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Old 06-25-2007, 01:29 PM
 
1 posts, read 1,756 times
Reputation: 10

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So, I am not alone in my thoughts. I LOVE San Antonio, but the general service here is pretty bad. Lived all over and I have seen much more professional behaviour elsewhere.
I took my clothes in to a dry cleaner last week. Picked them up right before closing for the week and when I got them home, they were not even pressed. First thing this morning I called and gently explained my problem, I was told they don't work that way. After hearing that a few times and agreeing that my past service has been stellar, the manager told me to bring my clothes in right away and they would redo them. (I am leaving town tomorrow and need them.) I was there by 7:15 am and the girl behind the desk told me they don't work that way. Sigh, she even agreed things needed pressing. Then she told me the only thing I could do was call cs. I told her that the manager told me to bring them in and she just said all I could do was file a complaint. So I stormed out. Yes, I admit it, I was angry then. Well, I called cs to get a recording telling me to leave the usual info and they would call me back in 1-2 days. Now I am on my way to buy something. sigh...
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Old 06-25-2007, 03:33 PM
 
Location: Rota, Spain
2 posts, read 5,199 times
Reputation: 14
Talking let me tell you about SA

I have being in the Navy for 12 years, in those years I have visited all the world.

You will find the same cases all the time, the reason that make you upset is:

You are from another part of the Country or World.

Meaning: Your society is not the same, your values are not the same. I have living in Spain for the past two years and here the people are very slow.

Or, we (Americans) are very fast people.

You need to give an opportunity to San Antonio.

I will move there because a lot of people say that San Antonio is the place to live.

Good luck, but remember some times is the individual that needs to adjust to society!
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Old 06-26-2007, 07:02 PM
 
48 posts, read 168,134 times
Reputation: 24
I have to chime in on this one.
A little background on me:
I was born in Texas (FT Hood to be exact), and lived in San Antonio when I was a kid. I have lived and traveled all over the U.S. and the world. I was also in the Military. I am Dunn & Bradstreet certified in customer service and I have managed and trained people in the industry. I also worked in the film and music industry in Los Angeles prior to moving out here a year ago. I have dealt with everyone from Celebrities, to everyday people.
I tell you this because I believe IMHO, I am more than qualified to speak on the subject of customer service. Now, I like San Antonio. There are a lot of great people here, no doubt about it. But customer service here is definitely lacking. In a years’ time, I have had more bad customer service experiences in San Antonio, then I can remember in any other place I have lived. I’m not talking about bad attitudes, but service. Companies like 5 star cleaners not cleaning my wife suite for the third time and acting like they didn’t understand what was wrong; Rooms to Go not deliver the right furniture and telling us that it was a courtesy for them to deliver it to us and that they would replace it at their convenience, although I paid $90.00 for delivery. That was 2 months ago and I still don't have it yet (hopefully this Friday). To ATT's techs just not showing up for appointments, and so on. (I have a lot more, but you get the point)
I think this happens here because of the "small town" effect. This causes a lack of urgency. San Antonio prides itself on having a small town feel and being very family oriented. Meaning people like to get home and spend time with the family. That in and of itself is not a bad thing, but San Antonio is no longer a small town. It has a bigger population than Dallas. Someone here had said something to the effect that people wouldn't be moving here if service was so bad. The truth is that more people are moving here because of the cheap real estate. If you notice the growth has slow down a bit, because of the change in the real estate market.
Also, being nice is not synonymous with good customer service. You can be a nice person and still give bad service. And saying you’re sorry is not okay if the problem is still not corrected. It’s never the customer’s problem if a worker has been on there feet all day or if a worker is having a bad day. The customer is the reason a company is in business. Try staying in business without them. When someone pays money for a service, they should get that service. I shouldn’t be grateful that get good service, it is expected. That’s why fortune magazine list the top ten companies with good customer service, because it matters.
In most big cities, you have people standing in line to step into someone else's job. So if there are enough complaints the worker will be fired with no problem replacing them. That will happen here eventually, once the unemployment rate goes up. Obviously there are exception to every
Now I must say that my wife and I have been very impressed with the level of service at most of the restaurants we have been to here in San Antonio. Places liked Corino’s , J. Alexander’s, and the Kona Grill. The Managers always seem to be very concerned about how the service was, almost to the point of irritation (I’m talking about family style restaurants and up, not fast food), although I have no complaints there either. Just my 2 cents (I think maybe that was a dollar).
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Old 06-27-2007, 06:36 AM
 
