".

Well you know what? **** YOU. Yea, **** you and your undeserved self-righteous attitude. That right there proves to me that these people can ***** and moan all they want and put all the blame on you, but in the end, you're not even good enough to be recognized in random passing. that is one of the most demoralizing aspects of **** jobs. Management will cram the notion of acting like a ****ing robot down your throat but it doesn't even matter to the customer in the end.

That's why I always talk to a customer like a human being. Any functioning human being can see past the ********, so I choose to not selling them any products. I know as much as they do that they want to take care of their stupid $1 deposits and leave to go bother someone else.

Micromanaging and mystery shoppers are the causes of death of customer service in my opinion. I come into work just a notch under content to be there, then I have three different people telling me about a slip-up I made three weeks ago or telling me about some pointless rule like I can't have my stapler out on my counter or my water bottle has to stay back in the employee break room...you know, because you might as well be snorting cocaine with the customer's money if the customer has an inkling that you're drinking water.

And the thought the bank gives customers money to spy on you is just downright appalling (the "mystery shopper program")

When the bank installs brand new Sony 42" HDTVs in the lobby to play the same slideshow over and over and over again all day when thousands of brochures with those same slides have been printed out and stacked next to the TV, and I don't see a cent, I'm offended.

The jaded employees are not the problem.

 

[Tyrinus]

That depends on the industry. Restaurants and many big boxes like Home Depot do the opposite. Once a customer has chewed out the little guy they ask for the manager who seems to always side with a customer. My brother who worked at a Home Depot spent a long time telling a customer that he cant take back a Kenmore Dishwasher that was old used and broken. Kenmore... by Sears which they don't sell. As soon as they got to the manager, they got their way. One of my friends who worked thier told me his manager let the customers return some tires. (Used tires. again they dont even sell tires)
Restaurants managers are spineless when it comes to the customer. Soon as they *****, the manager is going to give them something free.

How exactly do you manage to take a return, and I assume give a refund on, something you don't even sell?

 

[Scarlet spidey]

I work part time at a bank, so I tend to cut people some slack and do the common sense thing and not give people a hard time. It absolutely irritates me how arrogant people are.

I just got off work, dressed in my black tie and white shirt, and headed over to sears to buy a mattress. being 21, I have no idea what I'm doing so I'm looking for help. the place is a ghost town. I do, however, recognize this "lady" that comes into my branch. This "lady's" hairdo looks like someone wrapped her hair in cheese doodles, so she's unmistakable. I see her then see a sales associate some distance behind her. She calls over to me yelling something like I work at Sears.

I correct her mistake, trying to drop a hint that I work at her bank, but she arrogantly strides away mumbling, "Well you look like you need a job with the way you're dressed".

Well you know what? **** YOU. Yea, **** you and your undeserved self-righteous attitude. That right there proves to me that these people can ***** and moan all they want and put all the blame on you, but in the end, you're not even good enough to be recognized in random passing. that is one of the most demoralizing aspects of **** jobs. Management will cram the notion of acting like a ****ing robot down your throat but it doesn't even matter to the customer in the end.

That's why I always talk to a customer like a human being. Any functioning human being can see past the ********, so I choose to not selling them any products. I know as much as they do that they want to take care of their stupid $1 deposits and leave to go bother someone else.

Micromanaging and mystery shoppers are the causes of death of customer service in my opinion. I come into work just a notch under content to be there, then I have three different people telling me about a slip-up I made three weeks ago or telling me about some pointless rule like I can't have my stapler out on my counter or my water bottle has to stay back in the employee break room...you know, because you might as well be snorting cocaine with the customer's money if the customer has an inkling that you're drinking water.

And the thought the bank gives customers money to spy on you is just downright appalling (the "mystery shopper program")

When the bank installs brand new Sony 42" HDTVs in the lobby to play the same slideshow over and over and over again all day when thousands of brochures with those same slides have been printed out and stacked next to the TV, and I don't see a cent, I'm offended.

The jaded employees are not the problem.

This.
Where may I subscribe to your newsletter, sir?

 

[Hobgoblin]

This.
Where may I subscribe to your newsletter, sir?

Ditto.

 

[BeserkerHilf]

I'm a screenwriter/director currently in film school.

Keep a look out for the name Matt Hilferty and support my films. they're bound to be filled with rants like ^^

 

[Hotwire]

When I used to sell family portraits, we had one store that was 5 miles from my home. I worked this store EVERY time it was done fore about a year and a half. (About 6 promotions) I would get customers telling me that when they had photos done with us last time, the sales rep gave them a better price than the one I was giving them. I would then take the opportunity to tell them that the sales rep they delt with last time, was me, and I did not give them any special discount. On the other hand, I would tell them that if they could bring me the receipt from last time, showing the discount I didn't give them, I would honor it.

