At The Counter

Wednesday, December 8, 2004 11: 25 AM

It seems that for some time there has been a serious declined in the quality of customer service you get at the counter. This includes retail, food and other establishments where you interact with someone to pay for a service in person.

Rebecca and I immediately recognize a negative experience without saying a word to each other during the transaction. We just feel it. Later we often end up talking about it. I would say that we tend to stay away from establishments and stores that have consistently negative experiences.

On the other hand, we recognize positive experiences immediately. Sometimes we have conversations at length about how great an employee was or how wonderful that experience was. Usually it is the simple things that have the biggest impact. I would say that we tend to frequent establishments that have consistently positive experiences.

Lately it seems we've run into some negative experiences. Here are a few trends in customer service that really bug me:

• Employees who are sick at the counter. Not only are these employees sick, but they usually complain about it as they prepare your food or hand you back change. Seriously, if your employee is sick and their job it to prepare food or interact with customers, SEND THEM HOME.
• Employees who chat with other employees during transactions. Somehow they feel their make out session the night before is of interest to the general public at the counter. I cannot tell you how many times I have been helped at the counter without any acknowledgement while two employees chattered like chirping birds back and forth. Many times I'm left to look at the register total myself and grab the right amount of cash. It gets even worse if you attempt to interrupt this chat session -- because then you become the "rude" customer. It's a lost cause and a good way to lose customers
• Employees that are completely disengaged. Yeah, your job may suck and I may not be that handsome of a customer, but at least put a smile on your face and pretend you are happy that we can enjoy a 30 second symbiotic relationship where we use one another to get what we need (me food, you a paycheck). And for the love of all that is holy, do try to "serve" the customer once in a while. I am not your enemy, I am your friend.

Customer service inaction. This past weekend we called in and ordered some pizza from Papa John's. A large one-item pizza was $12.99. When we arrived to pick it up, I learned that the "special" was a large three-item pizza for $9.99. I politely asked the girl behind the counter to give me the $9.99 price. She said should couldn't because I had a ONE item large - not THREE.

I calmly asked her why I would pay more for less. She looked very confused. I explained to her that I was about to pay $3 more for a pizza the same size as the special with two LESS toppings. Why would I do that? She said that the computer wouldn't let her change the price. I told her to tell the computer it was a three topping pizza.

"But it's not," she said.

Then in a hushed tone I said, "Yeah, but you and I are the only ones that know that. The computer doesn't."

I was about ready to make her go put more toppings on the pizza, or put them in a plastic baggie or something just so it would all make sense to her.

I told her that I wasn't being cheap -- I just wanted the transaction to be fair for me. If other people are walking in and getting the same pizza with three toppings for $9.99, then why should I have to pay $3 more for only one topping. That's just not fair.

She reluctantly changed the price and completed the transaction by giving me one of those, "I hope you never come back -- your logic is no good here" looks.

But this is a classic example. I started it all off very politely and made an argument for my case. Instead of seeking to serve the customer and think...she simply chose to ignore my situation and hold to the party line. I didn't get sarcastic until later on, when the logic of the scenario wasn't making sense to her. Finally, I had to become that rude customer that we all hate. So we both ended up with a negative experience. Perhaps the blame here lies not in the employee, but in the nature of the deal itself. Rather than $9.99 for a large three topping pizza, it should be $9.99 for a large pizza, up to three toppings. Either way, the net total of the experience was negative.

For the record I worked retail in a former life. I know what it is like. I know it sucks sometimes. But there is still no excuse for poor customer service. Ultimately I believe businesses with an exceptional customer service experience backed by solid products and services will always beat poor customer service with similar products and services.

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