Location: San Antonio
7,629 posts, read 16,375,970 times
Reputation: 18770
The ONLY complaints that I have is:

#1--call me old fashioned, but I DON'T want to see someones facial piercings or tongue ring when ordering my food....

and

#2--WHY oh WHY will a sale person IGNORE someone standing there with $$ in their hands trying to BUY something to answer the phone. Am I the ONLY person that thinks that the customer there TRYING to make a purchase should get priority over the &$^%@# phone????????

Obviously, neither of these complaints are specific to San Antonio or anywhere else.
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Old 06-27-2007, 03:24 PM
 
Location: Just Inside Loop 410
898 posts, read 2,882,113 times
Reputation: 496
Quote:
Originally Posted by wCat View Post
I'm finding it hard to see this as a SA problem....but more of an "industry" problem. I find bad customer service in a lot of places, but exemplary service as well.

Places with the best customer service I've frequented:

Starbucks
Whole Foods
Restoration Hardware
Lowes
Outback Restaurant
Mama's cafe
Barnes and Noble
Sherwin Williams paint stores!

vs

poor CS:

Home Depot (where do those employees go????)
Borders Books at the Quarry (they struggle with teens loitering before movies and the store is always a wreck!)
Sprint Store!
Best Buy!!!! Omg.....does anyone want to sell anything there?

Keep in mind.....I usually give a place several chances because sometimes an employee may just be having a bad day.....so these are repeat offenders or shining examples.
I laughed so much at your post, because it's all so true! I worked at Borders at the quarry back when the store first opened, and we could never keep that store
looking nice all the time. and I was a temp at Best Buy at the northwest loop 410 location, and during my stay there I saw so many employees that just didn't care, and get this...I worked my a__ off there, and they didnt keep me once the christmas season was over.
oh, and who else hates going to best buy, and having the employees try to sell you everything in the store!!! by the way, I'm looking for a retail job incase anyone is hiring
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Old 06-27-2007, 03:32 PM
 
Location: Wiesbaden, Germany
13,815 posts, read 29,265,582 times
Reputation: 4025
I can ask my wife if she's hiring. Won't mention the name of the store, but it's a very famous Jewelry store in Texas... I'm sure she can use someone that works their a__ off as you said and from what she tells me, most people she gets end up being serious slackers..
I'd also like to chime in on two stores that have gone seriously down hill in the past year, Lowes and Home Depot. One younger lady at Home Depot was practically laughing at me because I didn't know the name of the item I was looking for. I know quite a bit about tools and home improvement type things, but I don't think anyone knows everything and the part I was looking for wasn't something you'll look for every day or year for that matter.. I've also had quite a few of them that gave me the impression I was bothering them by asking for assistance.. that's seriously crappy CS if you ask me.
This appears to be happening more with the younger crowd. I think the older ones know what they want in customer service and follow the golden rule..
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Old 06-27-2007, 04:00 PM
 
Location: Just Inside Loop 410
898 posts, read 2,882,113 times
Reputation: 496
Quote:
Originally Posted by rd2007 View Post
I can ask my wife if she's hiring. Won't mention the name of the store, but it's a very famous Jewelry store in Texas... I'm sure she can use someone that works their a__ off as you said and from what she tells me, most people she gets end up being serious slackers..
I'd also like to chime in on two stores that have gone seriously down hill in the past year, Lowes and Home Depot. One younger lady at Home Depot was practically laughing at me because I didn't know the name of the item I was looking for. I know quite a bit about tools and home improvement type things, but I don't think anyone knows everything and the part I was looking for wasn't something you'll look for every day or year for that matter.. I've also had quite a few of them that gave me the impression I was bothering them by asking for assistance.. that's seriously crappy CS if you ask me.
This appears to be happening more with the younger crowd. I think the older ones know what they want in customer service and follow the golden rule..
thank you very much rd. feel free to PM me if anything opens up. I dont know much about jewlery, but I'd like to give it a try.
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Old 06-27-2007, 07:31 PM
 
351 posts, read 1,578,606 times
Reputation: 246
Wow,

Lot of opinions on CS! I have to agree with F10Gear on the bad CS problems he has had with those companies, I have had bad CS too in Home Depot and buying Furniture.

