How important is customer service to you?

[Kay in Cal]

OK, I'm a stickler for it. In this day and age, I shop online to save money... if I go to a store, I expect some service.

 

Case in point:

 

We went shopping to a new game store today. Game stores are few and far between, so we drove almost an hour to get there. We had collected items to purchase that would have been a couple of hundred dollars. Then... I went to ask a question of the employee, and he basically ignored me for a while because he was talking to some friends (the only other customers in the store) about their Warcraft game. Finally I got his attention, and he wouldn't let me open a wrapped book to see what was inside it--fairly unusual for a non-sealed book. Nothing horrendous, but that, combined with the eye rolls at my kids for liking Pokemon and his ignoring me and general "please don't bother me with business, I'm hanging out right now" attitude ticked me off. It wasn't horrific rudeness, just 'tude from a 20 something man, not the middle schooler he was acting like. He was actually snickering at me with his friend when I walked out after asking for his name.

 

My feeling was that I don't care to support anything but good customer service, and prefer not to shop there. My dh thought he was rude, but it was a good store in terms of selection, so just ignore it. My dh thought asking for his name was "making a scene". He is totally unassertive about these things, so it's hard for me to judge if I was just being over sensitive.

 

How about you? Does customer service trump all, or are you willing to put up with it to shop where you want? How bad does bad have to be? I don't want to be the "service-Nazi"... really.

[LG Gone Wild]

I would complain to boss and then walk out.

[Magnolia]

:iagree:

 

I am not willing to put up with it. I will take my business elsewhere, usually after complaining to management. Sometimes this is hard to do when dd has her heart set on a particular purchase.

[mom2three]

Customer service is very important to me. I would write a letter to the manager/owner and let him/her know.

 

I always write letters when I get bad/good service. Once in awhile, they will send a coupon or something.

[Plaid Dad]

Then... I went to ask a question of the employee, and he basically ignored me for a while because he was talking to some friends (the only other customers in the store) about their Warcraft game.

 

My dw calls this attitude "I'm too sexy for my job."

 

I would complain to the manager or owner. Paying customers should take precedence over an employee's buddies. It's one thing if no one else is in the store, but if someone's there with questions or a purchase, the buddies need to wait and the employee needs not to act put out by actually doing his job.

[*anj*]

I'm a stickler for it as well. I have walked out of stores because of it, I have refused to return to businesses because of it. I don't blame you at all, and I'd have done likewise.

[gardenschooler]

I'd like customer service, but I've learned that if I don't expect much I won't be disappointed. I try to ignore it as much as possible but it's still not enough. I have to shop online for most things because I just have a low tolerance for the kind of treatment you get nowadays. If I have words with someone it bothers me for several days, so I try to pretend whatever the offense was didn't happen in order to avoid a blood-pressure raising exchange.

 

My dh would also think asking for his name would be causing a scene. He would instead be *nice* to him, in the hopes that the guy would actually wait on him. Even if he had to wait until they were finished hanging out, he wouldn't give it another thought once he's left the store. It does bother him, but he chalks it up to the people being a bunch of dweebs. He doesn't take it as a personal affront, like I would.

 

And Kay, you don't have to ask an employee their name next time. Just keep a description and the time, and when you call the manager to get the name of the main office, they'll know who it was. I write letters when I get exceptionally bad service. It does nothing, but it makes me feel better.

[rafiki]

.

[jail warden]

My dh was in construction for quite a few years and would refuse to ask for help in Menards or Lowe's because it was almost always younger kids who had NO CLUE about what a construction worker might need, all the terms etc. I still like to give them a chance, but once they've been rude I get very annoyed! Unfortunately, good customer service seems to mostly be a thing of the past!

[Raders Fan]

I will pay more, I will drive further, I will shop online and pay more with shipping, but I will not tolerate poor customer service. No way.

 

Jennifer

[Staci in MO]

My dh and I have worked in customer-service type jobs for most of our adult lives, so there are certain things we are patient with. For example, we are usually extremely patient with slow service in a restaurant or store where the employees are trying hard but understaffed. Or in a situation where a product is out of stock or back-ordered we're patient, too. I've been yelled at too many times for something that I had no control over to do it to someone else.

