Customer Service

lwd

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I was at Best Buy the other day and was picking up some gifts. I had asked where the DVD players were and the guy just pointed to an aisle, as opposed to leading me to that aisle with the various types. It’s not as if he were busy helping someone else; he was just being lazy. It turns out that aisle had only a couple of DVD players and a “helpful” employee led more to a different aisle, and pointed me to what I needed.

Earlier I went to the navigation section to pick up a GPS unit. Nobody was in that area, so I had to ask someone to come by (took 5 minutes). The guy who came was pretty helpful. But the pricier eclectronics are locked and it took another 5 minutes for the “Keymaster” to swing by and open the lock…I was annoyed, but still bought the unit….

Earlier in the day, I stopped off at a 24 hour trendy diner in Hollywood (Kitchen 24). I was there for something busienss-related, so I didn’t need service, but I noticed that the guy working the bar (was lunch time) pulled out his cell phone and was texting in between customers (he didn’t need to help anyone at that moment). Nevertheless, I thought that was very poor form. This is a restaurant, where service should be imperative, for Christ’s sake!

Maybe it’s just a Hollywood douchebag thing; I don’ t know (the Best Buy was in Hollywood/West Hollywood). Am I out of touch here or is customer service just not the same anymore?
 

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I was at Best Buy the other day and was picking up some gifts. I had asked where the DVD players were and the guy just pointed to an aisle, as opposed to leading me to that aisle with the various types. It’s not as if he were busy helping someone else; he was just being lazy. It turns out that aisle had only a couple of DVD players and a “helpful” employee led more to a different aisle, and pointed me to what I needed.

Earlier I went to the navigation section to pick up a GPS unit. Nobody was in that area, so I had to ask someone to come by (took 5 minutes). The guy who came was pretty helpful. But the pricier eclectronics are locked and it took another 5 minutes for the “Keymaster” to swing by and open the lock…I was annoyed, but still bought the unit….

Earlier in the day, I stopped off at a 24 hour trendy diner in Hollywood (Kitchen 24). I was there for something busienss-related, so I didn’t need service, but I noticed that the guy working the bar (was lunch time) pulled out his cell phone and was texting in between customers (he didn’t need to help anyone at that moment). Nevertheless, I thought that was very poor form. This is a restaurant, where service should be imperative, for Christ’s sake!

Maybe it’s just a Hollywood douchebag thing; I don’ t know (the Best Buy was in Hollywood/West Hollywood). Am I out of touch here or is customer service just not the same anymore?

Where did you grow up in Disney? That's normal customer service in the Northeast. The fact that an employee knows enough to point to where they are is a huge help.
 

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Well, if that's the way things are these days, so be it....just one more reason to order items online and not go into a store altogether....I guess more and more service employees are getting replaced by kiosks, anyway...but you would think in this economy, people would fear losing their jobs and strive to make things a little better....

I guess I'm not old, but old-fashioned.
 

B_WER25

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Customer service doesn't exist anymore. I went to a PetSmart, Target, Kohl's, Rogan's Shoes, and Best Buy today and bought stuff at each store and the service was "el horrible"!
 

tallguypns

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People don't want customer service. They want cheap ass shit. Why do you think Wal-mart is the world's largest retailer and you have to get out of your car to pump your own gas? Values have changed and not for the better, in my opinion. But people vote with their wallets. Places with fantastic customer service can still be found, but not if you're not willing to pay the price.
 

mitchymo

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this may come as a bit of a shock but most people in the "customer service" industry are there because they are trying to keep a roof over their head not because they get a pleasure of hearing "excuse me, could you help me?" or "do you know where the such and such is?" dozens of times in a day.
I work in retail and it sucks bottom line, the vast majority of customers make work MORE difficult and with a management that treats you with a lack of respect by virtue that your easily replaced being in an unskilled job then the incentive to wear a smile and being extra helpful is like being punched in the nuts with your own cock!
 
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this may come as a bit of a shock but most people in the "customer service" industry are there because they are trying to keep a roof over their head not because they get a pleasure of hearing "excuse me, could you help me?" or "do you know where the such and such is?" dozens of times in a day.
I work in retail and it sucks bottom line, the vast majority of customers make work MORE difficult and with a management that treats you with a lack of respect by virtue that your easily replaced being in an unskilled job then the incentive to wear a smile and being extra helpful is like being punched in the nuts with your own cock!
AMEN!!!!!

And the worst thing is when customers become abusive and get nasty for no reason and you're suppose to just sit there and take it! All that catches up to you u know.
 

sumyungguy

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AMEN!!!!!

And the worst thing is when customers become abusive and get nasty for no reason and you're suppose to just sit there and take it! All that catches up to you u know.


Ditto AMEN my retail brothers!! I did it for 2 years, absolutely HATED IT!! There were great, patient, people yeah, but so many ASSHOLES!! So glad I left that:biggrin1:!!

But to the OP, I can see where you're coming from and yes, there are workers who have bad days or are just complete dicks that really aren't good at talking to customers. In retail you are obligated to help the customer, I mean that is the ultimate reason you're there, to help the customer. Yeah you had a bad day, but it's not an excuse to act like a dick. Same goes for the customer. If you want respect and help you need to show the reps some respect too.
 

jason_els

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Where did you grow up in Disney? That's normal customer service in the Northeast. The fact that an employee knows enough to point to where they are is a huge help.

Hell! You're lucky if they speak English and don't fart at you as you walk by. Salespeople these days know NOTHING about the product they're supposedly selling. They're told to watch for shoplifters and make sure the products are in some semblance of order and that's about it.

On occasion, very rare occasion, you find someone who knows something because he or she is a geek about what they sell whether it's perfume or cordless phones. I go out of my way to tell managers when someone is competent in retail because it's so damned rare.
 

nudeyorker

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Wow I guess I have been very very lucky. For the most part I have had good customer service when I'm in a store or restaurant etc... Of course there are exceptions, but with the economy and business's struggling to survive I'm somewhat surprised that customer service has not become excellent.