ADDENDUM: Okay. I've changed my mind around a bit. It's not just a lack of customer service, but, in general, people do not have a heart for their fellow man. Most people have become so self absorbed and as long as their needs are taken care of, forget about the rest!! This is true anywhere you go...driving in traffic (people that cut you off or don't even let you into traffic), lines at stores, people in the workplace who will NOT help you nor do they consider "going the extra mile," etc. *sigh* It's so sad! I just witnessed a woman going ballistic because she moved the barricades to our parking lot (see post below) and she let herself in! When they stopped her, she just went off. I hope that worker that she went off on called the campus police because he is just trying to do his job and he does not deserve that kind of treatment. But it was all about her. SO...my mission for today...and then for tomorrow...and then the day after (see the pattern? One day at a time!) is to just treat our fellow neighbor with kindness and offer them help when need be. Oh, and try not to blow up on them when they won't let me merge into traffic. :) Now I know I'm not perfect, but maybe if I can change a bit, then it will encourage another to change a bit. I hope you'll feel the need to change, too (unless you're already doing okay and kudos to you! :). After all, there certainly isn't much love or care for our neighbor anymore.
Okay, folks. Here is is. The defintion from dictionary.com of "customer service" says this:
Definition: assistance and other resources that a company provides to the people who buy or use its products or services
So why is customer service disappearing at such a rapid speed anymore? I had two negative customer service experiences this morning before 7:30 AM and one more before 8! What!? The parking lot outside of my office is closed for the day. I called over to the Physical Plant to find out if they were painting the lot or what their agenda was and how long they'd be at it. I like to know these things especially because there will be people that ask about it! So, the lady at the Service Desk (I wonder if she realizes that's the title of her station?!) says, "Well there was an e-mail sent out to the campus about it." I said that I didn't get it and that the last e-mail I got from them was in May. She responded, "Yeah. It was in that e-mail. Maybe you should have kept it to know what was going on." Excuse me? The point of this... I am calling you to find out what is up because, obviously, I don't have any information. Regardless if I screwed up and deleted the e-mail, it doesn't mean you have to get snotty! The other situations were similar responses. It's just like people do NOT care how they treat you anymore! Now, I realize that everyone is entitled to a bad day and I'm sure that I've had my moments of insanity when it comes to treating people politely, so I'm sure that I'm not one to talk.
But is it me or does it seem like most people do not have an attitude toward good customer service anymore? Tell me your thoughts! What has been your worst customer service experience?
5 comments:
Ugh, I get up-in-arms all over, just thinking about my last bad customer service experience. It was with Alltel, my phone company. I had tried to access my online account, and mistyped my password and was locked out. The website told me to call x number, so I did. I called at least six times, and was on hold for a total of almost an hour. And, after all that...I still didn't get to talk to anyone!
I'm with ya Jen! But it's not just the customer service people; it's the customers too! There have been times when I was just doing my job, trying to be nice and they were rude or either didn't respond. We could all work on showing more love and kindness. Even to the stupid people (ie. flagers on N 9th). It probably was their genetics that made them stupid and nothing they could control. I should just be more thankful that I'm not one of them (ie stupid people).
well the 'ol woodtick needs to thro hiz koments in this diskushun bout kustomer service. see, i iz ben in da bizness uf werkin wif peepul kustumerz fer 33 yeers, bein a fone guy,an i hav kum up wif a shur fire sewlushun. when in da prezzunce uf poopy head peeple who lack kustumer serveece, shoot um in da leg and burn em out ! ! ! the end !
This is the sad, sad commentary of our day. You're absolutely right, Jen, people don't care one whit about the next guy - even when it's their job to do so - until, or if, their own needs have been met. If they're bored or mad with personal life or job, they don't try to hide that from customers. Rather, they spill it over onto them.
I've come to the conclusion that it's an unfortunate result of living in a wonderful country where we can get every single little thing we want. Everything! Ex: If we like 59% spearmint in our peppermint tea, rather than 87%, we can find it somewhere.
Remember Latvia, Jen? There were, what? 4 different kinds of tea? And people don't complain! Shucks, they don't even care that they're missing out on 59% spearmint. (Who that's sane WOULD care?)
My point is, when we are so spoiled that we never have to go without even the smallest thing, we forget that sometimes we do have to go without, or be inconvenienced or do something that, hey, we just don't want to do. We're totally and completely wrapped up in ME and MY and what I WANT. Sad, sad, sad - because life, to me, is all about getting away from that.
And you're right, maybe if we're doing the kind and right thing, someone else will be affected by it. Good one, matey!
I actually had a really good experience with Geico (and no, this isn't a paid testimonial!!). I got a chip in my windshield, and I had no idea what to do, so I called them up. The friendly lady set up an appt., a guy came to my apt. and fixed it for me and answered all my (probably very annoying) questions about what he was doing. So compared with some experiences I was happy for that! :) good to see your blog, btw!
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