 

[Lighthouse]

I've worked at Wal-Mart for the last 7 1/2 years, and I definitely share the pain felt in this thread. Nothing creates misanthropy quite like a customer service job. Funny thing is, I tend to get better service from other people now because of my job. If I'm at a restaurant or store, and something goes wrong, I usually am very calm and understanding about it, sometimes talk to them a little about my own job and when I had a similar problem, and because of that I get much improved customer service.

The absolute worst thing about working at these places is that I feel like I'm becoming a much worse person, and possibly even a little bigoted. When I see old people cruising towards me in those store provided motorized scooters, or encounter people who speak zero English, or run into woman with a screaming child, in my mind I think immediately, I mentally let out a huge groan.

I hate that that is my first reaction. I remember when I used to like people. Everyone tells me when I was a child, I was the most caring and sweetest child they knew, and I keep wondering what the hell happened to that kid.

 

[Manic]

The absolute worst thing about working at these places is that I feel like I'm becoming a much worse person, and possibly even a little bigoted. When I see old people cruising towards me in those store provided motorized scooters, or encounter people who speak zero English, or run into woman with a screaming child, in my mind I think immediately, I mentally let out a huge groan.

I hate that that is my first reaction. I remember when I used to like people. Everyone tells me when I was a child, I was the most caring and sweetest child they knew, and I keep wondering what the hell happened to that kid.

Yeah, working with costumers everyday will slowly kill your soul.

 

[Lighthouse]

I work in insurance, in a customer service capacity, and I've worked retail. Even over the last few years, things have changed dramatically.

The old days are long gone, and for many reasons. There are more people in the world now, more demanding and overly sensitive people (read: passive aggressive customers) in the world, and corporations are also more demanding of their employees, often timing or regulating heavily what they do, and then labeling it as a "customer service" initiative, when really, it's usually just about productivity.

Most of the time, blame the corporations, not the employees. Most of the time, a happy employee will give good service.

At some point, people started expecting a ridiculous amount of "service" for their dollar. Why would anyone want to hear some half-ass or overly enthusasthic nonsense like "We really appreciate your business" every time they go into a store or place of business? "Thanks for your time today", "Good to see you again", sure, if it's genuine. But the fake, corporate-mandated stuff? Why would anyone need that kind of reinforcement? I can understand wanting a measure of politness, but with me, customer service is sort of a gray area. Far too many people seem to think it should equal being "fake attentive" or unrealistically cheerful. Those should be exceptional experiences, not the expectation for the norm. Personally, I find people who need that sort of reinforcement while they're grocery shopping, or anywhere, for that matter, somewhat pathetic. It's fine if you like to have people smile and ask about your day, but to expect it all the damn time? I myself, having enough experience to know that it's simply not as easy as delivering "good customer service", expect people to do what they're paid to do. That is, a cashier is supposed to ring me out. If they bag my groceries and leave them within reach, so much the better. A waiter is supposed to take my order and bring my food. And so on and so forth.

Not to mention that stores actually used to close at a reasonable time, and were almost never open on Sundays. Now big stores are either 24 hours, or open till late at night, and sometimes open on major holidays. I had to work on Thanksgiving, and we had almost no customers. So instead of getting to see my grandmother whom I never get to see anymore, I had to dust off shelves, which had already been thoroughly dusted.

 

[BeserkerHilf]

the real world happened. victims of racism, ageism, sexism, etc cry on and on about "common misconceptions" but just because you think they exist to "hold your kind back" doesn't mean they don't actually happen.

you withdrawal all but $.03 of your welfare direct deposit from your savings passbook every 1st of the month then pull away in your car that's nicer than mine suited up with spinners and shaking the building with the subwoofers.

you're, in actuality, a cranky old *****. I don't care how many years you say you've banked here, I'm not cashing that check. I'm not losing my job.

 

[Scarlet spidey]

Yeah, working with costumers everyday will slowly kill your soul.

"To all you workers out there, every single commodity you produce is a piece of your own death."

 

[Hotwire]

The absolute worst thing about working at these places is that I feel like I'm becoming a much worse person, and possibly even a little bigoted. When I see old people cruising towards me in those store provided motorized scooters, or encounter people who speak zero English, or run into woman with a screaming child, in my mind I think immediately, I mentally let out a huge groan.

I hate that that is my first reaction. I remember when I used to like people. Everyone tells me when I was a child, I was the most caring and sweetest child they knew, and I keep wondering what the hell happened to that kid.

This is exactly why I quit my last job. I found myself perfectly willing to take a bullet in the eye rather than deal with certain customers. It was at it's worst when I noticed that as certain people left I was quietly wishing misfortune on them.

Yeah, working with costumers everyday will slowly kill your soul.

Yes. Yes, it will.

