Customer Service, or the Lack Thereof

Customer service is a dying art.

There's an entire generation of young people who have no idea what a full service gas station is. You remember those - someone else pumped your gas, washed your windshield and checked your oil while you stayed in the car. Now, we rarely even see a human at the gas station. We pay at the pump. But, if we do have to go into the station for some reason we're likely to be growled at or ignored or made to feel as if serving us - the customer - is an inconvenience.

Personally, we no longer frequent several stores in our town because of the lack of customer service. We drive to another town to shop or make multiple stops instead of going to the big discount store. And before you say another word, yes, management knows. My husband actually called the corporate headquarters and let them know what our issues were with our local store. The store manager called and told us our concerns would be addressed at the next staff meeting. That was over two years ago. Maybe they've changed but we just haven't gone back.

I did receive some excellent customer service over Christmas. In fairness, I will also let that store manager know about it. I have, unfortunately, lost the two employees' names that helped me. One gave us a discount on an item that had been returned - without us even asking - and the other directed me to another store that sold the power cord I was looking for. A lot of people, knowing they couldn't sell me anything, would have moved on to the next commission. I appreciated both their efforts to actually help me, not just sell me something.

You have to wonder what is going on. How did we get to this point? And where do we go from here? I think my husband hit on a key factor. People are no longer afraid of losing their jobs. They'll find some way to participate in the myriad social programs offered in the United States, or sue the company for wrongful termination. They'll flip the picture somehow to become a victim. In a very real sense they have nothing to lose and no incentive to do better.

This current trend knows no bounds. Not gender nor race nor age. It's sad, really. We work so hard to earn our money but get so little pleasure when we're trying to give it away. At some point the stores stopped working for the customers. We're just another face coming in to interrupt their day. I guess that's why I feel so compelled to let someone know when I do get good service. I want them to know that it is appreciated. Might stem the downward trend for a little while - at least for that person.