Customer Service Rules

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

My wife and I went to lunch today and did a bit of shopping while we were out. A couple of incidents have led me to conclude that the average business hasn’t a clue what customer service means.

First, at P. F. Chang’s, the waitress took our order and never came back. (Someone else delivered the food to the table and collected the plates.) We spotted the waitress at various other tables now and then. We tried to flag her down a few times. Nothing.

We’d been finished eating for about 1/2 an hour and hadn’t been offered dessert, coffee, the check, anything. Finally, out of desperation, I got up from the table, tracked down the waitress in the kitchen, handed her a credit card and said “We’d like to leave now.”

On our way out of the restaurant, I noticed that there quite a few people waiting to be seated. They could’ve had our table 30 minutes ago.

===

Next, we went to the Warner Bros store to pick up some gifts. There were five people working there and maybe a few more than that shopping. Not crowded at all.

During or brief trip through the store, we were repeatedly accosted by sales people asking if we needed anything, telling us about sales on things no one would ever buy, recounting tedious and completely irrelevant anecdotes.

We finished shopping (while dodging the sales people as much as possible) then headed to the checkout. Three people in line, four registers, and only one of them open. Of the five people working there, one was ringing up merchandise, two were bothering shoppers, one was behind the counter bothering the person operating the register, and the fifth one was riding a Razor scooter around in front of the store, blocking the path of people walking past the store.

I expect this last one was supposed to be drumming up business but, given the general reaction of the people rushing past and the fact that there were very few people entering the store, he was probably scaring away more customers than he was attracting.

===

It seems to me that there are a few simple (and, I thought, obvious) rules that should be followed in order to provide a minimal amount of customer service.

===

Let’s start with restaurants:
[ol]
[li]When the customers put their menus down, they have probably decided what they want. Go to the table and take their order.[/li][li]When the food arrives - and this is especially important if someone other than you delivers it - there is a possibility that it isn’t exactly what they ordered. Go check if they have everything they need.[/li][li]When the customers are finished eating (it’s not that hard to tell, honest - a lack of food moving between plate and mouth is a dead giveaway), they might actually want to leave. Go ask them if they want anything else.[/li][li]From time to time, scan your tables to see if anyone is trying to catch your eye. Do not go into the kitchen and hang out.[/li][li]While the customers are eating, ask them if they need anything only if they are trying to get your attention. Do not attempt to engage them in conversation while they have their mouths full.[/li][li]A customer who is waving his credit card at you is probably not trying to impress you. It’s much more likely that he is in a hurry and wants the check. Go get it.[/li][/ol]

Now, for stores:
[ol]
[li]When you see customers with their heads down, looking at the merchandise, they are doing something called “shopping.” Don’t bother them.[/li][li]If you see customers with their heads up, craning their necks and/or looking confused, they are not “shopping.” They are probably looking for you. Ask them if they need help.[/li][li]When there are more than twice as many customers in line than there are open registers, open another register.[/li][li]The people operating the registers are doing something called “working”. Leave them alone. Do not hang around and tell them about what a bastard your boyfriend is.[/li][li]Do not, under any circumstances, tell a customer the terribly amusing story about what happened last week with the talking Tweety Bird in the front display.(yes, this actually happened)[/li][/ol]

I’m sure there are plenty more rules. I can’t think of any more off the top of my head. Please feel free to add to the lists.

2

Oh! Me next!
(I was a cocktail waitress for a while, so I know what I’m talking about here)

When you see an empty glass on the table, as the person if they would like another. DO NOT AVOID ALL OTHER EYE CONTACT AT THIS TIME. Actually look at the other customers at the table and ask if THEY are ready for another drink, too. Do not ignore their attempts to get your attention while you’re standing mere feet away. Ask.

Don’t comment on my groceries! “Are these good?” “How do you cook these?” “Oh, these are gross”. Bugger off. Just ring them up and get me outta here.

State the amount I owe. In fact, say something polite to me. How about “Hello”. or “Go away”. I have actually bought groceries and had the cashier say not one single word. No greeting, no “paper or plastic”, no goodbye- nothing. I hate that.

That’s all for now. I’m sure I’ll think of others :slight_smile:
Zette

3

One nugget that usually helps is owners actually paying the employee’s closer to fair salary. Service tends to improve. Other than that your list is spot on.

4

This exact thing happened to me at the theater not to long ago. I went up the only bored looking cashier at the counter and placed my order with him. He NEVER once acknowledged my order just went and made it. When he rang it up I waited for him to tell me how much until I finally asked him to see if he COULD talk and he just nodded his head in the general direction of the register. Very rude.

Another one to add to the list:

[ul][li]If it’s not your job please don’t tell me it’s not your job and instead please help the customer and actually find out who handles the customers inquiry.[/ul][/li]Recently I was in a clothing store and found a dress that I liked but they did not have my size at this store so we called another store who had it and had them hold it for me. I went right over to the store to pick it up. I asked the first person I saw, who worked there, where I pick up an item that I had on hold. She told me to go to the back of the store to the department that had the dresses and I could ask them there. After wandering around the department searching for someone I finally found the employee in a different department on the other side of the store who then directed me to the front of the store to the first employee I asked, and she had the dress holding for me. Talk about mad! I wanted to rip the lady’s face off after goign through all that. :mad:

5

I actually work for a call centre which deals with banking queries so I see both sides of the coin as it were. I would agree with all the things that have been said above. One thing I think is that no matter how much they may dislike the job, they are paid to be nice to people.

On the other hand, just because a person is being paid to serve, it does not give customers the right to treat them like crap and vbe rude to them. We get that at work. I think it is worse when people are talking over the phone too cause they say things they would never say if they were speaking face to face.

I think that restuarants and places where the customer is expected to tip are bad for this type of thing though. People do not think that they must put in any extra effort to be rewarded by the customers because tipping in compulsory or expected.

TTFN
Rick