Friday, July 29, 2005

[tms13pin]

Leftover pizza and pork chops.

Anyone else notice that the service industry in general is becoming
increasingly less "consumer friendly"? I can't even count the times over
the past few years where it seems to be *my* responsibility to follow up
on work that I've commissioned. Examples include:

When dropping off my car for a repair, I rarely get a call from the shop that
the vehicle is finished. I have to initiate the contact myself to see if it is
ready for me to pick it up. It may have been sitting there for some time,
all ready to go, but noone informs me.

On a few occasions now, I've brought an axe in to a luthier for a repair or
mod. I have to keep calling *them* back to find out how things are going.
or if the guitar has returned from the manufacturer if they had to send it
out for a warranty repair. My last mod took the guy 7 weeks for an hour
and a half of labor. I was originally told it would take him about a week,
due to other jobs. I knew this was even pushing it, so I figured two or so.
I called after 2 weeks. Almost done, call you early next week. Nothing.
I give him the benefit of the doubt. After 4 weeks, I call again. Almost
done, call you in a day or two. Nothing... finally after 4-5 phone calls,
all initiated by ME, it finally is finished. No offer for dropping the price or
anything. This was a luthier working out of a music shop. I told the
manager that there's no way HE would have been as nice about being
without his axe for 7 weeks as I was.

I don't yell and b**ch at people, I like to give them the benefit of the doubt,
but it really does seem that nice guys finish last. Maybe one has to rant and
rave to get results. Shame.

I've had the same problem with internet sales folks. Email for a price or info
on something they've got on their site. Nothing. I have to keep sending
notes. I hate to be a nag. I realize everyone's busy, I am too, but if I
took weeks to return graded exams for my students, or emails about
questions on an upcoming exam, I'd get the worst course evaluations
possible.

It really seems that "customer satisfaction" is no more. I know, it's bad to
put this kind of generalization out there, I know there are plenty of good
guys, but this seems to be something that is getting worse. If something
is going to take longer than expected or someone doesn't have a chance to
look up a price, etc., then I'd at least appreciate a call or an email to that
effect, and I'm happy to wait and give them the time they need. At least
acknowledge the customer.

I'm sure some of you work in the service industry, I'd appreciate your take on
this. Believe, I'm NOT one of the whiners or naggers.... I don't call or email
every day, I really give people some time to do their work.

--Tom

[Birdman69]

mmmmmm, pizza

[Layne]

Tom,

Until last Friday, I managed a multi-million dollar general merchandise retail store. I'll leave the name of aforementioned corporation out of the picture to maintain confidentiality. I concur wholeheartedly that the service industry is becoming less "consumer friendly." While my store would appear to merely sell consumers products, a great deal of my role and many of my colleagues and subordinates had to do with the interaction with the clientele. I personally loved the notion of keeping our consumers happy; however, not everyone that you'll run into in any business, anywhere on the supply chain, will be as courteous as I had attempted to be.

Customer service, in general, saw a rise in the 1980s in the United States. This trend has seen its end (IMHO) to a large degree. While a good portion of companies in today's service sector are aimed at providing an "experience," many have given such event to the backburner. It's now about how quickly you can get people "in-and-out." Call it a crude economy of motion, but I believe it to be a going trend.

A good friend of mine manages a high-end steak house. It truly is a place to have a meal that turns into an "experience." Having said that, I've heard stories from him about not meeting prescribed quotas on customers’ meal times. I couldn't believe that the corporation over his restaurant would place a limit to the amount of time a party could be at a table enjoying a meal or special occasion! It floors me.

Long gone are the days of customer service! If you'd like to get it, be prepared to look far and between. Furthermore, be prepared to pay for it! As always, your mileage may vary and it's all in my honest opinion.

Sincerely,

[Aldwyn]

Furthermore, be prepared to pay for it! As always, your mileage may vary and it's all in my honest opinion.

Sincerely,
I also had some leftover za... Papa Johns with sausage and peperoni.

Yep... I concure. Service levels seem to be going down all over the place. And I have experienced extreamly poor service even from companies who are "popular" in the music biz. :(

And to add to Layne's quote: Yep. Pay through the nose. Nordstroms is a good example of this. Service is usually excellent there, but you are paying 20% more for the items you are buying from them.

Peace,
Aldwyn

[irwcustom]

Tuna and mayo sandwiches and a couple of bacon ones too.


Yep - could agree more Tom ..for the UK (and not wanting to appear a winger either).Whatever you think of the service over there, it's definately WORSE over here. I try to do most things I can. I used to work as a service engineer in my last job. If I sat back and didn't pull my finger out, a massive VM / GM car plant would grind to a halt and charge us thousands by the minute. Very high pressure. No excuses - it was down to me (and on not very good money at all). I used to pride myself on my response though. The difference is we had one customer to please. When serving the public and hence many customers, it may be no great loss if you let somebody down - 'there will be plenty more customers walking through the door' seems to be the attitude adopted.

Sometimes, the last thing I would want to do is get under my car and work on that so I put it in for a service. The last time I got somebody - who's job it was to specifically work on brakes, he left a clamp on one of the break pipes where he was bleeding the air from the fluid. Could have killed me. Now the only person I trust is me and do it myself. A better job and cheaper.

There's nothing in either my house or my car that I couldn't tackle myself so from now on, I do it unless it's under warentee.

I had a tooth filled once and had some trouble with it so changed dentists - and asked for an Xray. I could have filled it better myself! Honestly, I don't know how that man became a dentist. I had no comebacks. I draw the line at carrying out my own dental work though:D

One of the things that I enjoy over in the US is the standard of service - all be it from things I buy or restraunts and hotels etc.