Saturday, 10th October 2009
Customer Care
I don’t do much sewing – I prefer other types of craftwork. So it was purely happenstance when I met a lady (who has since become my friend) at the haberdashery. She was looking for beads to make Rosaries, which she then gives away.
We got talking, and I promised her I’d be sending any nice beads that came my way. Yesterday, I was walking by a shop that sells costume jewellery, and the end a long, blue necklace hanging on a high hook caught my eye. It had a couple of beads carved in a rose-blossom shape, which I thought it would make nice prayer beads. The rest could be used for my craftwork.
Since I have a stiff neck and sundry other joint pains, I asked the shopkeeper whether he could bring it down for me, so that I could count the shaped beads. “And then you don’t take it?” he asked, afte5r I explained why I wanted to do that
“No, not likely, as if! I don’t have time to do that...” This, he said when the shop was empty, and he had just been on his stool, staring at thin air. It’s not even as if he had a magazine open at the crossword puzzle page. This type of behaviour is not only rude – it is the type that discourages customers from ever shopping there again – not to mention telling the incident to friends.
Patrons are what help shops remain op-en. If you cheat your customers, you will have cheated them once, because they will not come back – but if you teat them well, they will return and bring others with them. Ask anyone whether they have been badly served at shops –some of which have a very good reputation – and the stories will come pouring out.
Suffice it to say that sometimes, it is not only the employees who behave shabbily (because the shop is not theirs and it does not occur to them that if there is no business, they will be out of a job). Sometimes, the owners behave as if they are doing you a favour by allowing you to shop at their premises – perhaps because theirs is the only one that sells newspapers, milk, bread, detergents and magazines, as well as other things, in the area.
Indeed, day after day, my friend used to call at a particular shop for these things on her way to the parking lot. Each time, the owner would ask her “Is this what you need?” and innocently, my friend would nod, pay her bill, and leave. It was only later after the accident, that she realised the shopkeeper was being sarcastic. One day, someone rammed my friend’s car from behind, and so she could not do her monthly shop at the supermarket. So she spent considerably more at this shop.
The owner remarked “What you avoided spending in a year, you splurged in a day...” This was not a jocular comment from a friend, but a stinging rejoinder from someone who ought to have kept her opinions to herself... had she wanted more custom, from my friend and her friends.
The other day I went to a shop that has lovely, inexpensive clothes, hoping to pick up some things for my daughter. I was idly looking at the tops on hangers along a bar at the entrance of the shop, when the cashier slammed her cash drawer shut, and ran across the shop saying “Hey, there’s nothing there that will fit you.” Standing back, she added, in an offensive tone, “I doubt whether there are items in the shop that would fit you, anyway!” Since she had not even asked me what I needed, I just replaced the hanger, turned on my heels, and left the shop. Last, but not least, follows a scenario from the chemists shop.
A lovely lady was having her 80th birthday, and some of us chipped in to get her a surprise gift. Knowing she loved toiletries of a particular brand, my friends asked me to go to a particular pharmacy that has the full range.
Of course, I was ready to make up the difference if the value of the items I chose exceeded the total that we had collected. But I had to look at the display to select what I wanted. Imagine my surprise when the chemist on duty (who knows me by sight) called out from behind the counter – in a shop full of people, since there are also two clinics there - and told me “Listen, Mrs Cilia, if you are from the Price Control Section, just say so, there is no need to try and memorise the prices...”
I turned to her and said “Well, actually, I meant to spend around €50 here, but since you are so distrustful, I don’t think you’ll see me in this shop again, ever.” Then there was the time I went to interview a particular professional in his office; he fitted me in between clients. Just as I was walking out, his secretary called out saying “Hey, you! You didn’t pay!”
Of course, the heads of all the people in the room swivelled simultaneously towards me. I walked back towards the desk and I told the girl she would have made a better impression on me had she done what she thought was her job, more discreetly.
I offered to wait while she checked with her boss whether I was supposed to be paying him for the privilege of interviewing him, and she actually repeated that selfsame question, not realising I had been sardonic. “Oh, you may leave, then!” she said, airily waving a perfectly manicured hand, when he told her I was not a client. Why is it that some people are always ready to think the worst of others?
Why is it that they like to embarrass people if they think that they are in a vulnerable position – the equivalent of kicking a man when he is down? Don’t they realise that they are making fools of themselves?
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Comments
With regards to treatment of customers . . . well, several front-counter staff have the arrogance of roman emperors but the intelligence of a pile of bricks ! ! ! . . . a one legged dog would probably make a better go of treating a customer or a client !
It is mostly ignorant people with small mean minds and little by way of education (and far less upbringing) that tend to have the despicable habit of oppressing the vulnerable . . this raises it's ugly head everywhere in the form of power intoxication . . . at Banks, in several Government offices, in the police force, the local wardens, MEPA . . . the list is endless!
Also the employees at Soby's Grocery store in Waterloo, Ont. Canada. They have good manners and the customer comes first. They go out of their way to help even on their way for their break.
But I have met ignorant sales people who have no good manners. Customer's service should be first on their agenda. That is what makes a good sales person and the customer is eager to go back and shop. Good Customer's Service is a priority and not only the price of the mercandise. That is what I look for.
Joseph Aquilina, Ontario, CANADA
My washing machine broke down three weeks ago. Obviously I got the technician to fix it. He fixed part of it while blaming me for using the thick conditioner I bought from the supermarket.He collected the dripping conditioner in the palm of his hand and rudely continued to blame me for the mishap. He fixed part of the machine and said that I have ... Read moreto wait for a week to fix the major part. As I said, 3 weeks have passed since then. Last Monday, I phoned the company to check on the so desired part. They said that it must be on the way and in the mean time they will provide me another machine. This arrived last Wednesday late afternoon, carried by two young lads who had not the least idea on the usage of this machine. No manual. Just the estranged machine. The poor lads told me to phone the company one more time. No comments!!!!
Well here’s an awful experience, customer service re electrical problems. As soon as I called and the phone calls were busy, I was being directed to god knows who. Whoever answers the phone call puts me on hold and directs me to somebody else. The problem was that there were dangerous electricity wires sparking and hanging to and fro, thus being very dangerous for the public. How on earth should I feel after spending a whole 3 hours calling and being redirected! Then I gave up and went to report at a police station. A brilliant customer service that was!