Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My son and I went shopping for a new mattress for him today. We went to four different stores, all in a 1/2 mile radius. Two of the stores had the rudest sales people!
At the first store I said, "I want to buy a bed for my son, under $XXX." The sales lady said, "Well, we only have these two. Can you pick it up?" "No, I need it delivered." She didn't look happy. "If you want to spend a little more money, there's this one." The beds weren't that great, and she was abrupt and unfriendly.
At the next store, three employees (young guys) were sitting around talking. I repeated my request. "There's a bed on the end over there - that blue one." No one got up, no one even introduced themselves! I left after only a minute. And again, the bed wasn't great.
The store that got my business was the one in which the salesman took the time to explain which mattresses were better for which sleeping habits, and he kept the choices within my stated price range. The bed frame is free, as is the delivery.
Now, before Scranton goes on a rant about corporate America and how many stores don't have enough employees, etc. (), let me say that these stores weren't busy at ALL. There was no reason for them to treat us so rudely, as if they didn't care if we bought anything from them or not.
I work in customer service, so when I am a customer, service is very important. Act as if you want my business; be friendly, take the time to explain things! And especially in this case, when I'm buying something that my son is going to spend a third of his life on for the next ten to fifteen years.
My son and I went shopping for a new mattress for him today. We went to four different stores, all in a 1/2 mile radius. Two of the stores had the rudest sales people!
At the first store I said, "I want to buy a bed for my son, under $XXX." The sales lady said, "Well, we only have these two. Can you pick it up?" "No, I need it delivered." She didn't look happy. "If you want to spend a little more money, there's this one." The beds weren't that great, and she was abrupt and unfriendly.
At the next store, three employees (young guys) were sitting around talking. I repeated my request. "There's a bed on the end over there - that blue one." No one got up, no one even introduced themselves! I left after only a minute. And again, the bed wasn't great.
The store that got my business was the one in which the salesman took the time to explain which mattresses were better for which sleeping habits, and he kept the choices within my stated price range. The bed frame is free, as is the delivery.
Now, before Scranton goes on a rant about corporate America and how many stores don't have enough employees, etc. (), let me say that these stores weren't busy at ALL. There was no reason for them to treat us so rudely, as if they didn't care if we bought anything from them or not.
I work in customer service, so when I am a customer, service is very important. Act as if you want my business; be friendly, take the time to explain things! And especially in this case, when I'm buying something that my son is going to spend a third of his life on for the next ten to fifteen years.
Okay, I'm done ranting now.
I know what you're saying Sandy. I had a similar experience in Las Vegas once. I had been thinking it over and over and decided to buy a fancy crystal chandelier for my dining room in Las Vegas. It had to hang from 18ft. and be exactly right or it wouldn't have worked.
I went into a lighting store I'd seen from the outside many times and was curious about not far from my home. I walked in. Two reps. were just sitting there chatting behind a central counter. They looked at me and said nothing. No greeting, no acknowledgment...no nada. They had a crystal chandelier that went for $3395 that was spectacular and I was tempted, but I walked out.
I drove across town through bad traffic down Maryland Pkwy to LampsPlus and found the perfect chandelier at $2000 and bought it on the spot. I was approached by a saleslady who was expert in crystal, understood the atmosphere I was searching for a chandelier to enhance, and explained the various qualities. I was thrilled! The other store lost a probable $3395, but I saved $1395 and got far better service and a nicer chandelier!!!!
SandyCo, I understand your pain. I worked serveral years in retail. I can't imagine treating customers that way, but because most retail stores are run by such competitive big corporations anymore, employees are treated poorly--in my opinion. SWD is correct. They do cut costs by cutting staff, that causes them to expect more from the employees there (available anytime, poor or no benefits, improper training, etc.) Unhappy employees means customers pay the price. It's not right. People used to be able to support themselves working retail full time. That's no longer the case and probably means the best people don't always apply.
Sorry it was a bad experience. I am glad you finally found a store with someone who still cared about service though. Hope your son has sweet dreams on his new bed. http://webpages.charter.net/connectingzone/sad/19.gif (broken link)
They get the same $9/hour whether they are nice or not. They aren't worried about losing their jobs, either. And people just don't seem to want to bother being nice unless it will directly benefit them. It's a pet peeve of mine as well. I was at the grocery store the other night and the cashier had a conversation with a friend the whole time I was checking out. We went to Ruby Tuesday and watched one hostess fiddle with her cell phone for about 45 seconds before another hostess came and seated us. Maybe the first hostess was on break, but then why stand at the hostess podium, facing the front doors? It's so irritating. I try to not shop at places that consistently provide poor customer service.
Bad customer service is one thing that sets me off. Especially if I'm going to buy something rather expensive, I expect good service.
