So, today we were in WalMart, and yet again, I walked out ripping mad a skosh irritated. Rather than go into the story’s gory details, I want to talk about customer service, give a list of Dos and Don’ts.
Do
…give the customer service in a timely fashion. If you yourself cannot provide service to them, call for assistance.
Don’t
…have the customer wait 10 minutes for you to check out three other people and answer the phone before you get to them, especially if you’ve already acknowledged the customer’s request for assistance with “Let me just grab this game for her.”
Do
…apologize, if the customer is upset or angry with your service (or lack thereof).
Don’t
…justify it to the customer. Simply put, they don’t care about your excuses. You gave them bad service. Your job now is to correct that, not explain or justify it.
A final “Don’t”
…argue with the customer. Period. Just don’t do it. No matter how unreasonable or stupid or whatever you think the customer is, you’ve chosen to take on a job dealing with the public, and the #1 mantra in customer service is “The customer is always right, even when they’re wrong.” I know this sucks. I’ve worked enough retail gigs to know that people aren’t always a pleasure to serve. There are some people who are downright rude and/or stupid. Some people are going to be cranky no matter what you do. Your job, as someone who is representing a company, is to minimize the damage you personally do to the company’s reputation, if you can’t enhance that reputation.
Don’t like this idea? Get out of a job in which you deal with the general public. That’s it. That’s all. There’s no compromise here, because if you don’t choose to give good customer service, you’re not going to have a job in customer service for very long anyway. I will find a manager to praise great service, but I will also find a manager to report bad service. In my own personal experience, managers prefer to not have to deal with cranky customers; it’s part of why they became managers. So, if you’re consistently causing a manager to have to deal with cranky customers, that manager is going to wonder why you’re working there, and that manager is going to make some changes.
I’m not a picky bitch. No, really. I’m that customer who smiles first, who waits patiently, who doesn’t have a chip on her shoulder. I understand the job you’re doing isn’t the best. I even understand that sometimes, it’s hard to remember that the stupid jackasses who are bugging you are also the ones making sure you get a paycheck. Really, I empathize, and with empathy comes a little more tolerance for less-than-stellar service. I understand even that this makes me seem like I’ll tolerate craptastic service, and I will…to a point. Once you’ve reached my breaking point, though, please don’t expect me to stand there while you suck your teeth, roll your eyes and then speak to me like I’m a retarded chimpanzee. Probably you should instead expect your manager to come find you and ask you WTF you’re thinking.
Whew. I feel better.
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