what has happened to customer service???? (store, deal, grocery, cashiers)

[Caa]

Just a vent folks....we live in Baton Rouge and when we moved here years ago, we thought the people were the friendliest we have ever met, very courteous and kind....well all that has changed! We actually moved from south Florida for many reasons, one of which was the people down there were rude and impatient, but that was only one reason. Anyway, when I was a kid, in the late 60's the customer service people always agreed with the customer, apologized for having a customer wait, just very nice and friendly service. Today at a local subway, my husband ordered a sub and at the end of the line said "just vinegar please." WEll the food person started loading up his sub with oil, not vinegar...when my husband said"i am sorry, I just wanted the vinegar" the food lady, in a nasty tone said to him"well you SAID oil and vinegar and did not even try to re make his sub, or aoplogize for anything and my husband, not wanting to make a scene, took it ok and paid for the sub. really people....this is only one incident, I can name many many more. anyway, is this the new trened, or is it just this area that has the nasty people, just a question! It just seems that anywhere we go these days, the cashiers etc do not even nod and say hi, I know darn well that they used to because I remember!

[Pitt Chick]

"what has happened to customer service????"

Sounds like you husband did not want it!
I would have politely said that the sub was not as I ordered. Either they make it right or I walk.

Your husband took it and paid for it... so that is teaching them that whatever they do is okay with him.

[Pruzhany]

Originally Posted by Caa

... is this the new trend, or is it just this area that has the nasty people, just a question! It just seems that anywhere we go these days, the cashiers etc do not even nod and say hi, I know darn well that they used to because I remember!

For the South its sort of new. In my view it started a little over ten years ago and only seems to be this bad in the densest of counties/cities. Go to the bordering smaller counties and the people are very different. For your area the further you get away from 10 or 12 the nicer people get. In my area, the further I get away from 95 the nicer people get.

[Hemlock140]

Far too many people working retail and fast food don't want to be there, they were desperate for a job and feel it's beneath them. It's by no means exclusive to your area, but is more common in more populated areas where there were a lot of good jobs but then in 2008-20010 many layoffs.

[katie45]

IF a CSR is rude to a customer and mgmt does nothing about it; then I also blame those in charge for enabling lousy service to continue.

When I called a local grocery store and informed the manager that one of the cashiers had been unduly rude during the transaction, his response was that 'there wasn't much he could do about it'. I stated that employees who are not taking their job seriously should either be counseled or replaced. He then stated that if he did that he would run out of employees. LUDICROUS! There are enough unemployed people begging for work to replace ineffective workers. I think that many managers/owners are just to lazy to go through the hiring process to find another person, and/or don't want to deal with bad employees. . . but that is one of the things they're being paid to do.

[Kim in FL]

Originally Posted by katie45

IF a CSR is rude to a customer and mgmt does nothing about it; then I also blame those in charge for enabling lousy service to continue.

When I called a local grocery store and informed the manager that one of the cashiers had been unduly rude during the transaction, his response was that 'there wasn't much he could do about it'. I stated that employees who are not taking their job seriously should either be counseled or replaced. He then stated that if he did that he would run out of employees. LUDICROUS! There are enough unemployed people begging for work to replace ineffective workers. I think that many managers/owners are just to lazy to go through the hiring process to find another person, and/or don't want to deal with bad employees. . . but that is one of the things they're being paid to do.

You're talking about entry level jobs that a monkey could be trained to do, what do you expect? If you want better customer service, go to a nicer store. As for your manager, he was probably a snot nosed 20 something making less than 30k a year and doesn't care.

Subways around here are all privately owned and the OP should've requested a) new a sandwich or b) the owners name and number. When you hit people in their wallet, their attitudes tend to change.

[katie45]

Originally Posted by Kim in FL

You're talking about entry level jobs that a monkey could be trained to do, what do you expect? If you want better customer service, go to a nicer store. As for your manager, he was probably a snot nosed 20 something making less than 30k a year and doesn't care.

Subways around here are all privately owned and the OP should've requested a) new a sandwich or b) the owners name and number. When you hit people in their wallet, their attitudes tend to change.

The 'rude' person was a cashier at a local grocery store who was in her 40s (guessing her age) and had worked there many years. The manager was in his 50s (again, guessing his age). I have no idea what the salary range is for either of those positions, however I doubt there were entry level wages. He just didn't want to deal with the situation.

[Pitt Chick]

LOL! Might be his wife!

[SnowdogGirl]

getting back to caa's original comments, i agree with you about the trend in customer service. my adult sons and i talk about it from time to time. my eldest works for UPS and in spite of the horrible management practices - he is always cheerful, upbeat, and goes out of his way to help UPS customers. I believe that part of the issue is how people are brought up. My mother was a working single mother with a strong work ethic which she taught to me and I taught my sons the same thing when they got their first jobs... which is not to say we all don't get grumpy and have off days sometimes. As business managers become younger, I believe that the fact "work ethic" is no longer part of the person's early education shows in how people are treated. One store with marvelous customer service is the Publix market at Brown's Bridge in Cumming. Every time I go in, everyone and I do mean every store employee I pass smiles and says "hello, are you finding everything you need?", "can I help you with anything". I marvel at it and think "This store manager has given his employees the low-down on customer service." I've stopped shopping elsewhere. Enough of my soapbox....

[katie45]

Originally Posted by Pitt Chick

LOL! Might be his wife!