Unemployed: Now What?!

Customer Service Revisited

 Customer Service Revisited: What is the problem with customer service? I watched as a man received poor customer service at a dental clinic.  The man was so frustr...

Customer Service Revisited

What is the problem with customer service?

I watched as a man received poor customer service at a dental clinic.  The man was so frustrated, he walked away without getting help from the front desk staff.

The journalist in me listened to the interaction between the man and the receptionist.  I wrote a piece about customer service and the ways in which it could improve.  As a fellow human being, I listened with empathy.  It is horrible to take time out of your day to visit the dental clinic only to be turned away like your time and efforts mean absolutely nothing.

Details of the incident I do not know.  From what I heard, the man was following instructions given to him from a dental clinic worker to visit the clinic and receive a treatment.  The receptionist dismissed him, saying that the information was incorrect.  She looked at him with a dull, uninterested face.  There was no offer to make things right.  There was no clarification to his request for services.  She kept the dull face and did not even express her apologies for the misunderstanding.  The man looked like he was tired of explaining how he ended up at the clinic.  He spoke louder, turned red, and waved his hands around.  People in the waiting room stared at the man.  I stared at the receptionist.  Somehow I was hoping that she would make the situation better for the man.  She did not.  He stomped out of the receptionist area, pausing in the hallway before he got in an elevator to say, “This is bullshit!”.  Again, people stared at him.

I feel for the man.  Although I do not know the details of what happened to him, I do know that he deserved to be spoken to with respect, empathy, and human kindness.  There has to be a way for employees to recognize the need to speak to all customers with good manners, good customer service.  Managers have to take notice of the need for staff training so that employees have the language needed to make customers feel respected.

Unemployed: Now What?!

Unemployed: Now What?!

Customer Service Begins At The Front Lines

 Customer Service Begins At The Front Lines: Providing good customer service is crucial for every business. How many times have you visited a restaurant, gym, bank, retail store, o...

Customer Service Begins At The Front Lines

Providing good customer service is crucial for every business.

How many times have you visited a restaurant, gym, bank, retail store, or any other business and felt like you could have had a better experience?  Have you ever felt flat out disrespected as a customer?

It seems as though many front line workers are on a revolving door type of employment.  One week I noticed a cashier at the mini mart where I got some gas and the next week that cashier was gone.  Never to be seen again. 

I can only imagine that being a mini mart clerk is stressful.  Dealing with as many types of personalities as there are types of chips.  There are kind enough people who stop by the mart.  Somehow it’s the negative interactions that stick out the most, irking you enough to replay the situation in your mind.  People are in a rush, trying to pay for gas with cash or cards, there may be delays in their service so the people fuss at you or curse you out. 

 When I visited a Loop mini mart at a Shell station, all I wanted was to pay cash for a fill up.  When inside the store, the clerk did not acknowledge me while I was waiting at the counter.  She then assisted someone who came into the store after me.  I calmly went to stand behind the person being assisted and the clerk walked away.  Taking a deep breath, I then went to stand in line for another clerk to take the money.  There were a bunch of school age children buying hot Frito's, blue Powerade, and all kinds of colorful junk food, the dye probably rotting their manners.  Some of the children were pushing past me as if attempting to cut me in line.  That is when I lost my patience and asserted my place in line, positioning myself so that the children could not pass me.  I then made eye contact with the clerk.  She looked so exhausted and had a “I hate this job” expression on her face.  Suddenly, I felt sorry for her.  My own feelings of being disrespected were minimized when I read into her facial expressions.  It seemed to me the clerk was overwhelmed, tired of dealing with loud school children who were grabbing at rainbow colored Sour Patch Kids and sugary sodas and found out they did not have enough change for the snacks. 

I felt like the first clerk was rude to not acknowledge me, since it seemed that she was able to see me clearly.  When I went on to the next clerk, I felt she could have exercised more control over her line by organizing the group of children to make a line, and wait their turn. 

Whether I am right or wrong in my assumptions, I felt like my presence in the mini mart was not respected.  That made me think of how important it is to engage employees, especially those employees on the front lines.  These employees can make or break the company’s image with a single greeting and smile.  Mini mart clerks who have to interact with different personalities and customers definitely need to feel engaged and empowered.  Clerks should feel like they have the power to keep the store organized, provide a welcoming service, and ensure that people leaving the store feel good about the smallest interaction.

I do not patronize this gas station since that last visit.  Prior to being bum rushed by adolescents eating multicolored candies, I noticed that the clerks were not remaining in their positions long.  The clerks had done things like snatching money, responding to questions rudely, and overall looking unpleasant and tired.  I decided that I am worthy of receiving good customer service.  There are plenty gas stations in my area.

What Happened To Customer Service

I am a star shopper!: What Happened To Customer Service: What is customer service in 2015? Sad to say, I think customer service is a thing of the past.  In many industries, automation has repl...

What Happened To Customer Service

What is customer service in 2015?

Sad to say, I think customer service is a thing of the past.  In many industries, automation has replaced the human worker.  Kind of like what the Apple iPod did to the Sony Walkman.  Replaced.  Made obsolete.  Destined to be a really bad meme one day. 

Banks and credit unions have automatic teller machines (ATM).  The focus is on keeping the machines working and strategically placed.  The focus is not on improving teller’s customer service interactions with customers. 

I frequent a credit union branch where there is ample parking and usually three tellers working to keep the lines running smoothly.  The office is fairly quiet, the employees speak in low tones to the customers.  The overall feel was nice and the tellers used to be pleasant.  Over the last three years, I have seen new tellers cycle in to replace the tellers that were working when I first became a member.  The mood of the office has changed as well.  There was a time when customers were greeted at the front door with a smile and a “good morning”.  I was impressed by this.  This small credit union made a point to give personal service. 

Now, it is difficult to find the customer service person or a teller that looks me in the eyes and greets me.  When I wait in line to receive service from a teller, I may or may not be greeted.  There is little eye contact from the teller.  Often, I have to repeat my transaction request to the teller while she is punching keys on her computer.  When the transaction is complete, the cash back is placed on the counter, the teller says, “here you go”, and her eyes have not left the computer screen.  No thank you, come again.

The branch has a drive thru ATM, an ATM in the front of the branch, and now a new ATM inside the branch lobby.

When I have used the ATM, I placed the card into the slot.  The screen greets me each time, allows me to punch in a transaction or two, and prints out a receipt to go with the “thank you for visiting the credit union” message on the screen.  It is a fast and pleasant experience.

As automation continues to improve and take the place of human workers, I have to wonder.  Is it better to use the ATM so my expectation of good customer service will always be met?  Will the feedback I provide to the credit union branch manager be used to help tellers understand what makes their jobs important?  Will the machines cost tellers their jobs?  Do the tellers care if the machines cost them jobs?  Sometimes I feel like tellers do not care to improve the customer service they provide.  They may be preoccupied with their own thoughts of being replaced by machines to care.