Is it just me, or do you notice or find that when you approach a customer service person?

Question

1. If they are in the middle of something, they won't acknowledge you but continue to do what they are doing? Do you feel that you are interrupting them?

2. That some people tend to look down when speaking and not look directly at you?

3. The grocery clerk, while doing a transaction, looks all around (with their mouth open for some reason), and is not attentive to you?

Have you experienced any of this?

Answer 1

I've been employed in customer service jobs many times, and I have always tried to treat others the way I would want to be treated. I also can tell you many horror stories of how rude and nasty customers can be, including the time a male customer got angry with me for turning him down for a date (I was married), and grabbed my arm and drug me down the length of the counter I was working behind! Remember, kindness is a two-way street.

Answer 2

Yes to all.

Years ago before computers when cashiers had to be able to remember the prices for some things that could not be marked, be able to remember ad prices and be able to make change without a machine figuring it out for them, you would find a higher class of cashier.

Today you find a much dumber (sorry to have to say this) type of customer interaction person. Even those who are just there as a step in their way up are sullen, uncommunicative, unhelpful and could care less if you buy anything or not. I truly believe they do not have the slightest inkling that their job is directly related to your purchases. I don't think this has crossed their mind at all. Strange.

I always tell them, "Hi! How ya doin'?" when I walk up not so much because I'm so doggone friendly but because I know it kind of intimidates them and puts them off. Then when I leave without a thank you I always say, "And, thank you, too." That way, I kind of hand the pissed-off state they were attempting to create in me back to them, and I feel great. Probably doesn't work like I think it does but I feel great anyhow, which to me is the important thing.

Note: I behave properly when interacting with a decent human being who is civil, helpful and trying to do a proper job.

Answer 3

I may have seemed rude when working as a head cashier at a large store with everything from soup to nuts, I had check codes to run thru for approval, security tags to remove, bagging the merchandise, and answering calls from the office, and having to call for missing codes on things. I remember transposing a code once and getting called to the office for selling a pillow for 50 cents when it was actually a candy bar. I could take in thousands during a shift and if I was ever more than 20 cents off -- automatic dismissal. I have also dealt with rude people on personal calls, and was at a register once and they closed out every till 20 minutes early and told me I had to go up 2 flights to customer service and see if they were still open.

Answer 4

Yes to all. I truly don't understand why people who don't like helping others take any type of customer service position. I often feel like telling them how they are supposed to do their jobs. More annoying to me is someone on the phone, obviously a personal call, who just leaves me standing there or tries to handle the transaction and obviously doesn't have his/her mind on me. I am rarely rude, but I can think of 2 times when I've informed the rude CRS that the business they work for just lost my business and that I'd be informing the owner about the reason.

Answer 5

Yes, those plus trying to catch the attention of a food service person.
Here I go being an Ageist again. But the managers of most places like fast food or service stations, small stores, some nice chain restaurants are kids themselves. They don't know the first thing about treating a customer with respect. It will only go down from here.

Answer 6

KOHA has hit half the problem square on the head...a sense of empowerment to the clerk for a short time in his/her life. The other half of the 'equation' is, I think, that if I were in the clerk's shoes, I might not be so anxious to be yelled at by yet another customer to feels free to vent and rant at me for whatever reason. I have seen this far too often. The customer buys the wrong thing, is mad at themselves for having to come back, go through the mess of returns, then repurchase. For some reason, many think it is the clerk's job to listen to them raving about this or that! Chalk some of this up to shell shock on the clerk's part. I have seen people at the cash register talking on cell phones, totally ignoring the line behind them, ignoring the clerk as they ask for the purchase money..suddenly, the customer feels entitled to waste everyone's time in the store by talking on that phone! Call me rude if you like, but I, for one, tell them loudly to take it outside and let us get on with our lives. !

Answer 7

Experienced it all. Thankfully it is the exception rather than the rule, usually. Rudeness and incivility seem to be increasing though. My practice has always been go to the top to complain, but politely.
After a visit to a dealer, and two phone calls to corporate customer no-service that were unproductive concerning a new car I bought, I sent snail mail to Waggoner, the CEO of GM, and had my problem promptly taken care of. I think this only works if you're actually in the right.

Answer 8

There is a phenomenon that I call “Tyranny Of The Clerk“.
By virtue of the fact that you are in the house of the clerk, and you are dependant upon the clerk, he/she feels some measure of power. This is especially true in government offices where you have no choice but to bear the inconvenience. It is less noticeable in situations where the clerk has a motive or directive to be sociable .

Answer 9

I really blame there "unhelpful" attitude on the Supervisors. I've worked in the service industry while I was in school and each and every morning we would have our "pep-rally" to remind us that "our service brings the customer" and "the customer is always right" so before I blame the service person blame the Service Supervisor. When they look down that is an indication they are not happy with there jobs. How can one control that?

Answer 10

I've had to literally run down a customer service person at Wal Mart. When I get poor customer service I always ask to speak to the manager. They get paid to help, but avoid doing their job whenever possible. If you tell them you are a 'secret shopper' boy will they be all over you to provide you with the best customer service available.