Not much, apparently.
Workers that are present?
Leaving me to browse in peace instead of jumping on me the second I walk through the door.
Extremely rare.
I once went shopping in Saks in San Francisco. I’d left my credit card in the previous store and didn’t discover this until I went to pay. The guy serving me called the previous store who had the card waiting for me. Instead of sending me down there to get it, he got someone to run over to the prior store about 100 yards away and pick it up for me. Then he bought me a martini at the bar on the fifth floor.
Now that is what I call service. They also got a lot more of my business after that.
Woops, what happened to my original posting??
Anyway, the reason I posted the question is this. Last week I was riding my bicycle home and I got a puncture :smack: It was only a mile from home, so I decided to walk instead of changing tubes in 100° heat. A truck then pulls a U-turn in the street and it’s one of the bike shop mechanics from my local bike shop. He insisted on driving me home.
Now, that’s good service. Although I didn’t get a martini
Generally, it’s leaving me alone unless I look confused or like I want some help. Apart from that it would be speedy, polite service. Small talk (etc) is not required; don’t pretend I’m your mate, we both know it’s not true. Just smile and do your job and I’ll be happy.
The last example of good service I remember was at a restaurant where one waitress dealt with 14 of us, getting all of the orders right, on time and making sure we didn’t go without drinks. She did nothing beyond what I would expect as her job, but did it so well (or maybe service at other places is bad by comparison) we left a decent tip and a note for the manager pointing her work out.
Your examples above to me are beyond good service – I wouldn’t expect them from a shop – but are examples of good people. That’s above and beyond the call of duty.
I’ve been doing a lot of furniture shopping lately, and I know they work on commission, so I understand their initial “Hi, my name is X, what can I do for you?” which is fine. When I say, “I’m just browsing right now”, LEAVE ME THE EFF ALONE!!! Be available, or at least “around” so that if I have a question, I can ask it, but don’t bombard me with your sales crap, and try to show me what you think I’m looking for. I KNOW what I’m looking for, and when I see it, I’ll come find you. Until then, go annoy someone else.
On the other hand, I’m really impressed with the guys at the local auto parts stores. They seem to bend over backwards to help you out. And if they don’t have, or can’t provide what you need, offer suggestions on where you can.
Restaurants, if I need a refill on my drink, or some ketchup, whatever, bring it ASAP…I realize you’re busy also, but I don’t need my condiments after the meal.
I really wish I was allowed to leave you alone to browse. (We are trained to not accept that excuse…we are required to probe and question until you say it three times)
I wish I wasn’t required to greet you within 30-60 seconds. (I asked my boss today if we could at least wait until a customer gets completely through the doorway and the door chime stops going off in their ears…she said no.)
I wish small talk wasn’t required, but we are supposed to break through the customer/clerk barrier and establish a personal connection with you in order to ensure repeat business. ( so the next time someone admires your scarf, or asks about the weather, take pity…we really want to let you look, but THEY WON"T LET US!)
I wish you knew what you were looking for, but corporate says you don’t, and I’m supposed to tell you what you want. (we personalize things…I’m no longer supposed to show you a small selection of fonts and ask which you would like…I’m to tell you “we’ll do this in Script for you”)
I wish I did not have to describe for you how wonderful that piece of candy you bought will be, but you could be a secret shopper who will take off points and jeopardize our jobs.
I wish a “focus group” hadn’t complained that shopping in our store took too long and was confusing. (Now we have to leap down your throat, tell you what you’re going to buy and limit your decisions)
Until the economy loosens up and people begin spending with abandon, you can expect to be pursued throughout the store…at least until the boss goes home.
The thing is, some people really respond well to this treatment. They want us to pick something out for them. They are tired, and frustrated, and they just want to get this chore done. They really don’t know what they want to say, or what flavor their friend likes, and they want someone else to decide. They want to feel that they are important… not just another faceless customer on the other side of the cash register. The only thing is, they often object to our prices. If you don’t want this level of service and attention, you are better off shopping at Wal-Mart.
Yuck, kittenblue. I realize you’re required to do these things, but I won’t be shopping at your establishment more than once. Perhaps after a time, your boss will come to realize that MOST people do not consider constant hovering to be synonymous with “service.”
Hubby and I went to a new restaurant a few weeks ago. I was highly impressed with the service. It was polite, fast, and UNOBTRUSIVE. I worked for umpteen years in a restaurant that required us to do the entire, “Hi, my name is so-and-so and I’m feeling really perky and I will be your server tonight, and would you care for an order of a specific appetizer we happen to have a lot of tonight and can I get you a higher-priced vodka drink and certainly you’d like to pay more for an ala carte soup and salad and we have really good desserts that you can’t possibly eat because they’re enormous but I betcha I can talk you into ordering TWO” routine. Yeah, I made good money providing this kind of service, but, for myself, I’ll take unobtrusive any day.
It wouldn’t be so bad if this were just coming from my boss…it comes from two separate corporate headquarters who have spent a lot of money researching this and producing training videos and manuals.
The problem is that people like us who appreciate being basically left alone to shop til we have a question don’t spend a lot of money. We are proud of not being spendthrifts, but no-one really wants us for customers. Our opinions hold very little sway with corporations who need people to spend, and spend big. The average-sale goal keeps rising. It is at least $20 more than it was 5 years ago. One focus group even said our prices were too low! You can bet corporate jumped on that like a cat on a drunken mouse.