I was at a jewelery store a while ago and I was planning on buying a fairly expensive bracelet for my girlfriend. There were 3 saleswomen there; 2 of them were quite young and one was older. The older one was helping a young couple so I decided to get one of the younger ones instead (get your mind out of the gutter). I was trying to get their attention but both were just chatting away, not paying attention to anyone. Finally I went up and asked to see a certain bracelet. Here was their response:
"Can you wait a minute, jeez".
I walked right out of the store. They could've made a lucrative sale but they were too busy yapping away to actually do their job.
But I've had numerous instances like these and it's frustrating!!
Now, before Scranton goes on a rant about corporate America and how many stores don't have enough employees, etc. (), let me say that these stores weren't busy at ALL. There was no reason for them to treat us so rudely, as if they didn't care if we bought anything from them or not.
You won't be receiving an "anti-Sandy" rant from me! LOL! As a retail superstar, I'm actually disgusted to hear that you weren't even acknowledged, must less assisted, at those stores. The only time I would disagree with you would be if this was prefaced by "I saw that the one overstressed guy working in the entire store was helping three other people simultaneously, and I got angry that he wouldn't drop everything to help me first, so I had a talk with his manager!" (as some of the customers here at Lowe's have been known to do before throwing mini-tantrums in our parking lot like spoiled a spoiled only child).
I may only earn $9/hr., but, to me, that signifies that my employer is investing in me in hopes that I'll pay off in terms of greater returns for them in the way of increased repeat business through superior customer service. Actually, I'm pleased to gloat that, as of January 2007, I'm the first "Employee of the Month" in the history of our store due to my customer-oriented philosophy. I'll admit that out of the 153 or so employees at my store, I can only name perhaps 10 that truly go "the extra mile" to make our clientele feel special for choosing Lowe's over Home Depot. The other 143 are only there to inhale oxygen and collect a paycheck, much to the chagrin of the other ten of us who have to "pick up the slack!"
Some of us have varied strengths and weaknesses. Being very physically-fit and having quick reflexes, I've found my "niche" as a loader, in which I'm primarily expected to remain outdoors during most of my shift to retrieve carts, pick up litter, remove snow, and to help customers to load their purchases into their vehicles. Now, on the other hand, I don't know DIDDLEY-SQUAT about recessed lighting, laminate flooring, masonry products, etc., so when someone approaches me in the parking lot while pushing carts and asks me "How do I rewire my home?" I nearly wet my pants in terror! LOL! Nevertheless, I don't take the "Home Depot" response of "That's not my department" and walk away. I take the customer to a specialist in that area and try my best to act as a liasion by relating the customer's inquiry to that specialist in hopes of a favorable outcome in which the store is able to sell a product and the customer leaves somewhat enlightened and ambitious about their project. Nevertheless, I still end up with an occasional person who will roll their eyes at me and sigh because "I should know how to do that because I work here." Well, then, let me ask something to those customers. As a, per se, hostess at Denny's, do you know everything there is to know about how trans-fats detrimentally-affect your health? Do you, as an auto mechanic, know how to replace a fuel filter on a Maserati? Do you, as an accountant, know all of the standards established by GAAP that Enron violated? No matter where you work, you're always learning something new, and you'll never truly "master" your field. As such, it's IDIOTIC to assume that the kid pushing carts into the building is going to be an expert on rough plumbing, but, nevertheless, I still keep a smile on my face and try to help that customer to the best of my ability.
Getting back to mattresses (sorry, I'm just back from an 11-hour shift so Lowe's is still fresh on my mind), I'd be ecstatic with excitement to see a customer walk into my relatively-lifeless store where I'm sitting listening to my co-worker drone on and on about their cat's urinary tract infection for a half-hour (actually happened to me in the break room recently!) I'd view that customer as being a potential sale, which would bolster our store's net income, which would raise our company's net earnings per share, which would potentially increase the dividend I'd receive from my employee stock-ownership plan! Now, at a place like Lowe's, in which thousands upon thousands walk in and out of our busy store alone on a typical day, one lost transaction may not seem like much, but to that little mattress store in the strip mall, it could mean the difference between getting a $0.25/hr. annual raise and being laid off due to sluggish sales!
Last edited by SteelCityRising; 01-28-2007 at 07:51 PM..
Reason: Typo
I've had so many experiences with a lack of customer services that I actually say 'thank you for being so pleasant, etc.' to anyone who remotely cares to assist me! And that reminds me, I'm sending an email to a corporate office when I finish this because the lady in the deli was so nice, helpful, fast and had a smile!
I've had so many experiences with a lack of customer services that I actually say 'thank you for being so pleasant, etc.' to anyone who remotely cares to assist me! And that reminds me, I'm sending an email to a corporate office when I finish this because the lady in the deli was so nice, helpful, fast and had a smile!
