To think that people don’t apologise anymore as part of customer service.

[CockerSprocker]

And that this has happened since lockdown.

Some examples I can think of because they are recent:

1. I received an educational psychology report about my DD. I realised that another child’s name and age was attached to the text results section (first name only). I called the council SEN department. Response: “She probably cut and pasted and just forgot to take it out, I’ll look into it”. Return phonecall: “Yeah, I’ve spoken to her - they are your DD’s results but she forgot to change the name, will send an amended copy”. Not even a basic “Sorry about that” or acknowledgment that it shouldn’t have happened.

2)Prescription pick up - DH waited for 45 minutes in pharmacy to pick up prescription for DD (this is standard for our local pharmacy). Got home, main item missing when he opened bag. I phoned this morning. Response: “Let me look at computer. Oh yeah, I can see it hasn’t been labelled or boxed up yet, I can do it now and you can pick up later”. Again though, no “Sorry for the mistake”. It should have been there and it wasn’t!

3. In a cafe recently, ordered an item from menu. Waitress “Oh we don’t do that anymore”. That was the response.

Maybe I am getting a bit grumpy but that attitude just seems to be everywhere now.

Along with making phone calls about most services and just getting a response of “It is taking longer than it should be at the moment” (for example, 6 weeks rather than 2 weeks to respond to an insurance claim). As if that is just okay and no explanation ever needs to be given.

Or chat bots everywhere instead of humans, making it really hard to deal with customer service problems (at least they apologise though I suppose, just can’t solve any problems)

I think there are a handful of occasions when the customer is being a dick and I wholeheartedly agree I'd find it hard to apologise or go out of my way.

But l if I can clearly see my company has screwed up and my customer is understandably angry then I would always apologise. That's the difference between a professional and someone who isn't,

I don't think customer service has ever been well paid either.

If you want to know why people in customer service don't seem to care any more then go and have a look at the bus driver thread and take a read of all the nasty, bitchy and personal comments towards the bus driver, because everyone is jumping to the conclusion he's just a nasty person trying to ruin someone's day and taking the opportunity to berate that, instead of considering that maybe he's just someone following a bad company policy to keep his job.

That's the problem in customer service and it's created by companies that want your money and nothing else and customers who feel that they are above customer facing roles to the extent they can be personally insulting and demand other people put their jobs at risk for the sake of something they want.

Don't think it's been since lockdown. Main mantra tends to be " that's never happened before" no sorry.....

I think it's a sign of becoming a grumpy old woman.

I wouldn't have noticed these things before but would now, and yes they would make me slightly grumpy.

Had same problem this week. Issue with a company that was entirely their fault.

No apology and was told it was my fault and to read their t&c. It had absolutely nothing to do with me and not covered by their t&c as it was their mistake.

Their next reply was again to read the t&c and they wouldn't be replying to me again.

I've not noticed this but I did have a (batshit) boss who said I should never say 'sorry' to service users query things, as that implied it was our mistake straight away. She gave me a verbal warning as I switched to 'I'm sorry that's happened to you' HR agreed she was batshit.