We’ve all experienced it – bad customer service. A cashier doesn’t say hello. You clearly want to buy something and no one asks you for help because the sales people are too busy chatting.
Customer service representatives have transferred you to five different departments and no one can give you a straight answer. You call for help and can’t understand what “John” is saying or what country he really comes from.
The cable guy says he’s going to come at 2 p.m. but doesn’t show up until 5 p.m., smells badly and still installs your cable incorrectly.
Then there’s the type of customer service people expect (and pay for with their taxes) yet leaves them frustrated.
“The ongoing saga of my efforts to simply get my trash picked up took a new turn,” wrote Richard Propes on his blog that gives his perspective on customer service from a disabled person’s perspective. “The City of Indianapolis started an automated trash pick-up system a few months ago that is designed to be more effective and efficient. It’s not. The city distributed new trash containers and after receiving mine, I concluded that even as mobile as I am there’s simply no way I could possibly handle the container and get it down my driveway.”
Propes called the city twice about the problem. After his second call, his trash was taken to the curb as was requested. He soon discovered it wasn’t the city that was taking his trash to the curb, but a kind neighbor.
Christine Churchill, executive director of the Customer Service Institute of America, said although sales people should consistently strive for excellence, consumers aren’t totally off when they say “customer service has gone down lately.”
“It’s not gone, I think it’s in a state of transition at the moment,” she said.
Churchill explains that companies changed to be more global and because of that and the digital economy that’s influencing change, services offered is very different than what people were used to. Many organizations have made the transition seamlessly, while others haven’t figured out how to respond to changes.
Also, because many businesses are global they were looking at customer service as a transaction rather than a personal experience. Before, customer service representatives listened to consumers and weren’t in so much of a hurry. Today, it’s all about efficiency.
“You don’t feel special or cared for if someone is trying to just get through a transaction with you. That relationship piece is missing,” said Churchill. “It’s been stripped down to a script. And this is where a lot of trouble lies. If employees aren’t valued and aren’t empowered to use their mind to assist customers, then what’s the point of having them there?”
She went on to say, what may also contribute to consumer’s frustrations is that people are more knowledgeable. They can easily search for an answer, create expectations on how a situation should be handled and expect the representative to handle it that way. People are also frustrated because reps are very monotone, aren’t interested in customers’ opinions and want to get the customer out of their hair as soon as possible in order to hit their quotas.
Companies didn’t think they were turning their back on customers and honestly felt they were “servicing” them. They were satisfied with simply giving an answer rather than pleasing the customer or answering their inquiry specifically.
“It’s two fold – team members are being put under a lot of pressure to hit certain metrics and customers aren’t always coming out the gate as pleasant and relaxed as they used to,” said Churchill. “People are still people and they’re going to respond differently depending on how they’re approached.”
Churchill said many companies have had an epiphany, realized their approach to customer service is flawed and are working to find some middle ground – be more hospitable with clients while keeping performance high.
Companies are also forced to change because of today’s economy. Every dollar counts and consumers have a wide variety of choices. They are giving thought to whom they spend their money with and will choose a company they know, trust and one that makes them feel cared for.
Moreover, companies have realized that all business shouldn’t be done over the phone or online and are opening up brick and mortar locations where people can go in and have face-to-face interaction.
Additionally social media has made feedback instant. If a customer has a bad experience, they can automatically Tweet, Facebook or Instagram it. Businesses definitely don’t want that.
While it’s a company’s job to provide a service and make the clientele happy, patrons have a certain responsibility too.
When dealing with inadequate customer service, first thing’s first is to stay calm. People should also make sure they are clear about what they are trying to communicate. If consumers still aren’t getting the type of service they need, Churchill said to calmly ask for someone else to help you.
People should also treat each experience as an isolated incident. Don’t take out your frustration on the cashier at the grocery store for what the representative at the credit card company did.
When one does have a good experience, share it.
“I just had the most excellent service from Enterprise Rental and Tyler Automotive repairing my car. I always ask, ‘how is your day going?’ at grocery stores or restaurants,” said Beverly Phillips. “Some are appreciative, some tell me how much they hate their job and some are indifferent. I try to understand that I do not know them personally nor do I know what is going on in their lives. I have compassion and don’t take rude or bad attitudes personally. It is not about me.”
