We often hear about how non-existent customer service is these days.
Matter of fact, there seems to be a general consensus that customers don't even expect good customer service anymore. "It doesn't take much to exceed customer expectations," Brad Tuttle lamented in a 2010 Time magazine column. "I'm happily surprised whenever I call a customer service line and am greeted with a human [nonrecorded] voice that says 'Hello' rather than automatically asking me to press 1 if I want to review the list of options in English. Nowadays, even this minimal human touch qualifies as 'superior' customer service, if only compared to the competition out there."
What's bad is feeling creeped out and paranoid at places that actually have good, helpful service associates.
If you're like me, you have a knack for going to the "can't-buy-service" stores when you need help, and hitting the "determined-to-help-you" places when you're in one of those moods, or just want to look around to see what-all the place has to offer. I've been doing some projects around the hacienda (well, you regular readers already know about the wood re-staining debacle), and I shop at a small hardware store chain. The crowd at its downtown location is usually light, so whenever I go there I can always count on not only being greeted, but also being asked -- sometimes by multiple people -- whether I need help finding anything.
It's a wonderful place to browse, but I know that it's the fellows who usually shop such places. Guys are known for knowing exactly what they want and harboring the intention to get into and out of stores as fast as they can. We gals usually want to browse, even if we're in tire shops and hardware stores. Yes, we may have come in for one-inch nails, but there's nothing wrong with seeing if we might just need two- or three-inch nails too, is there? There's certainly nothing wrong with comparing different types of hand drills (an item I needed a long time ago) and yes, life's too short for ugly screwdrivers, safety goggles or water valves.
But the folk here are probably used to dealing with customers who don't want to browse. Sometimes when asked, I'll say what I want so I can at least be led to that section. Once I'm led there, I might want to linger. But if I browse longer than, say, five minutes, I'm asked by another associate if I need any help. Sometimes I'll feel a pang of almost childish exasperation -- "Wouldja just leave me alone so I can play in the sandpaper?" -- but eventually I get amused and shake my head at myself. Remind myself of all the times I've stood in the middle of the Giant One-Stop Box Chain retail store, wondering where to begin to look for an associate to ask for help.
I'm sure all of us ladies are familiar with the department-store chain whose usually friendly associates don't exactly hover, but who always ask, "May I start you a dressing room?" just because they happen to see us walking around with about 10 outfits draped over an arm. My usual reactions range from gratefulness to paranoia, with fleeting thoughts of "What, do you think I'm going to get it dirty/wrinkle it/try to stuff it in my coat?"
I wonder how many customers have given voice to their paranoia. Probably more than a few. "There's no shortage of reasons consumers hate service workers [and vice versa]," Tuttle wrote. "It's a standoff in which both sides feel like they're getting the short end of the stick."
And that's sad. I'd hate to think of a customer service dispenser who started out genuinely cheerful and helpful, but eventually became disillusioned and sullen after encountering too many difficult customers.
It goes back to the need for us all -- whatever side of the cash register we're on -- to follow the golden rule. And we customers should show our appreciation for good service, whether or not those associates hover. (After all, no telling what thoughts they're squelching when they see us coming.)
Next time I'll do more than thank the folks at the hardware store. I'll compliment them.
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Style on 03/01/2015