What happened to customer service? I know I've gone off on this before, but it's on my nerves again.
*Yesterday we were at Home Depot, and the guy in front of us was sent back to get an identical product as the one he planned to purchase because his didn't have a bar code. We waited (and didn't mind, really) while he ran and got another one. The cashier told us we could go to self-check if we wanted to because it would be faster. We're big fans of self-check, but because we were getting items that had nearly non-existent weight, we knew from experience that self-check would give us problems. Once the guy returned and finished checking out, it was our turn. We placed our items on the counter, and on the last item, there was no bar code. I told the lady it was $9.99, but she said, "I can't just trust the price you're telling me, I have to have the bar code." Fine, I get that you can't just take my word for it, but I'd sure as heck say it a different way. Perhaps, "I'm sorry. I have to scan a bar code for it to ring up." would have been a little less harsh than I don't freaking believe you. I was annoyed (hey, they're shooting 100% on missing bar codes per transaction), so I just said, "We'll just get one next time." I was not going to make the man in line wait yet again for somebody to go get another product. The lady got annoyed with me! She told us we could go to the garden center after we finished checking out, switch out the product, and then pay for it there. Um, no. I have two kids with me. Home Depot is a nightmare with my kids when things go well, I'm not dragging them back through the store again. And really, it wasn't a time sensitive item, so we really can pick it up next time. Or elsewhere. I still don't know why she couldn't call the garden dept and ask for a price check. And for the record, without my kids, I would have just gone and paid for it in the GD, but still. Customer service people. Novel concept.
*Monday I took the girls into Walgreens to pick something up quickly. Linus wanted everything in sight, so I wanted to keep the errand as quick as possible. We made our way to the checkout, and the (very) elderly lady in front of us wanted to do two transactions. No problem. As we waited, the line grew, so the cashier asked another one to open the counter behind us and help check out. Keep in mind I have a baby in my arms and another child with me along with what we were buying. As soon as the other lady opens the other counter, the lady behind, who works for Walgreens, rushed over there and bumped in to me in her attempt to beat anyone else there. I'll give the first cashier credit, she asked the girl who bumped me to please let the customers go first (to which the girl said, "but I'm in a hurry."). No apology whatsoever from the girl, and there's no way she didn't know that she bumped me. It jostled Lolly enough that she started crying! Ugh!
What happened to training employees in customer care? I worked at a bank in college, and I had hours of training in customer service and I didn't even work in a department that interacted with customers! I volunteer at Children's Hospital, and you better bet we're trained in customer care. As a parent of a child who has been a patient at Children's, I can guarantee it's the little things that count.
I know I sound geriatric whining about customer service, but really, if I'm going to spend money somewhere, I'd rather not be pushed, you know? That's not to say I'll never shop at Walgreens or HD again, but if it becomes a trend, you better believe I'll stop. I'm a fan of locally owned stores anyway, and there's plenty locally owned hardware stores and nurseries. What's your experience?
4 comments:
Oh. I completely understand! What ever happened to common courtesy and professionalism? Let alone friendliness.
Wait staff kill me. Good waiters are worth their weight in gold, but bad waiters are a plague. And they EXPECT a GOOD tip, not just a tip. I got a tip for you...get some manners. Sheesh.
It isn't geriatric at all. Before the girls were born, I worked in retail for 12 years, 6 of that in management. Good customer service is the key to business. From experience, (both as a manager and a consumer ) I can tell you that an email to the Home Office of the company goes a long way. They get read at corporate and passed down to the appropriate managers .Complaints travel very fast. I have written my share of complaint emails, as well as complimentary ones. And, frequently with the complaint ones, companies will try to entice you back with a coupon or gift card or something. That isn't why I complain, but it is nice sometimes to get a freebie.
And about your experience, the lady should have called for someone to check or gone herself, not make the customers do it!
I am so tired of going to a store to check out and some purple haired kid with metal spikes sticking out of their lip acts like I am completey ruining their day by being in the store.
I am so totally with you.
Let's not even mention the cashiers who don't say hello to you, or how are you. They ignore you entirely, or talk to their co-worker on another register.
Lately I have started to play a little game. If I have a silent cashier, I say hello and if there is no acknowledgment, then I don't say anything more. When everything is rung up, I stand there and wait to be acknowledged in some way before I will pay.
Also, twice lately I have walked up to a cash register and waited while the employee either finishes a text or a phone conversation.
OUTRAGEOUS!
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