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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wonder why customer service is so awful?

114 replies

PlomBear · 18/12/2019 17:36

Is it just me or is customer service in the UK crap?

In a department store - huge queue, two cashiers. I appreciate that it’s management who roster staff. Waited ages to pay. I said a cheery “hello” and the woman just pursed her lips at me. She only spoke to say the transaction amount. I said “thanks” and she just looked at me. 🤷🏻‍♀️

On a train, the conductor checking tickets. Showed him my ticket “need your railcard too, you need to have that ready for me you know.” I smiled and said sorry, he proceeded to ask me why I was entitled to that railcard! And yes, it was my railcard and in date with my photo. Then just kind of grunted at me and walked off.

Post office - posting a dozen cards, some overseas. The clerk actually shouted at me that it wasn’t her job to stick the stamps on, I didn’t even ask her to! Considering there was nobody behind me in the empty store I thought it was a bit weird. She wouldn’t let me stand there to put the stamps on. I had to take them home, figure out which one was which (different countries needing a different number of stamps) and then go out again in the rain to post them.

I have worked retail many moons ago. I get that it’s minimum wage and that customers can be rude. But I really am always smiley and polite. Yet I am often met with downright hostility from staff. Everybody (staff and customers) seem so miserable.

OP posts:
Khione · 18/12/2019 20:11

So you have not responded to any of the people on here who have agreed with you and argued and used sarcasm with those that have had a different experience/viewpoint.

Hmmmm

mindfulmam · 18/12/2019 20:15

Pepepig - ok I'll have to agree on midwives haha they are v bossy 😂

AhoyMrBeaver · 18/12/2019 20:16

I've been in dozens of shops in the past couple of weeks, and the only time I had a grumpy person serve me was in M&S food hall; the woman on the till had no fucks left to give. I didn't take it personally, because this was not normal in my experience. I might take it personally if I got more than one arsehole per shopping trip.

Original poster
PlomBear · 18/12/2019 20:52

This pretty much sums up how I feel about people. Grin

To wonder why customer service is so awful?
OP posts:
Original poster
PlomBear · 18/12/2019 20:53

Khione - don’t get what your point is, sorry.

OP posts:
helacells · 18/12/2019 21:00

It's Brits for you. Bloody miserable lot who hate their jobs. Why do you think everyone loves the customer service in the states? Because they are properly trained and bend over backwards to help you. So the have a nice day is a bit cheesy but it works and I'm always horrified when I visit UK at how rude staff are.

Sittingonthedockofthe · 18/12/2019 21:06

I think in UK we veer between US levels of customer service and stereotypical French waiter rudeness. Luck of the draw I think. I'm sometimes a bit put out also when people are rude as I worked in customer service for years. I usually don't go back to shops or restaurants etc where people are rude so it's some kind of karma in action I guess.

Barnseyboyo · 18/12/2019 21:07

The general public are twats, that’s why. I’ll never work in retail again.

PosiePie · 19/12/2019 00:11

@helacells

It's Brits for you. Bloody miserable lot who hate their jobs. Why do you think everyone loves the customer service in the states? Because they are properly trained and bend over backwards to help you. So the have a nice day is a bit cheesy but it works and I'm always horrified when I visit UK at how rude staff are.

While I agree with you on the Brits thing, I have found that the Americans I have served in the UK are far more polite to service staff in general. Even when you can't actually do what they want you to do, or they are complaining, they still remain polite, don't swear, don't get personal. They engage and tell you what they want without demanding, demeaning and talking down to you. I think that makes a big difference to the level of customer service they get.

DeeZastris · 19/12/2019 00:19

I do think that customer service has gone down the pan in the past 10yrs (before anyone starts I was customer facing for years)
But the fish rots from the head. If upper management didn’t expect retail staff to do the job of 2 people; got rid of zero hr contracts; paid sick pay etc then I think staff wouldn’t mind do much and would go the extra mile.

My2ndfavouriteFword · 19/12/2019 00:23

Probably because they get paid crap wages and have shitty managers.

My2ndfavouriteFword · 19/12/2019 00:25

I have previously worked in retail. In Waitrose in a fairly nice bit of London. The customers were so rude and entitled it effected my mental health.

Sweetpea55 · 19/12/2019 00:27

Try doing your shopping on Newcastle.. Lovely friendly people and great service

WatchingTheMoon · 19/12/2019 00:57

US style customer service sounds like a nightmare to me.

Give me a scowling Brit any day. I don't need a stranger to prop up my self-esteem by chatting to me about my cats or the weather. Give me my stuff, take my money and let me out of here.

OK, if they are an actual arsehole to me, that's one thing - I'm thinking of the doctor's receptionist who once accused me of lying about a form she said I had been asked to bring, which I hadn't - but overall, I really couldn't give a damn if someone doesn't smile at me or say hello.

managedmis · 19/12/2019 01:02

I totally agree, op.

I live abroad and am always shocked by how crap customer service is, how rude people are and generally miserable when I return to the UK.

PegasusReturns · 19/12/2019 01:16

I don’t really buy the “too frazzled” excuse - I think people know when they can get away with it and when they can’t.

E.g. I fly a lot. I’ve never had cabin crew be rude to me when flying business or first. In fact to the contrary it can be uncomfortably OTT. Not so when flying economy where it’s not uncommon to be on the receiving end of a sharp tongue. I don’t believe the business crew are exponentially better at customer service. They just understand it matters more.

