Does anyone share this standard of customer service?

Question

Okay, if I walk into a department or specialty store(not a grocery store)and am not greeted within a reasonable amount of time, I turn around and walk out. Usually, the employees will be talking amongst themselves or look up at me, then look away without speaking when I feel that I should take my business elsewhere. Does anyone else feel that customer service in America should be a lot better? Do you agree with my standards?

Answer 1

Depends on how much need whatever it was I went in there to look for.

My son went into a shop one day, was looked up and down by a haughty clerk. He was wearing old, rather ratty looking clothes. He took a leather jacket off a rack and tried it on.
"I'll take it." He said. "And just how do you intend to pay for it?" She asked, all snooty.
"With money." He produced a wad of cash and peeled off the bills needed.
Instantly, the haughty attitude dissappeared, and clerk couldn't have been nicer.

I guess clerks in these shops assess how much courtesy to give customers by what the customer wears while they shop.

Answer 2

If an employee does not approach me within 5 minutes of entering a restaurant or store I walk out and take my business elsewhere. I will do this even if I already sat down at a table. I refuse to wait for a menu or waitstaff if the place is empty especially if I see the employees chatting instead of working. If a person cannot provide simple services like these then they need to find a different employment. There's enough stores and restaurants to choose from. If I'm upset enough I will contact the establishment and say something to the owner or manager. I work at a large corporation and customer service is really important in my department. I can be fired or receive a bad evaluation which means less money.

Answer 3

Sometimes when I am shopping I'd like to do so in peace and not feel pressured to buy something or to get help from the associates. So a friendly "hi" on the way in is fine, but a person approaching me and asking, "How can I help you?" isn't always what I'm looking for. In addition, sometimes the employees are in another part of the store and don't see me come in. That's fine with me as long as they make themselves available when I have a question, like if I approach the register or something. I agree with you that if the employees are not working on something else, and they see you but don't speak to you, that could be considered rude. So I agree with you, but not completely.

Answer 4

Yeah it does happen a lot whenever I go to stores. Not all the time like when I go to the mall, I'm always greeted at Guess, Express or whatever.

But sometimes I feel that most of the people who work there are 16-25 and are too young or too into whatever they are doing. Some may just assume you don't have money based on your race or clothes. Or you can report it to consumer affairs.

Answer 5

I worked for a retail lingerie chain last summer, my first job dealing with the public. I wasn't trained, wasn't taught how to deal with customers, but I knew how I wanted to be treated. I hole other retail workers to the same standard I held myself to when I worked.

No matter how busy I was, I would greet every customer that walked into my room. I'd mention a special we were having then say "let me know if I can help you with anything" and walk away to staighten up. If people needed me, I was always available. I rang them out with a smile, a thank you, and a have a nice day.

I can't stand when I get ignored by shop or restaurant staff. I don't ask much, I realize they're human, but it's a part of their job to represent the company they work for and appear helpful and welcoming. Hence why I refuse to shop at stores like Abercrombie where snotty teenagers are paid to stand around and look pretty rather than actually get off their size 0 butts and help people. Customer service is severely lacking in today's society and companies are greatly to blame for not properly training people who for the most part (not everyone) are too dim-witted to know how to deal with the public.

Drives me mad. I agree 100%. Also, chatting amongst themselves is also one of my biggest pet peeves. Fine if its dead in the store, but at least straighten up the store and appear like you're doing something for heaven's sake!

Answer 6

I go shopping to go shopping not to have a conversation with the associates. I expect my cashier to be courteous and personable, and I would certainly hope that there would be someone around for me to ask for help when I needed it, but I don't walk into a store with the intent of leaving if I am not promptly greeted.

If you couldn't tell, I work in retail. It's nothing glamorous, but it pays (most of) the bills. I take my job seriously and am proud of the work I do. But talking to the friends I've made at my job helps me get through the day and helps me to be in a friendly mood when customers come to me seeking assistance. Don't assume that the associates aren't doing their jobs just because they're talking. If you need something, ask. I'm sure they'd be more than happy to help. If not, that's when you should feel inclined to leave. You could try speaking to a manager, but more often than not they really aren't all that concerned with customer service.

Next time, instead of getting so frustrated right off the bat, try to think of how unsatisfied you would be if you were on your feet for 8 hours making just over minimum wage and not talking to anyone around you except for the few customers that make eye contact with you. Yes, they're there to serve you, but sales associates are people too. :)

Answer 7

I agree that customer service stinks, but that being said, I do not expect a greeting unless I approach a salesperson and or make eye contact to indicate I want help. In fact I find agressive salespeople to be a turnoff, and almost walked out of Office Depot last Sunday because every time I turned a corner someone was up my butt.

Answer 8

training in all fields and areas are very very very very much lacking.

i think this is due to corporations no longer needing our money - when you walk in a store if you don't know what you want and were to get it - then you may as well forget it.

and home repairs - talk about multi thousand dollar disasters for a simple job - these people just are not trained - i blame part of it on the unions being busted - there were levels employees had to complete and programs and training to go thru - now all that is required is a warm body.

what re-enforces the lack of enthusiasm is no training and no pay - they can get a job the next day that also pays and trains badly.

Answer 9

I find in many places customer service is lacking. Why? I think in part people who go to work feel they are "owed" the job and the wage and don't have to work for it. They don't care if you walk out the door, they don't think it will affect them. In the long run it does, you walk out the door they don't make sales, company makes no money they lose their job.
Part is also the lowish wages paid in large stores like that. The employees often don't feel they're being paid enough to do the job so do a substandard job.

Answer 10

There's a better way than just leaving. Take your item to the Customer Service desk and ask if you can pay for it there. When they ask why you didn't use a clerk in the department, you can say in a humble tone. (Being mad makes it obvious what you're doing.)

I didn't get any attention from one guy in the TV department so I went around to find another one and asked him if he worked on commission. When he said, "Yes," I asked him to sell me the TV over there by the other salesman.