 

But the attitude you encountered? There's no excuse for that.

 

I probably wouldn't have done anything, just because I will go to ridiculous lengths to avoid confrontation. It's also been my experience that when someone is so clueless to the basics of customer service, they tend to be impervious to correction - even when they get fired it's everyone else's fault. But if I find a place that offers good service, I will go out of my way to give them my money instead.

[Rhesa]

When I shop at Walmart, Best Buy, Home Depot, or even Target, I don't do so for the great customer service. Not saying you can't get good customer service- but I'm there for a good price.

 

But when I go to a specialty store- I expect to be treated well. Or at least treated politely. I agree with letting the manager know. It's too easy to get things cheaply online these days. I would think they want to keep the customers that do come in!

[Beth in Central TX]

I'm a stickler too. Customer service is very important, and I will leave if an employee is rude to me. I also make a point to call the manager to let them know of my experience, and if I'm not happy with the manager response, I've been know to e-mail their corporate level or owner. Customer service is important to businesses, but sometimes you have to get to the right level to make sure that everyone in the company is on the same page.

[pixelroper]

My dw calls this attitude "I'm too sexy for my job."

 

 

:lol: LOL, that is exactly IT! Too funny... If there is bad customer service- I won't spend my money there.

 

I worked in retail and food service in my younger years so I'm really picky (actually I don't think it is picky to be treated w/respect) but I'm also far more understanding if the situation is out of their control.

 

BTW I have noticed as time goes on, customer service in general has gotten crappier and crappier. Is this my imagination or am I getting 'old'? In fact good customer service is so rare when I get treated well I just about faint. I recently brought my running shoes into the place I purchased them. The laces had fallen apart (new fangled laces). I was hoping they could repair them. Instead they gave me a new pair. I was speechless. They took my stinky, worn in the mud, dilapidated sneakers back w/o a blink, frown or grumble and then they apologized for my inconvenience... I was stunned.

[nukeswife]

I'm a stickler for customer service and I've been in many jobs that were customer service related so I know what it's like to be on the receiving end of someone that's not happy, but that's no excuse for being rude and not doing your job. His job was to answer questions and take care of customers wanting to purchase items, not talk to his buddies. Like PlaidDad said if nobody else was there that's another story but you then have to take care of paying or willing to pay customers when they come in. I've found this to be a big trend in the game stores around here. My oldest in only going to be 9 in May so I know what you mean about getting "the look" or snicker about Pokemon games etc, but that's what's age appropriate for them.

 

Like I said I think you were mild compared to what I usually do. I'm do my best not to be rude but I will point out to them that there job is to be there to answer my questions and ring up my purchases not talk to their buddies, and their job also involves not being rude or making fun of their customers after all our purchases are what makes it possible for them to have that job in the first place right? Customers don't buy= no business= no job.

 

My dh has been known to say "You really want to take care of this issue with me, you don't want my wife to come over here and deal with it" as in the past I've actually gotten an person fired for a major problem with trying to return something (he threw the receipt that was on top of the item in the trash behind him and then tried to tell the manager I had no receipt so they wouldn't take it back because that was the store policy. I told the manager and then made him give me the trash to pull out the receipt which was just on top and had my CC info on the bottom. I guess it wasn't the first time he was found to have done this)

 

Anyway I say , RIGHT ON!! Stand up for yourself and demand good customer service.

[elegantlion]

I worked in retail for years and yes customer service is very important to me. I will walk out of stores that don't offer it. With that said, I am patient, extend grace for people that look they're having bad days. But blantantly ignoring someone to discuss non work issues would have me putting down the items and buying online.

 

I also pay attention when I get good customer service and comment on it. For instance it is a rarity for a cashier to count back change here. They normally just throw it in your hand. So I thanked a lady the other day who took the time to do it. She smiled so big.

 

Yes, I think you should let the owner/manager know. They don't make money off of kids hanging out in the store, they make money when they sell items. I know if that was my store, I'd want to know if one of my employees was taking away from my profits in that manner.

[beansprouts]

I agree with you all about customer service being important. For the customer it pretty much defines their experience with your business. We all know bad customer service is annoying and downright offensive. Excellent service can be just as powerful.