Bananablueberry · 19/12/2019 01:50

I work in retail. Occasionally my colleagues can be rude/grumpy with customers. Sometimes it's because that's just what they're like, sometimes it's because they're tired or a bit unwell or just incredibly busy. Sometimes it's because the customer has been rude or grumpy first.

I don't get paid if I'm off work so I was doing an 8 hour shift 2 days after a traumatic car crash and had to run off to the toilet crying a few times. I probably wasn't being particularly cheery that day although I wasn't rude.

People working in customer service, just like all other people can be rude or simply bad at their jobs. Most aren't in my experience though, the majority of my colleagues are lovely and helpful. I do often find that many customers who complain about customer service are demanding we do things against company policy just for them (not saying this is you OP)

Graphista · 19/12/2019 04:05

Good, personal service is one of the major advantages of physical shops over online shopping and so many High St chains haven't adapted to create service that keeps customers in shops. 100% agree with this!

Think I discussed this with you on another thread op.

I’ve worked in retail (for several years) and as I’ve said on other post I don’t think there’s any excuse for grumpy, surly and unprofessional service.

“Real life” retailers are constantly bemoaning the online retailers for “stealing” their business but in addition to the convenience and prices online retailers can offer they also tend to offer better customer service.

And I don’t accept customers being rude as a defence either - again as I said on other post the best way to deal with awkward customers anyway is to “kill em with kindness” - the ones who aren’t arses but just stressed/having a bad day themselves will calm down and the ones who are arses will reveal themselves but you’ve covered your own arse and if they really push it they can be dealt with even barred.

And I certainly notice - and compliment good customer service and I’ve regularly emailed or phoned companies to praise their exceptional staff and made sure to give them top marks on any survey.

I would agree too that glasgow is generally very good on this score and I’ve lived all over Uk. Worst city on this I wont mention as I’d get flamed!

And yes the blethering nhs receptionists are getting on my nerves too it seems to be getting more prevalent, I even recently had a situation where I phoned a dept, the receptionist picked up the call and then carried on her conversation with her pal for over 4 mins (yes I noted!) and then deigned to say “hello x dept” and listen to me. Dreadfully unprofessional way to behave.

“But as someone who worked in a customer facing role, I always gave the same benefit of the doubt to my customer.” Exactly that argument works both ways!

I really don’t think expecting basic competency and good manners is asking so much.

AngelsOnHigh · 19/12/2019 04:48

When I was working in banking, my very first customer of the day was a total nightmare.

I stopped the transaction she was making and quietly said that as it was only 9 am, someone or something had obviously upset her so early in the day. But it wasn't me so how about she take a deep breath and we'll start all over again.

Luckily it worked. Don't know if I would try it these days.

Aridane · 19/12/2019 05:11

I've had instances of poor customer service of the type you describe - hasn't everyone - but I just assume the assistant is having a bad day - as we all do

You see, this seems to be the default response for sullen or rude customer‘service’.

But if I behaved rudely in my job because I was ‘having a bad day’ or otherwise underperforming, I would most likely get managed out.

I used not to think much of sporadically poor customer service until I travelled to other country where a higher priority is put on customer service

ScreamingValalalalahLalalalah · 19/12/2019 07:37

But if I behaved rudely in my job because I was ‘having a bad day’ or otherwise underperforming, I would most likely get managed out.

You don't say what your job is, so it's difficult to comment on your circumstances.

I agree that rude, sullen behaviour and underperformance is never going to go down well in any job. My point was that in some jobs it's easier to cope when you are not feeling 100% (emotionally or physically) because you are not 'on show' all the time. I work in an office, so it's fairly easy for me to keep my head down and avoid too many human interactions if I am having a bad day. I am also sitting down, not having to stand up when I might be tired or borderline unwell.

Marriedtoapenguin · 19/12/2019 08:18

You don't notice the normal level of service only the exceptional and the dire. The dire tends to stay with you longer though.

Overall most public facing staff are good even in the face of utterly entitled twattish behaviour.

Rosebel · 19/12/2019 08:43

Basic manners aren't asking too much. I just wish customers would remember that too. So many come in with the attitude of I'm the customer I'm always right. You might be the customer but trust me you're usually wrong.

BlaueLagune · 19/12/2019 08:46

People are poorly trained and poorly paid. And given zero incentive to show initiative.

But the majority are pleasant and do their jobs properly.

My biggest bugbear is that they let you queue for a till when they're doing something else (yes I know not all are till-trained, but most are and serving customers should come first).

Post office staff are a law unto themselves, they always seem to have something better to do than deal with a queue. You can have 4 members of staff and one desk open with a queue of 10 people waiting.

BlaueLagune · 07/01/2020 14:37

Coming back to this thread as I had an example of the "lets not leave you alone" sort of "service" today. I had a work meeting and was about 15 minutes early so decided to go into the local Waterstones book shop.

The shop assistant said hello to me as I walked in. That was ok.

But then she asked me if I wanted anything/needed help when I hadn't bought something within 30 seconds. I just wanted to walk around without being hassled. It's a book shop. You browse.

If this is a new policy of Waterstones they will drive even more people to Amazon.

(of course, I might have just looked like a shifty shoplifter)