Saturday, January 19, 2013

If You Don't Like It, Then Go Somewhere Else.

At one time, I was in banking. Banking is, of course, a customer service field. You get this concept drilled into your head constantly by the higher-ups. Through endless customer service seminars, training sessions, videos, meetings, etc, bank staff are reminded constantly that the sole purpose of their existence is to make the customer happy.

This gets worse the higher up the ladder you go. I was in loans when I left, with whispers about being elevated to lower management. It was expected I represent the bank 24-7. One of my seniors even told me I should give my clients my personal cell number as well as the number for the branch-assigned cell I was given so they'd always be able to reach me, no matter what.

I never did that though. That branch cell stayed turned off and locked in my desk drawer at the end of every workday. I got really pissed at one of my coworkers for giving out my personal cell (without my permission) to an insistent customer we were both working with. Why? Because, as I said, banking is a customer service field. You were expected to deal with customers on a daily basis. As for a lower management position, AW HELL NO!!! I dreaded the idea of being promoted any higher. That meant being expected to deal more closely with more customers.

I was good at playing the game and making customers feel comfortable, but there were actually only a few of them I could stand. And it wasn't just because I'm not a people person. I realized the problem I had with customers was that most customers know we were trained to kiss their asses for fear that they take their business elsewhere. And, naturally, they took advantage of it.

They became whiny babies who cussed and complained about every inconvenience.

"Why wasn't there a coffee machine?" - We had one. Customers abused it and people were walking in off the street, making coffee and leaving without doing a single transaction. DAILY!

"You don't remember my name? I'm your customer! This is poor customer service!" - We spoke on the phone... Once... Two months ago!

"Why is there a chain on the pen? Don't banks make enough money to be able to lose a pen or two?" - Yes, but you'd still bitch when we didn't have a pen for you to sign with because the person just before you stole it.

"You didn't smile and say the pre-approved greeting! Where's your supervisor?!" - He's the angry looking one over there with a cell phone in each ear and the line of people waiting to speak to him. He won't do any of that shit either.

"These interest rates are too high!" - Ah! Thank you for actually bitching about something loan related. Sorry, though. Whoever sets those works in a shiny ivory tower and can't hear you or me all the way down here.

You get the idea. Customers get caught up in the idea that those in customer service have to put up with their crap and use them to boost their own sense of superiority.

I'd almost forgotten about all this until two incidents I witnessed recently.

The first I'll talk about is actually the second one and it was a few weeks ago. I was in a bakery. I had just walked in and there was this guy - a gas station attendant, by the uniform - pacing, ranting and yelling at the girls behind the counter. He demanded his money back and left. Curiosity got the better of me and I asked one of the girls what that was all about.

"He asked for coffee. He got angry when we asked if he wanted milk and sugar. He thought we should know."

I heard the staff saying that customer was always carrying on like that when he came in. He had a problem with everything they did and almost never bought anything. Just came in, found an excuse to yell at them and leave. Yes, I get that he was a regular, but is screaming at them at the top of your lungs the best way to make sure they remember how you like your coffee the next time? If I had to guess, I'd say the only real reason you went in there was just so you could unload on them.

Then there was the other incident about a month before that. I was in a line in KFC. There was a guy over at the condiment dispenser counter shouting at any staff member who approached him. Why? There wasn't any ketchup at the counter. Despite reassurances that he only had to wait a few minutes for someone to get a fresh supply from the storeroom, he wasn't satisfied. The staff were inefficient and KFC, being such a large franchise, should have them better trained so condiments would be topped up regularly. This was completely unacceptable, as far as he was concerned.

The man was livid and refused to lower his voice until the uniformed police officer in front of me got tired of listening to him. The officer did probably the best thing I've ever seen anyone do for customer service staff in that type of situation. He calmly walked over to the irate customer.


Cop: Sir. Is that necessary? They are bringing the ketchup.

Customer: I'm a customer. I have rights. They're supposed to be more efficient and professional.

Cop: Sir, they're human. And despite your carrying on, every single one of them has been courteous and patient with you. That shows a level of professionalism beyond what most would show you.

Customer: But... I'm the customer...

Cop: Sir. These people are overworked and underpaid and this a very busy branch. These things happen and you are not making there job any easier. I suggest if you don't like the service here, you can just leave and go somewhere else.

Customer: I... I'm sorry, officer.


There was silence after that. Most nodded in agreement. A few in the lines even commented their approval at the officer's remarks. The customer remained silent after that until the ketchup came. Then he thanked the staff member who brought it, dressed his meal and left.

I know there are lax and lazy people out there in every field, customer service is no exception. I also know that sometimes the only way to improve things is to complain and bring attention to the flaws. But, when we are complaining, is it to right an obvious wrong? Or is that we've gotten too comfortable taking advantage of a system that's set up in our favor?