 

A few weeks before Christmas I went into a craft store looking for an item I needed to finish a gift. The store had been out of stock of this item for two months, and I had even placed a special order for it, but nobody had contacted me to tell me it was in. So I am very frustrated, and stressed out because I *need* this. I tracked down one of the store employees, and this guy was so sweet and so helpful and so willing to do anything I needed. My entire attitude changed immediately. There is just no way to be upset when somebody treats you like that ;)

[Melissa in NC]

and I still have not gotten over it. The workers ignored me while they talked about their jeans. They did not have what I needed and they did not offer me free shipping if I placed an order. I walked past the adult in charge who was in his truck listening to the NASCAR race while the younger crowd was minding the store.

 

I called Rainbow to complain about the lack of servie and not being offered the free shipping when a friend told me that they got the free shipping. They offered me free shipping and took my order. I paid by credit card. Two weeks later I called and my order was labeled as I would be sending a check. I clearly recall giving them my info. They acted like I had a problem (i.e. lying). So I canceled my order and I have never ordered from them again.

 

I have reached a point in my life where I want to be treated like a valued customer. I now spend more at my local homeschool store because they answer questions and make sure my order is complete.

[Alphabetika]

A few years ago I stopoed shopping at the grocery store: I had put up with too much "chatting" between the checkers while they rang up my order, and too many sights of employees hunched down smoking right outside the store on their breaks. The final straw was when my checker was yelling over my head to ask the checker at the next stand about her date that weekend; she had not acknowledged me. At this same store, dh experienced a checker text-messaging while he waited for dh's card payment to go through. Enough was enough. Now we go to the farmer's market and everyone treats us wonderfully. This is only one small example, but it's made a big difference in our lives. My dd has learned so much by being able to be independent at the farmer's market, but one of the biggest things she's learned is that it's possible to be treated with respect and courtesy by people who are genuinely happy you're buying their products.

[Kris]

Customer service is a biggie for me, too. Unfortunately, about the time I actually became a customer, the customer wasn't always right anymore!

 

I do contact managers and write letters, and they usually reply with some kind of sympathetic mouth noises, but I know that when it's all said and done, it really doesn't accomplish much, other than making me feel better and the fact that I actually did what I said I would do -- i.e., complain!

 

The labor pool around here is pretty shallow and they're lucky just to have bodies there -- let alone bodies with brains and/or manners.

 

My Dad managed a Woolworth's store when we were little kids. This was back "in the day" when stores were closed on Sundays. Some Sundays we went to the store, and while he took care of whatever it was he was taking care of, we had the run of the place. It was just too kewl for hide and seek and whatnot.

 

Anyway, down in the basement where the employee lounge and office were, they had some posters on the wall. One of them had a picture of a checker happily chatting with a friend while behind her was a frustrated customer waiting. The caption said, "I probably won't complain, but I probably won't be back, either." Must have made quite an impression, since this was over 40 years ago.

 

On the other hand, my mom and grandma were talking one day about their experiences at the local stores, and apparently there were repeated statements of "Well! I'll never shop THERE again!" My grandad was listening to this and finally said, "The way you guys are going, you'll have to drive an hour just to get to the grocery store!" LOL!

 

I stay at home, but my husband works very hard for his money. I have to respect that. So if there is a local business that doesn't want that money, I'm certainly not going to force it on them. This 'tude is much easier now that you can get almost anything over the internet. :-D

[Tracey in TX]

I'd speak to the manager or email a letter to corporate headquarters. Customer service IS a big deal. If it weren't, we'd all be shopping online for everything. Nothing quite as grating as a teen too busy chatting to service the customer...except maybe a waiter who practically sits down and joins a dinner party.:confused:

 

I've complained several times, but for each complaint I make a concerted effort to call on a job well done.

[JFSinIL]

I'm a stickler for it as well. I have walked out of stores because of it, I have refused to return to businesses because of it. I don't blame you at all, and I'd have done likewise.

 

I agree - and take it one more step and write to the headquarters of the company with all the info I can provide on when/where/who did such a poor job representing the company. I figure a company would want to know if their staff is turning off potential customers, and how can they know if we customers do not report it.

