When I started this blog it was my hope to help those companies, and people who work for those companies, improve on their customer service. I’m now going to turn the finger around (after all, when you point your finger at somebody three are still pointing back at you, right?) and look at us as consumers.
We expect so much customer service out of businesses, right? Friendly smile, quick service, get us what we want, HAVE what we want, make us feel like you really care. Make us feel like you’re happy that we’re spending money with YOUR company.
Yet, many of us don’t reciprocate that in our everyday lives. If we’re to expect one thing we should learn to return the favor, yes? Something really easy to start with is just saying, “Please” or “Thank you” to cashiers and other store staff. Is that so difficult?
OK, so, I’m NOT perfect, either…
Here’s an example. I have a (bad) habit of turning out into traffic when a semi-truck is coming down the road in the same lane I am turning out into. See, if I’m turning out onto a road that is historically very busy, one in which I know from experience is difficult to pull out onto without having to wait, and I notice a small break in traffic with a semi-truck the only thing hindering me, I will go, even though I will probably make him slow down a bit. If it were a regular car I would not pull out but since it’s a truck I will. My reasoning?
One: I don’t want to have to slow down myself once I get up to speed. If I were behind the semi, I would probably have to do that.
Two: It’s difficult to see traffic in front of trucks because of their size.
Three: Because it’s easier to get away with it!
I neglect to think of the driver of the semi-truck and what they have to go through. It takes them longer to get up to the speed limit because of their weight and then to have somebody pull out in front of them, they have to slow down and take time getting BACK up to speed while the car that slowed them down goes whizzing off in the distance. That is “NOT” cool, and…..is whizzing even a word?
OK, so that is my bad. Others I’ve recently noticed are:
People STANDING on the escalator! Our society is SO lazy. I experienced this about two weeks ago and then, while going to a movie with my daughter, Tabitha, last night it happened again and I said to myself, “Self, you are GOING to write about this tomorrow!” And so, here I am.
If you’re GOING to be lazy and NOT walk up the escalator, why not stand on the side so that other people who enjoy working their leg muscles can go by? There was a fairly young couple in front of us (it was a rather long escalator, too) and they just stood there. I, as I usually do, briskly walked up the escalator until I got to them and they didn’t even notice. I think this is rude AND I think it’s a character flaw, but that’s just my opinion.
How ’bout this one: People who are shopping at the grocery store (or even at a place like Costco) and they have a grocery cart they’re using. They leave their cart right in the middle of the aisle when they’re looking for something. Or talking on the phone, oblivious to what’s going on around them. It’s like they’re in their own little world and nothing else exists. Very frustrating and VERY rude.
Speaking of stores, those of you, and you KNOW who you are, who empty your cart of all your groceries and then LEAVE your cart right there for somebody else to bring into the cart collection area of the parking lot. Is this really something you cannot do? You’ve just wheeled the cart around the store, collecting your groceries, paid for them and pushed the loaded cart out to your car. NOW, it is too much of a strain to push that EMPTY cart a few feet to the collection area? A friend of mine makes sure she parks as close to that collection area as possible. Not a bad stategy but at least she brings the cart back.
Speaking of PARKING LOTS, how ’bout those people who smoke and decide to just empty their ash tray right there in the parking lot??? Makes me cranky just thinking about it!
The next two things are things that happen on a semi-regular basis and they involve businesses instead of everyday people. The first one has to do with restrooms at fast food restaurants.
I know we are living in a world where the germ is the enemy. I know and understand that. I sold Indoor Air Quality Systems, after all. Fast food restaurants have started installing hand blow dryers for using after you wash your hands. It creates less garbage, certainly, and all you have to do is tap the bar with your elbow and a blast of warm air is there to dry your hands. The problem comes when you go to leave the restroom and you have to grab the handle with your freshly cleaned hand. Does anybody realize just how few people wash their hands after using the restroom? It’s amazing AND disgusting. I’ve personally noticed it ALL THE TIME. So, we are forced to improvise by using our shirt sleeve or wait until somebody comes in. And is a blast of warm (polluted) restroom air really that clean?
Just have paper towels available so that we can use THAT to open the door handle. OR, (which I’ve thought about for years) install a motion activated door opener. That way nobody touches ANYthing in the bathroom. You go in, wave your hand in front of the faucet and wash your hands, wave them in front of the blow dryer to dry them, make a motion toward the door, thus opening the door, and buh bye, you’re out of the restroom.
How hard could that be to design something like that?
And lastly, and arguably the most minor, can somebody PLEASE develop a can that will open without spitting out some of the contents? I occasionally have a 16 ounce Monster Energy Drink (OK, FINE, maybe NOT so occaisonally…I’m working on it!) and whenever I open the can it spits some of the drink all over the place. If I have my iPod or GPS or camera or whatever lying around it can get on those items and create havoc. I guess I should just learn to open the can outside (or just not buy the product at all!). I understand this is a very minor thing but, in essence, it shows that customer service can extend far past just human encounters.
If you have any comments on todays blog please don’t hesitate to write them. If you have any ideas that I didn’t touch upon please send me those, as well. You can always e-mail me at aphilip369@aol.com, using the subject line Mastering Customer Service.
Other than that, I will see you here next time something catches my attention in the world of customer service. Until then, expect the most and give even more!