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for probably being the first person I ever came across who acknowledged good customer service and expended the efforts to call management afterwards to boost the employee's morale! At my store when I go above-and-beyond, all that people do is shove money in my face, (which I'm not allowed to accept), so I'm forced to refuse it. Instead of trying to tip me, why don't some of you call 1-800-44LOWES and recant your pleasant shopping experience that was further enhanced by yours truly? You'll be surprised to learn that positive comments about the company are EXTREMELY rare, as most utilize the service to kvetch about poor customer service. I suppose that's the trademark of our society though---Look for the bad in everything (as I've learned in being forced to battle both the "anti-Scranton" crowd and the "anti-gay" crowd on a constant basis).
I speak from my heart here too. I can still recall Black Friday 2005, in which I had to work the morning shift and decided to venture out later on in the day to do some shopping. By this time, all of the unemployed bums in this country who don't work on Black Friday for some reason or other (note my bitterness...LOL!), had already snatched up most of the bargains. I walked into Kohl's hoping to land a Magic Bullet for my sister's new home, only to find an empty display. I asked a nearby stock associate, who was about my age, if he knew if they had any more in the back, and instead of shrugging, going "I dunno", or saying "That's not my department" (as many of my retail peers are inclined to do), he actually consulted someone else, learned they were sold out, and then proactively took me to fill out a "rain check" for the sale price when the item would be back in stock. He never rolled his eyes, sighed, or seemed impatient, even though I inadvertantly seemed to have interrupted him from a pallet of something or other he was about to stock. I was floored with happiness! I made a point of it to contact the store later on that day to call the manager and express my appreciation for that employee's efforts in helping me with the sold-out Magic Bullet, and I can only hope that my compliments were echoed by management to this young guy. I realize that what he did would have been "normal" customer service a generation ago, but in this era of big-box corporate avarice, even "average" customer service is difficult to come by.
They get the same $9/hour whether they are nice or not. They aren't worried about losing their jobs, either. And people just don't seem to want to bother being nice unless it will directly benefit them. It's a pet peeve of mine as well. I was at the grocery store the other night and the cashier had a conversation with a friend the whole time I was checking out. We went to Ruby Tuesday and watched one hostess fiddle with her cell phone for about 45 seconds before another hostess came and seated us. Maybe the first hostess was on break, but then why stand at the hostess podium, facing the front doors? It's so irritating. I try to not shop at places that consistently provide poor customer service.
Human interaction is a "two-way street" though. Just the other day I saw a woman struggling to push a flatbed cart full of flooring tiles up an aisle while heading back to punch out for lunch, so I grabbed the cart for her and pushed it up to the registers. I decided that my lunch could wait an extra two minutes, so I stood there while the transaction occurred. Just as she was being handed the receipt, her cell phone rang, and it sounded like her boyfriend was on the other line. She went around in front of me while I pushed the tiles behind her. I followed her to her SUV, loaded in her tiles (ensuring to evenly-distribute the weight to the best of my ability), and even took a glance at her tires to see if the suspension seemed overburdened. Nevertheless, I just closed the back hatch, grabbed the cart and headed back to the store, as she yammered on the phone the entire time, not stopping once to even say "Thank You" for postponing my much-needed lunch break to assist her. Then again, people in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre seem to have cell phones permanently affixed to their heads; I even see most are now going with those new Bluetooth clips! How you could not at least acknowledge me was very disheartening. I could have just as easily passed her out in the aisle, punched out for lunch, and then rested my muscles, knowing full well that, as our store's only loader, she'd be struggling out there to lift those heavy tiles herself (probably shattering half of them as she attempted to lift the boxes with one hand while chatting to her boyfriend with the other). Customers are often just as distant, inconsiderate, and rude as employees are, so this, as I said, is a "two-way street."
If it were up to me, I'd push for a nationwide effort to shun big-box stores in favor of traditional Main Streets of specialty shops, but, in this era of loving urban sprawl, that probably will never occur.
Last edited by SteelCityRising; 01-28-2007 at 08:12 PM..
Reason: Typo
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
), let me say that these stores weren't busy at ALL. There was no reason for them to treat us so rudely, as if they didn't care if we bought anything from them or not. 
LOL! Nevertheless, I don't take the "Home Depot" response of "That's not my department" and walk away. I take the customer to a specialist in that area and try my best to act as a liasion by relating the customer's inquiry to that specialist in hopes of a favorable outcome in which the store is able to sell a product and the customer leaves somewhat enlightened and ambitious about their project. Nevertheless, I still end up with an occasional person who will roll their eyes at me and sigh because "I should know how to do that because I work here." 
Then again, people in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre seem to have cell phones permanently affixed to their heads; I even see most are now going with those new Bluetooth clips! 