[Karen sn]

OK, I'm a stickler for it. In this day and age, I shop online to save money... if I go to a store, I expect some service.

 

Case in point:

 

We went shopping to a new game store today. Game stores are few and far between, so we drove almost an hour to get there. We had collected items to purchase that would have been a couple of hundred dollars. Then... I went to ask a question of the employee, and he basically ignored me for a while because he was talking to some friends (the only other customers in the store) about their Warcraft game. Finally I got his attention, and he wouldn't let me open a wrapped book to see what was inside it--fairly unusual for a non-sealed book. Nothing horrendous, but that, combined with the eye rolls at my kids for liking Pokemon and his ignoring me and general "please don't bother me with business, I'm hanging out right now" attitude ticked me off. It wasn't horrific rudeness, just 'tude from a 20 something man, not the middle schooler he was acting like. He was actually snickering at me with his friend when I walked out after asking for his name.

 

My feeling was that I don't care to support anything but good customer service, and prefer not to shop there. My dh thought he was rude, but it was a good store in terms of selection, so just ignore it. My dh thought asking for his name was "making a scene". He is totally unassertive about these things, so it's hard for me to judge if I was just being over sensitive.

 

How about you? Does customer service trump all, or are you willing to put up with it to shop where you want? How bad does bad have to be? I don't want to be the "service-Nazi"... really.

 

 

It is so important to me that I will complain to a manager and/or boycott the business.

 

I will also speak to the manager when I think someone has done a good job, is nice, or goes out of their way to help me. This is something I do OFTEN!! Now the managers at Publix reconize me when I come through the doors.

 

When I part with my hard earned money - I like to at least feel somewhat good about it!

[Lizzie in Ma]

This is something that I am passionate about.

 

My first job was in a grocery store bakery owned by a family who owned a chain of these stores. Training was heavy duty and the customer always, always, always came first. You were to greet and immediately serve as soon as someone walked up to the counter. I was 15 when I started there and there were days that I was treated so rudely by customers that I would go home in tears. Other employees would sympathize and comfort but we all knew it was literally grin and bear it and turn over backwards when it came to customer service. This place rewarded you with merit raises and all kinds of stuff, they really took care of their own. And if you did not work at the standard of service, here is a news flash, you didn't get to keep your job!!!!

And you didn't bring your problems to work and if you did you did NOT let them get in the way of how you behaved. I worked there almost 10 years and through college. This work ethic carried me through many other jobs over the years.

 

I will not go or shop somewhere where I have been treated poorly. Period. I head 2 towns over to a different store because the service at the 2 grocery stores in my town is so bad.

I think that by always putting up with it, we set the bar lower and lower. Now we have teens popping gum and talking to the bagger about the s*x they had at a party the night before, never making eye contact and throwing your groceries down the belt! In front of your children!

Now, we have gone so far over the edge to be tolerant that you have to put up with this scenario;

-holding a wailing infant in your arms and directing a 5 year old to place things on the belt the ONE ARMED BAGGER asks you, with a straight face no less, if you would hold the other handle of the bag so he can put your groceries into it. (that was a new low for me)

 

Just this week we were about to buy business insurance and the woman where my husband was getting a quote from was so rude to him that we took our business elsewhere.

 

I can't take it and I wont, I go elsewhere for my sanity. I teach my kids that it is wrong, always, to not have a good work ethic and or a bad attitude. I teach them that no matter what they see around them, it does matter and it should always matter to treat a customer well.

 

Ok, well, then, looks like that is one of my proverbial buttons doesn't it? Just my .02 ;)

[mom42terrificgirls]

very important, that's why our employees are REQUIRED to greet every customer that walks in with a "hello" or "may i help you?"

 

yesterday i was treated rudely at the post office while attempting to get a passport. too bad there's not another option of a place to get a passport. I am dreading going back to the same lady on Monday. oh, well, maybe she was having a cr**py day. but i still don't think that's a good excuse.

[Jenny in Florida]

It's why I don't shop at Wal-Mart, despite the fact that it would probably save me money.

 

It's why I almost never go out to see a movie in a theatre anymore.

 

Oh, I could go on.

 

Yes, it's important. It's so important that I will either go somewhere else where I do get decent service or do without until I can afford the time and money to do so.