 

[\S/JcDc\S/]

The biggest problem with customer servince in retail stores seems to be workers are forced to cover too many areas, a lot of times in places they don't normally work. So you ask them a question, and they aren't well informed since they are covering one of like 6 areas. I suppose the economy has freezed hiring, of course you still see plenty of managers around

 

[thewhyteman]

How exactly do you manage to take a return, and I assume give a refund on, something you don't even sell?

Yes, Its absolutely crazy. They support bad behavior to increase customer base. It's ridiculous.

When I used to sell family portraits, we had one store that was 5 miles from my home. I worked this store EVERY time it was done fore about a year and a half. (About 6 promotions) I would get customers telling me that when they had photos done with us last time, the sales rep gave them a better price than the one I was giving them. I would then take the opportunity to tell them that the sales rep they delt with last time, was me, and I did not give them any special discount. On the other hand, I would tell them that if they could bring me the receipt from last time, showing the discount I didn't give them, I would honor it.

I get this sooo much. An old wise man once told me referring to retail "People Lie, they will lie right to your face." He was so right.

I've worked at Wal-Mart for the last 7 1/2 years, and I definitely share the pain felt in this thread. Nothing creates misanthropy quite like a customer service job. Funny thing is, I tend to get better service from other people now because of my job. If I'm at a restaurant or store, and something goes wrong, I usually am very calm and understanding about it, sometimes talk to them a little about my own job and when I had a similar problem, and because of that I get much improved customer service.

The absolute worst thing about working at these places is that I feel like I'm becoming a much worse person, and possibly even a little bigoted. When I see old people cruising towards me in those store provided motorized scooters, or encounter people who speak zero English, or run into woman with a screaming child, in my mind I think immediately, I mentally let out a huge groan.

I hate that that is my first reaction. I remember when I used to like people. Everyone tells me when I was a child, I was the most caring and sweetest child they knew, and I keep wondering what the hell happened to that kid.

Agreed. Treat a person well and you will get better results.

I was also a real nice guy before I waited tables and worked retail. Now I hate people.

Yeah, working with costumers everyday will slowly kill your soul.

I cant begin to reply on how true this is.

 

[LastSunrise1981]

Well I am a doorman/box office cashier at a movie theatre. My job as a doorman is to basically tear tickets, make sure the lobby and bathrooms are clean, and when a theatre lets out go in there and clean it with other doormen as well.

Our General Manager is considered to be one of the rudest people we have, however, I respect her because she is honest and when push comes to shove she'll stick up for an employee if a customer is wrong. I have two stories that showcase the wrongness of a customer.

On a Friday night it was pretty slow and as Doormen we're supposed to check theatres to make sure no one is having sex, recording the film, or being disruptive. On this particular night I went into the House Bunny(Yes, we've had people tape horrible films). There were four girls in there and I went in doing my job, when all of a sudden they started looking at me like I didn't belong there. Let me say they were staring at me very hard so I just looked back them. I walked out and ran into one of the projectionist in the hall and started talking to him.

Those same girls walked out of the movie and I asked him "Did the movie let out already? I went in to see the movie was still going and figured they didn't like it."

About 20-30 minutes later their mother comes in and tells my boss that I stared at them making them uncomfortable. My boss tells her "You better have some proof he did anything wrong. I know him and I highly doubt he went in there to bother anyone."

So I looked my boss and told the mother to their face I was checking a theatre and that they were looking at me, it's not my fault they were probably doing something they shouldn't have been doing to feel uncomfortable. My boss told the lady that there was nothing else to talk about and that she owed me an apology, same for the girls too. I am 27 years old and these girls were about I'd say 15 or 16 at the most.

Second story involves Notorious on opening night. You can imagine the people that come to see a film about Biggie Smalls. We had extra security there in case a fight broke out and we were doing ID checks.

This lady came in and I tore her ticket, she was really drunk and loud, and on this night it was pretty cold so she tried touching me to show me how cold it was. I backed away quickly and she tried coming towards me again which I backed away again. If I don't know you don't touch me and hell even if I know you there is a personal space that shouldn't be invaded.

So she got pissed and walked away, only to return ten minutes later saying I didn't tear her ticket or give it to her. I told her I did and that if I hadn't she wouldn't have gotten in due to the fact that without that ticket she couldn't have gotten in. Cops, doormen, and our assistant manager Tim was checking tickets to make sure no one underage was sneaking in. She was being rude and trying to tell me that I didn't give her the ticket.

Tim comes in and defends me saying that he remembered her showing the ticket to him, even then she's still trying to lie about it. So Ms. Fisher(the GM) comes out and the lady is doing the same thing to her. She goes on to say "Your employee here was rude to me and he didn't give me my ticket", to which Ms. Fisher responded "Mam, you can't lie to me. I was walking by when he tore your ticket and my employees know better than to be rude to any customer."

