Have A Good One

I am a customer service Nazi and a bitch consumer. Poor customer service habits piss me off and I have been known to vocalize my dismay at the service counter from time to time because of it.

Now before you think that I am just a crotchety old lady let me state a few things. First, I have worked in the service/retail industry for almost 40 years and can confidently say that I have learned a thing or two about good customer service along the way. Second, I am the first person to reward good service. I tip well, I compliment thoughtfulness, I encourage newbies who need their confidence boosted and I am always thankful for any help I receive. But my threshold for ignorance and rudeness is very low.

I like to be an optimist and assume that it is not the employees fault. Perhaps they have not been trained in the art of good customer service, so how could they know. Right?

Maybe businesses these days don’t feel the need to have their customers delighted. Maybe they have so much business that they don’t need to build customer loyalty.

Over the years my list of annoying habits in customer service have changed. Slangs change, technologies evolve, (don’t even get me started on smart phones in the work place) and, having matured, I have come to respect the value of a good customer service experience.

These are my top three personal pet peeves irritating me at the moment. Odds are no one who actually does these offenses will actually be reading this so I am confident that my only reason to write this is to vent, and not to enlighten. But one can hope.

3. Not being acknowledged when you come into a business. Look at me and smile. Say hello. I don’t bite. And for heaven sakes stop gossiping to your co-worker about your ex-boyfriend, boss, another co-worker or a million other non-work related topics, and pay attention. As a potential customer, I want to feel like a matter. Even a small nod will do, reassuring me that you are aware I exist and am in your store.

2. Do not call me a guy. As in, “How are you guys doing?” Do I look like a guy? Confession here, I have said as much in sarcastic reply on occasion, just to see if they even realize what they just said. And while I’m at it, I’m also not your Hon or your Love.  So don’t call me that either. Leave those endearments for your family

1. But this is my number one peeve currently. Instead of “Thank you” when a transaction is completed I get, ” Have a good one.” Have a good what? Have a good life, have a good day, have a good bowel movement? Please tell me. Have we gotten that casual, that hayseed? “You all come back now ya here, and have a good one!”

Next thing you know customer service will be reduced to grunts and hand gestures. Well actually, I have experienced something along that line more than once already.

Is it because we spend so much time staring at our phones? Is it because our vocabulary has been dimmed by texting in code? Omg, lol. Or is it that we have simply forgotten the art of social grace in society?

Isn’t it refreshing when a clerk engages you in conversation? Don’t you feel special and valued as a customer when you are remembered, or even better, they know your name? Isn’t a sincere “Thank you, have a great day!” gratifying? It’s like you patronizing their business really does matter and is appreciated. “See you guys later” just doesn’t have the same warm fuzzy feeling.

Ok, I’ve got it out of my system. I’m sure no one will achieve great wisdom from this rant but you may probably curse me for making you hyper aware of these insidious little annoyances from today’s customer service.

So have a good one you guys and hurry up out of my store. I’ve got some amazing gossip to share with my co-worker about my boss and the light is good so I need to take a selfie and instagram it, then post to on my Facebook site and then text my friend about tonight’s plans before it’s my break time.