[gandpsmommy]

I think it's because he has such a strong work ethic himself, that he has very low tolerance for others who don't. It works both ways, though. If he gets great customer service he makes sure to express thanks and/or put in a good word for the employee with a supervisor.

[Claire]

For a situation like that, I would have ignored the boy, made my purchases, and then written a letter to the store's owner. Providing the date and time, plus a description, would allow the store owner to identify who this employee was. (He could have given you someone else's name when you asked.)

 

Store owners and managers really need to train and supervise employees better, but sometimes the turnover is so frequent they don't bother.

 

I have gotten used to poor service. What bothers me more are things that don't work correctly after you buy them, or break immediately!

[Dayle in Guatemala]

I live in a country where customer service is obselete. They just don't care if you're satisfied or not. They don't care if there is a hair in your food, if the milk you just bought is sour, or if the bread you bought yesterday is already moldy the next day. That's your problem in their mind, not theirs.

 

So, when I do get customer service, I always go there. I don't really care too much if it costs more or not. I just don't. It shows, to me, a pride in what they can provide to the people who are spending their hard-earned money in their establishment.

[Mom2legomaniacs]

I agree. I think it is very important. I also think it is important that the customer be respectful as well. I think that we are in an era (now this may be too huge a generalization here but you get the point) in which a general lack of respect seems to be more prevalent than makes me comfortable. It is scary to me to see just how many people have such a lack of common decency and respect for others. This carries over into every aspect of society. I don't know if it is a product of today's world or with our increased mobility and technology we are just able to see and hear more. But it is something that concerns me.

Sorry, got on my box there didn't I. It is sad to walk in to a store and not be able to get proper assistance. Very annoying indeed. I too, enlighten the management when such events occur. I have also done the same for excellent service. We all need to have good feedback, IMO.

[Harriet Vane]

I would have been really steamed in your situation.

 

I will (and do) drive extra for customer service, and I will also willingly pay more.

[Elaine]

My dh was in construction for quite a few years and would refuse to ask for help in Menards or Lowe's because it was almost always younger kids who had NO CLUE about what a construction worker might need, all the terms etc. I still like to give them a chance, but once they've been rude I get very annoyed! Unfortunately, good customer service seems to mostly be a thing of the past!

 

When I go into Lowe's or Home Depot, I look for the construction workers because they always know the correct aisle, part, thingamajig, etc, that I need.:001_smile:

[Amy in Orlando]

Dh has worked in service jobs forever and we are very conscious of how we're treated in stores. We offer them the respect of not answering our phones or being rude, the least they can do is give you full attention. I agree with the poster who mentioned cutting slack to the server in a busy, understaffed restaurant or something like that. But, in the situation you described, I would have left without making the purchase and I would find the owner and let him know what happened. For sure, I would not have given that store my money.

[Laurie4b]

Our Wal-mart generally has very good service. Everyone is friendly. If you ask where something is, whoever you asked, walks with you to help you find it. AND the prices are much lower than other grocery stores around. The friendly, helpful atmosphere is actually one of the reasons I shop there.

[TXMomof4]

Not to long ago I had a pretty serious amount of cash and was going CLOTHES shopping just for me. I went to Banana Republic at the mall closest to my home. The sales staff was HORRIBLE. I was waiting for a dressing room and when one opened up, the lady went and put another person, who had been behind me, in the room. When I asked her she made some lame excuse. So I promptly handed her the stack of clothes I had been considering and explained that she had just lost a significant sale and I would be taking my business elsewhere. Of course the manager noticed that I was unhappy and started offering discounts keep me in the store. Sorry, that doesn't do it for me. You can keep your discounts and you can keep your clothes. I know I looked like a "mom", not one of their normal clientele, but there is no excuse for treating any customer like that.

 

Now, I take myself and my four kids (the herd, as I affectionately call them) and troop through that store on every occasion just to see them cringe. But they won't be getting my money.

[HSMom2One]

I'm a stickler for it as well. I have walked out of stores because of it, I have refused to return to businesses because of it. I don't blame you at all, and I'd have done likewise.

 

:iagree: No helpful service, no purchase!

 

Preaching to the choir,

Lucinda