I would say though that a lot of those are INDUSTRY wide, not just SA.

Furniture companies mess up all of the time. ATT kinda sucks.

USAA has THE BEST customer service of any company that i have ever had the pleasure of doing business with, and they are based in S.A.

So many industries offer bad service that it has become a joke, like the cable company giving a 8 or 9 hour window to show up.

Once again, I do not have extensive research on Dry Cleaners, but the ones I have used, at The Collonade and one on Huebner, I got good CS.

I also agree wholeheartedly with WCat's list of bad CS places: Home Depot, Best Buy, & Border's!

I still disagree with ANYONE despite your qualifications making a broad statement that San Antonio has Bad Customer Service compared to the rest of the country.

You can find BAD CS ANYWHERE. It is not a quatifiable object: good customer service.

Two people can walk into a store, find something, buy it and have a wonderful experience while another person right behind him buying the same object talking to the same people and spending the same amount of time can say "That was HORRIBLE!"
Maybe their precious Fluffy died that morning, maybe they're worried about their wives blood pressure.
Whatever the problem, especially putting your OWN expectations upon others in a different culture, you INFLUENCE the Customer Service Experience. You are a part of the problem. I do not care if you were born here, if you spent the majority of your life somewhere else and then put your experiences up against what you find in San Antonio, you are clouding the experience with your previous life experiences.

The point I am trying to make is that making a broad statement that "San Antonio has BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE." does a DISSERVICE to all of the hardworking people out there who ALWAYS provide good service (you read a letter of a man above.
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Old 06-27-2007, 09:44 PM
 
16 posts, read 61,380 times
Reputation: 15
Topazcats
I think the people in SA are most helpful, when we arrived out of the airport
the transporter asked need directions? I ll walk you out of terminal get you started. This wouldnt happen in SF,Ca.? I feel people are open friendly.
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Old 06-28-2007, 12:21 AM
 
4,796 posts, read 15,299,397 times
Reputation: 2735
I need to stand corrected on Home Depot. I ALWAYS get great customer service when my very cute, tan, blonde 25 year old daughter goes with me!


Lowes has been high on my list until yesterday. I called ahead to be sure a certain item was in stock. It was rather bulky and somewhat heavy and in a department at the back of the store. The employee confirmed it was there ....and they had plenty. I told her I was on my way, and asked if it was possible for someone to take it customer service. She said "we don't do that!". I explained that I have a minor foot injury and if she could make an exception this time (even standing is painful at the moment!) She stood her ground and said that when I got there to go to CS, ask for her (she gave me her name) and tell them what I wanted and she would send it right up. I was slightly annoyed, but I gave in to that. When I got to CS, THREE people bent over backwards to help me (even without my daughter!) They called this employee in her department, and I could tell from the conversation this woman was playing head games......"what is it again?"...."repeat the item #"...."oh...let me check" grrrrrr....! They finally figured it out and I paid for the item and the CS desk suggested I bring my car to the door and they would bring it out!! I did that, and still waited in my car for 15 because this employee was tied up helping someone in the back!!! double grrrrrr! The other employees couldn't have been nicer. I think the problem was in hiring someone who was named after a "corn chip". I'd be cranky too.


So....CS rating for Lowes dropped a couple of points by corn chip girl, but they made up for her with three great employees! Just goes to show that CS varies even within one store.....as it does across the whole city.

I respectfully don't buy the "small town" effect. I lived in the "metroplex" DFW area for 18 years and SA beats Dallas by a long shot. You want BAD customer service? Go to the Virgin Islands....or better yet, try anyplace in France! (I LOVE both places.....just not the laisse-fare attitudes.)
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