So the lady was getting even louder and asking to speak to the home office. Ms. Fisher responded "I am going to have to ask you to leave my theatre."

You'd never think people would flip out over a ****ing movie.

 

[mrvlknight21]

Service is vanishing at a lot of places for sure, but I go to Chick-fil-A, and see that at least one place still believes in the customer first.

Thats because its God's restaurant.
Speaking of that, IF, if you go to the Chick fil A in the mall @ Athens, there is a girl there named Nychole who is THE BEST @ customer service, ever.
I had to work in that area in Dec and intentionally went there to be wowed by her daily.

PS, I know you wont respond to this, since you always ignore my posts for some reason, Georgia brother.

 

[The Guard]

Which brings up...what ISN'T a customer service job these days?

Hell, now even cops and soldiers have to deal with this crap. Being held accountable is one thing. Being held to "customer service" standards?

I myself love to kill people with kindness. There's literally nothing more subtley insulting than if you make some arrogant, ignorant blowhard feel like a small child simply by being nice to them. I like to just go quiet, let them rant until they realize they're an idiot, and then continue the conversation with control of it and their issue.

At some point in high school my dad told me something along the line of "Some people are just *******s", and remarkably, *******s have never bothered me since. Because I just don't care about their petty issues. I care about them real people, but I give their ignorance no credibility.

Not sure where you all work, but the general tenet of customer service is that once it gets to the manager...it's over. The customer will get some semblance of what they want. And fairness and justice aside, I really don't care. It's not my money they're wasting. What I mind is when managers lambast employees for following procedure and pissing off a customer. Thankfully, it's been my experience that MOST managers aren't that stupid.

Re: the accents...my favorite thing ever...

Two weeks ago, some country bumpkin said, of a representative where I work who came from Africa...

And I quote:

"He didn't speak very well English".

Worked at Burger King and other fast food places. Definitely didn't care much about the job, but you don't have to care much to get orders right. I just don't care at all any more about people who can't display basic human decency. I go beyond not taking it personally. I flat out just tune people out and assume they're pathetic sub lifeforms, and that they need to have their hands held and their relevant bottles. And I give them what they want if it's appropriate to do so, and generally feel sorry for them and everyone they deal with.

 

[Darthphere]

Crazy story today. We went to Target today and my sister bought a copy of Mario Kart. We didn't notice there wasn't any plastic seal on the gamebox and neither did they. Well, we hadn't even left the parking lot and she opened it and lo and behold, there was no game in it. So we go back. We had bought it no lie, 3 minutes ago. Well like always we got looked at like we stole the game and we're trying to get a free copy. They went and checked the video cameras, called the guy from the game department and he told customer service it had the plastic wrap on it. Um no sir. Well 15 minutes later and some raised voices later, we finally got a copy of the game. But we're probably on some wall now to watch us for stealing ****. I know they're doing their job, I work Customer Service at Marshalls so I know, but damn. Not every person is trying to be a crook.

 

[Immortalfire]

Thats because its God's restaurant.
Speaking of that, IF, if you go to the Chick fil A in the mall @ Athens, there is a girl there named Nychole who is THE BEST @ customer service, ever.
I had to work in that area in Dec and intentionally went there to be wowed by her daily.

PS, I know you wont respond to this, since you always ignore my posts for some reason, Georgia brother.

I'm going to tell her I saw her name referenced on the web.


And then I'll get security called on me


I don't ignore you

 

[Addendum]

I dont know about a lot of places but at my store we are required to ask a customer that is looking around if they need help. We get chewed by management if we dont.

I know. In high school I had a job in retail, and I hated bugging customers having to ask if they need help. Because I know how I would be in that situation, I'd ask someone first instead of waiting to be asked.

So I make sure to have my mp3 player with me. If I need help, I'll pause the player and take the headphones off and ask. I also take them off at checkout.

 

[Manic]

I know. In high school I had a job in retail, and I hated bugging customers having to ask if they need help. Because I know how I would be in that situation, I'd ask someone first instead of waiting to be asked.

So I make sure to have my mp3 player with me. If I need help, I'll pause the player and take the headphones off and ask. I also take them off at checkout.

At one of my jobs, they told us to call security if someone walks around with headphones on all the time, or spends their entire shopping experience on a cellphone. They then monitor the hell out of that customer, just in case they're stealing stuff and using the headphones/cellphone as a way not to be bothered by employees.

 

[Addendum]

They can't handle the fact that some people don't want to be bugged while shopping. Cracks me up. I'll keep doing that. Who knows, while they're so concerned about me listening to some good tunes instead of the crap they pipe in, someone else could walk off with something.

 

[BlackLantern]

My company has gotten lucky, a state law changed which actually helps enforce a specific policy we have....we had actually planned on changing it later this year, but the new law moved those plans up. So when someone complains, I tell them "According to Connecticut state law, this is the policy"