Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - [RANT] Is customer service getting worse as time goes on?

Holo · 11-25-2003, 11:00 AM

I found threads on work horror stories and customer horror stories but no threads about the horror it is to be a customer in this day and age.

Customer service has really gone downhill in the last decade or so in every industry but especially retail. I remember as a teen you'd ask where something was in a store and the employee would take you to it. Now they pretend they don't know and I'm thinking "If you don't know get a manager or dep head that does!" I don't want to spend all day to look thru a store that moves shit every 3 months-grocery stores are really bad for changing the whole store every few months. I want to get my shit and leave.

Let me qualify my bitching so I don't come off as one of "the enemy" of retail workers. I've held a few retail jobs, and I know all they have to do in a day. When i go to store I always put the carts away, I put things I decide not to buy back where I got them, etc. I try my damnedest to find something myself before I ask anyone. Being a former retail employee has made me a model customer. These days I try to catch a manager on the floor to ask because they're the only ones capable, willing and able to go the distance to help you out.

Customers don't like to have to shop in an unfamiliar store as it is and they don't like to have to ask where shit is either, knowing the employees have other shit they are expected to get done. I know they have a whole other job to do besides help customers but I get annoyed when they brush you off and leave you hanging bascially. I remember we got a bookshelf at walmart a while back. We asked for help and had to wait 20 minutes to get help with it since we aren't supposed to handle things on shelves ourselves and the standard carts wouldn't hold this item. We weren't done shopping at that point, we just wanted to get it at that time as it was on sale and it was the last one out, so we asked the guy to take it to the front end so we could pick it up at checkout and he actually got shitty about it, a nasty look on his face and he shuffled it to the front. I wanted to smack the fuck outta him.

And you may say don't shop there-but do I wanna waste the time it takes to go to another store that I get treated much the same and waste even more time or spend more money than I wanted for the same item? The problem is retail chains know they got you so they can treat you like chattel. You can't bring down a store by talking bad about them anymore-word of mouth means shit in retail now due to huge national chains. They have hundreds and thousands of customers to replace you and all your friends.

My action? An experiment. I'm going to look at all my physical needs (food.etc) and I'm going to look at local store alternatives to all my needs, places that my regular business affects their bottom line. I know they can't compete with costs and I can't say If I can make the switch or even meet my needs with mom-n-pop shops here, but I'm gonna be putting more money where it'll be appreciated by a real person. I'm getting sick of being treated as a profit vehicle for a corporate retail chain. I know I can't abstain from all corporate offered goods/services but I can sure slow it down.

So anyone agree? Maybe try this yourself? what do you think of the customer experience these days? I know most jobs suck and most of these ppl would rather be doing anything but wearing a goofy looking uniform ringing up items all day. I'm saying think of the person who's gotta shop there too. They aren't happy to be there either...it's a necessity. Some of them are assholes and I'm sorry that you have to deal with them and not be able to rip their heads off. I'm just saying some of us on the other side of the uniform are just as stressed and unhappy to be there as you are. We're just lucky that we only gotta be there an hour or so.

11-25-2003, 11:00 AM	#1 (permalink)
Holo A Real American	[RANT] Is customer service getting worse as time goes on? I found threads on work horror stories and customer horror stories but no threads about the horror it is to be a customer in this day and age. Customer service has really gone downhill in the last decade or so in every industry but especially retail. I remember as a teen you'd ask where something was in a store and the employee would take you to it. Now they pretend they don't know and I'm thinking "If you don't know get a manager or dep head that does!" I don't want to spend all day to look thru a store that moves shit every 3 months-grocery stores are really bad for changing the whole store every few months. I want to get my shit and leave. Let me qualify my bitching so I don't come off as one of "the enemy" of retail workers. I've held a few retail jobs, and I know all they have to do in a day. When i go to store I always put the carts away, I put things I decide not to buy back where I got them, etc. I try my damnedest to find something myself before I ask anyone. Being a former retail employee has made me a model customer. These days I try to catch a manager on the floor to ask because they're the only ones capable, willing and able to go the distance to help you out. Customers don't like to have to shop in an unfamiliar store as it is and they don't like to have to ask where shit is either, knowing the employees have other shit they are expected to get done. I know they have a whole other job to do besides help customers but I get annoyed when they brush you off and leave you hanging bascially. I remember we got a bookshelf at walmart a while back. We asked for help and had to wait 20 minutes to get help with it since we aren't supposed to handle things on shelves ourselves and the standard carts wouldn't hold this item. We weren't done shopping at that point, we just wanted to get it at that time as it was on sale and it was the last one out, so we asked the guy to take it to the front end so we could pick it up at checkout and he actually got shitty about it, a nasty look on his face and he shuffled it to the front. I wanted to smack the fuck outta him. And you may say don't shop there-but do I wanna waste the time it takes to go to another store that I get treated much the same and waste even more time or spend more money than I wanted for the same item? The problem is retail chains know they got you so they can treat you like chattel. You can't bring down a store by talking bad about them anymore-word of mouth means shit in retail now due to huge national chains. They have hundreds and thousands of customers to replace you and all your friends. My action? An experiment. I'm going to look at all my physical needs (food.etc) and I'm going to look at local store alternatives to all my needs, places that my regular business affects their bottom line. I know they can't compete with costs and I can't say If I can make the switch or even meet my needs with mom-n-pop shops here, but I'm gonna be putting more money where it'll be appreciated by a real person. I'm getting sick of being treated as a profit vehicle for a corporate retail chain. I know I can't abstain from all corporate offered goods/services but I can sure slow it down. So anyone agree? Maybe try this yourself? what do you think of the customer experience these days? I know most jobs suck and most of these ppl would rather be doing anything but wearing a goofy looking uniform ringing up items all day. I'm saying think of the person who's gotta shop there too. They aren't happy to be there either...it's a necessity. Some of them are assholes and I'm sorry that you have to deal with them and not be able to rip their heads off. I'm just saying some of us on the other side of the uniform are just as stressed and unhappy to be there as you are. We're just lucky that we only gotta be there an hour or so. __________________ I happen to like the words "fuck", "cock", "pussy", "tits", "cunt", "twat", "shit" and even "bitch". As long as I am not using them to describe you, don't go telling me whether or not I can/should use them...that is, if you want me to continue refraining from using them to describe you. ~Prince Last edited by Holo; 11-25-2003 at 11:02 AM..