There are things that should be fixed, but maybe, if there are little things about a situation, business or person that bother us to the point that we have to scream at someone, it's best to stop complaining about those imperfections and take our business someplace else...


I'm sure the other place got it totally right.

25 comments:

  1. Great post! I can never understand how someone who is paying $5 for an entire meal at a fast food place somehow thinks that gives them the right to be an asshole to the staff. Really? Is it that important?? I can't stand rude customers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's sad some people need that sense of power in their lives and they're willing to grasp at it even if it's whatever $5 will give them.

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  2. I need to speak to your manager about this post.

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    1. I'm waiting here! After all, I am a non paying customer!

      Delete
    2. Oh, I'm sorry. I was on break. What was it you said you wanted again? Ooh! That's just really bad luck. The manager just went on her break now. She'll be back... Um... she didn't say, really. Thank you for choosing AVCI.

      Delete
  3. Once I was behind this old guy in the check out line. He was berating the young girl because she wasn't giving him his change fast enough. He had given her a 10 and then after she entered the 10 in the cash register gave her some change - but not exact change. Young people these days don't have to count change so the skill is rusty. It's a shame, but it's reality. Making a young girl cry because your prostrate is giving you trouble? That's unacceptable.

    I spoke up that time. He started berating me, but it was okay because at least then a manager came over and dealt with him.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. At the end of the day, he should ask himself, did he speed up his transaction by going ballistic on her? Was it even worth it to get himself aggravated?

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    2. Not at all. He just got her so flustered that she could not do it. If he had been polite he would have got his correct change with a lot less fuss.

      Delete
  4. Sometimes people just suck. (But I try to love them anyway.)

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    Replies
    1. Yes, even if they do inspire me to think about unpleasant things happening to them.

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  5. I used to work in sales at a cell phone company. The company put out person cell numbers on our business cards. Literally, thousands of people had my cell number. I would get calls at 3 in the morning from people who had a problem. I always said (politely) the same thing, "Come in the morning and we will take care of it."

    I could not get these inconsiderate morons to understand that there was nothing I could do about it from home. Especially in the middle of the night.

    As a gas station attendant, I was screamed at numerous times for the gas prices. And, at other jobs, I don't know how many people have yelled at me when their total had tax on it.

    There is a reason I hate people.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A mix-up when I upgraded to a smartphone some years back caused me to end up with two phones & two phone numbers. The old one was prepaid, so I kept it, but I only give it out to employers. That way I can turn it off every time the workday ends (once I know the job has no real excuse to call me after hours, that is) & still keep in contact with friends & family. I plan to keep this up when I start working again.

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  6. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  7. Some complaints are made to improve customer service.
    These are not among them.

    I hate it when I type before I think. That's just wrong.

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    Replies
    1. Yeah. Some complaints, like these, are for two purposes:

      1) A way of trying to abuse any sense of authority one may have over another.
      2) To showcase how pathetic a human being one really may be.

      As for typing without thinking? No worries. Happens to me all the time. I submit my blogging history as a prime example.

      Delete
  8. seriously! it's easy to bring something to someone's attention politely so they can rectify it without making a giant asshole of yourself. I think you can tell a lot about a person by the way they deal with these situations same as you can the way people treat wait staff.

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    1. I think they do it because a lot of them think they're gaining the respect of the people who witness them tearing into someone else.

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  9. This is my first time here, nice post.

    One time, I got into a heated argument over the phone with a lady who was just doing her job, over a fair chunk of money that the organization she worked for was holding. While it was frustrating and inconvenient, she did everything she could to help me out. After the call, I couldn't stop feeling like a big jerk for what I had done, so I called her back the next day and apologized to her and thanked her for the effort she had made to resolve the issue. I think that kind of shocked her a bit.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Under the "right" circumstances, I guess we can all lose our cool. It was good of you to go back and apologize, especially to a stranger. Sad there too many with so much pride, it's hard for them to admit to being wrong in the first place, much less apologize.

      Thanks and thanks for following too.

      Delete
  10. I still work in customer service and I get at least one customer a day whose only purpose in life it seems is to complain and try and make everyone as miserable as they are.

    It can be totally ridiculous sometimes and i am very good at pacifying them

    Of course, then I go out the back and scream (I really do)

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Back in my early days in the bank I once saw one of the senior tellers lose her cool in front of a really difficult customer who seemed more interested in arguing with her, than getting his issue resolved.

      She got up & went to the back too... That is, right after she yelled, "I don't have time for this shit!" in the front of everyone (it was really crowded that day too) and left him there.

      What he didn't know is that teller was just months from retirement & no longer gave a damn.

      Delete
  11. Anytime I see someone going ballistic because they have to wait for ketchup or there wasn't any pickles on their sandwich I think about how miserable their lives must be if something so minor pushes them over the edge.

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    1. I think the same thing. No one who's happy with their own lives makes a point of regularly trying make others miserable.

      Delete
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    ReplyDelete

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