Other than the fact that I don't sign up for store credit cards so I can Save 10% Today! - and then carry a healthy monthly balance - I'm a relatively attractive customer.
If I decide not to purchase an item, I put it neatly back where I found it.
I don't complain about waiting in line, and rarely return merchandise.
I'm an even better customer at restaurants. If the food is edible, I consume it and then tip well.
There are only a few things I expect in exchange for my legal tender: to be given accurate information, to be able to speak with a live person if I call with a question and to be acknowledged when I'm conducting a transaction rather than be stared at as if I'm an imposition.
I'm hardly old-school, but lately I've found fewer and fewer businesses providing these simple courtesies.
Little connection
In a world of steadily increasing pressures, manners have gone by the wayside. Prior to mind-numbing commutes, gated communities and the phenomenon of Kato Kaelin, guests were traditionally honored in the home. Now modern society tends to view guests as a nuisance.
This attitude carries into the business world as well and is costing businesses significant profits. A survey conducted a few years ago by Public Agenda, a nonprofit research organization, showed that 46 percent of the respondents reported that bad service drove them out of a store.
Considering that it costs five times as much to attract a new customer as it does to keep an existing one, you might expect businesses would make customer service a top priority. Cutting costs by trimming staff and skimping on proper training are popular tactics to win fickle Wall Street's affection, but in the long run, companies are alienating their most valuable asset: the hard-earned customer.
The deterioration of customer service starts with the lack of training for new hires. Retail stores are notorious for having legions of clueless neophytes patrolling the floor. Such employees are no more knowledgeable about their products than the average customer. The only difference is they're armed with nametags.
When I worked retail, I would hear questions asked with little hope of the correct answer coming back. Ask "Does this shrink much?" and you'll have a 50-50 chance of getting the right answer. Ask a male teenager with blue hair, "What size booties will fit my co-worker's newborn?" and your odds go down considerably.
Most retail employees have about as much connection with their store as you do, and oftentimes less.
No double-checking
Another sector where I've witnessed customer service deteriorate is food service. This industry probably has the highest employee turnover, and its chaotic environment makes it prone to miscues and errant information.
I remember a classic "Seinfeld" episode wherein Kramer and Newman discover a fat-free yogurt shop. Dozens of visits to the shop have expanded their waistlines, and after doing some investigating, they finally discover that the yogurt actually contains fat. The owner of the store simply relied on no one checking.
In the same vein, it's quite possible the decaffeinated coffee you're ordering is actually caffeinated, and vice-versa. The low-fat salad dressing you requested might not be as low-fat as you'd hoped. After all, the FDA isn't scheduling a visit to your favorite restaurant any time soon.
At least the "Seinfeld" proprietor paid attention to his customers. There's nothing more annoying than staring at an empty counter of a restaurant that promises food that is fast. And then having someone poke their head out of the back, only to disappear in hopes that you will, too.
Complacency at its most contagious
As companies continue to downsize while expecting employees to meet revenue expectations, service will only get worse. However, the abundance of appalling customer service does have a silver lining.
Complacent, unmotivated employees are just as likely to turn their back on the company they work for as they are on you. If you make a complaint, they will do anything to get you out of their hair so they can be complacent again.
Apparently they're following the new business model that companies have instilled, which features a hands-off approach toward customers - unless it's to encourage them to sign up for store credit cards.
Chelan David can be reached at needitor@nwlink.com.
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