Sunday 7 November 2010

"Customer Service"

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Today's post is a quick rant all about poor customer service (they never actually said it was GOOD service!)  Sometimes I'll use that trick of omission when I "wish somebody luck"  (okay, so I don't actually implicitly wish them bad luck, it's just funny) but sometimes if people get a bad hair cut I will say "oh! you got your hair cut!"  Meaning I noticed, but I'm not going to tell you it's good, nor will I actually say it's bad (unless you actually ask me).


Apparently this is the planet I live on...



ANYWAY, today's rant starts when I went to Safeway to buy bus passes.  First I wait in line for a little bit.  This is okay.  I don't have issues at this point.  

THEN when it's my turn, the Brinks guy comes to do whatever he does, and the lady working there without any acknowledgement of my presence leaves to the little back room to deal with him.  I can see them through the glass.  

After they appear to be done conducting business, they stand there and chat.  And chat.  And chat.  I'm standing in a place where I KNOW she can see me through the glass.  

When they finally quit chatting, she returns to deal with me without as much as acknowledging that I was waiting.  A "thanks for waiting"  "I hope you didn't have to wait long" (if she didn't see me when she left)  "sorry to keep you waiting"  "sorry, that had to be taken care of right away" any of these phrases as well as many others I would have accepted.    But no.  I got nothing.

Had I not needed to buy bus tickets at that particular time, I would have left.  Instead I made sure to make note of her name and grab a comment card on the way out.  I wrote a very polite comment and explained my situation and will be sending it in.  I think too often we put up with sub-par service and shouldn't.

In finishing this rant, I will point out that I HAVE worked in customer service, actually in a very similar position to this woman.  I know that sometimes you'd rather chat with people other than the customers, but they need to be your priority and the chatting should be done after you've served them.   


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