Am I really in the minority?

[LadyP]

Having come back from shopping in town today and had to complain/point out bad customer service AGAIN, I started to think about all the times recently that I have complained and beleive me there were many. I have even complained at McDonalds on behalf of a new employee,not that he asked me to !!!

Maybe it is me, but I get really incensed by bad and rude customer service(actually, just general rudeness). I know everyone has bad days and believe me when I worked as a part-time check-out girl when I was 17 I had many, but if you have to stand at a counter, waiting to be served whilst the assistant has seen you but looks the other way or walks off, wouldn't that bug you?

Anyway, before I really go off, just wanted to confirm that others felt the same.

Oh yes, I know what you mean. On several occaisions I've given a stroppy shop assiatant the 'thankyou and a smile/please wouldn't go amiss' line. They ALWAYS seem amazed that I have the cheek to ask for such a basic bit of customer service.
It doesn't take much though does it?

Changing the subject abit, I saw a post from you on another thread and you said you're in Wallington.....me too. What a small world.

You are certainly not alone - I find most customer service is appalling - but I'm too timid to say anything usually; I have just been booking a rail ticket on the phone, the person I was dealing with was so sarcastic and condescending - I wonder why people work in these environments if they don't like dealing with other people (I speak with experience having worked in customer services for over 10 years!!).

Good manners and courtesey seem so old fashioned nowadays and, I hate to say this, but I do feel a lot is do with lack of 'training' when children are growing up.

LadyP - definitely not alone!!!!! GRRRRRRR!! And Casll Centres..... don't get me started on f***g Call Centres!!!!!

Ohh mum2toby.....did we hit a nerve?

One of my faults is that I don't hold back... I just tell them they're being rude and obnoxious and have been known to ask to speak to there supervisors.... very satisfying, but doesn't make the service any better next time!!

Definitely hit a nerve!!! ... that's the nearest smiley there is to a growl!

I worked in Boots once, only on Saturdays, and even the Saturday staff had Customer Care training.

I can often be heard muttering "a smile costs nothing..." particularly after shopping in Co-op.

What about these ignorant folk who carry on a conversation amongst themselves while they serve you..... or sigh when you ask for help like you're interupting their tea break!!!!!!! YOU ARE PAID TO SERVE SO SERVE!!

When I worked in retail I would've lost my job if I acted like that, but I wouldn't have coz it's so rude.

Call centres do my nut in! You go through a useless automated service that takes ages, you finally get to speak to a person and they can only tell you what the automated service told you!!! WHY?? Or when you finally get through and they tell you it's the wrong department and before you can blink you're on hold again listening to some eighties crappy music!!

OR

When you're arguing with someone on the bank phoneline and they tell you that it's not THEIR fault and I should've checked my account more often, and there's nothing they can do.... even though it was a mistake the bank made!

And perhaps the best of the lot....

.... when somebody has f**ked up big time eg. you're not getting items delivered on time... or train tickets ordered online don't come through in time for the journey.... the peach of a line the Call Centre staff religiously repeat is....

wait for it......

..... "All I can do is apologise madam" AAAAAAAH! No it isn't!! You can refund my bl*y money.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!

I need a cake... hmph.

Enjoy you cake, mum2toby. make it a big one....you sound like you need it.

I've had one today already otherwise I would have joined you.

Could always have another I suppose.

That's a new law... you can ALWAYS have another cake.

Ha Ha Ha

At least you complain LadyP (and others too). Many don't and that really bugs me.

A good piece of advice I received when complaining is to write your complaint down and ALWAYS say what you would like in return from the company to make you happy (eg apology, refund of money etc). From complaining I have had a free w/e at a 4* hotel, and £700 off the total cost of my wedding reception to name but a few. A friend of mine even managed to have the side of their car resprayed for free !

PS I'll join you lot in the honanary cake - and a bar of chocolate too. After all it is Monday

Metrobaby

Mum2Toby, I know what you mean about call centres and their ilk. Having applied for a re-calculation of my child tax credit award (wrote to them as was not getting through to them by phone)and I received a letter from them starting 'Dear Madam', but which then proceeded to a number of bullet points in block capitals, such 'FINAL LEAVING DATE AT WORK', 'PARTNERS INCOME'.

I was spitting feathers and wanted to send a reply in the same style, but DH reminded me that they have the power to either ignore my letter or prolong my case, so I had to concede and write a polite letter in return. GRRRRRR!!!

EmmaTMG, I saw the other thread and yes it is a small world. Croydon girl born and bred, but living in Wallington for just over two years.

I've worked in shops and offices and isn't it true that if someone to nice you over the phone or face to face then you're nice back. If only these anti-customer service people nowadays understood that too we'd all be better off. Another good thing is it normally really p*sses people off who call you in a bad mood with a complaint and you're nice a pleasent to them........it's hard work but very satisfying.

LadyP, I was going to suggest meeting up as we're both in wallington but as the other thread we've posted on is about a Croydon meet-up it seems quite pointless. .see you there anyway.

My favourite call center/customer service experience was when complaining about my broadband connection not being fixed for a week (It was torture). In the morning, the woman I needed to speak to was in a meeting, by the afternoon, when I called back as she'd not returned my call, she no longer worked for the company. I'd been trying to get her to call me back for 3 days

i've worked in retail my whole life and I can tell you that I really care about how customers respond to my service and that 99% of the time I am wonderful at my job, but more than once a day someone walks away muttering something degrading at me. I'm only a shop assistant I can't make a 2 minute transaction into the most hilarious, heart-warming experience of your life. Also remember that refund/exchange policies come from bosses who never enter the shop, not the poor girl whos explaining it to you. Another important point is that the sales assistant isn't holding you at gun-point forcing you to buy the over-priced toy and then pocketing the money. The amount of people who are getting annoyed with their whiny kids and then shoot me a glance as if I forced them to be there. Its a toy shop, if you don't want to buy a toy, don't take them to the shop. Sorry but sometimes its good to get it off your chest, it helps me to smile sweetly wheen being shouted at by complete strangers.