Last week I posted on Facebook about bad customer service.  It's one of my pet peeves.  

I work at a service based company.  Without the customer we are dead.  And I took those incoming phone calls for 3 years.  And you know what?  The customer is always right.  Even when they are not (because we all know that happens), you surely treat them as though they are.

Before Christmas I popped in to Office Depot near work to pick up some envelopes for mailing scarves.  I was very patiently standing in line waiting for the only available cashier to become available.  Another employee walked by and opened a new register.

“I can help you over here.”

Wonderful, they opened another line.  I like it! 

Then the phone rang and my cashier answered it.  Then proceeded to talk on the phone about ink cartridges the entire time he was ringing up my envelopes.  And then!  When it was time for him to tell me my total he pointed at the display on the register.  

Excuse me???!

So I gave him a look and paid and got the heck out of there without being asked if I would like a bag. (which of course I didn't need one so no.  Thank you though.)  He didn't speak one word to me the entire transaction.

I didn't know Office Depot had self serve checkout.  Well they should.  So the attendant watching the 4 kiosks can talk on the phone about ink cartridges all day and won't need to actually interact with their customers. 

I would rather have waited in line for 3 more minutes and have a cashier who paid attention to the customer than have a cashier complete my transaction quickly and not say one word to me.

My point?  If you work face to face with customers, make them your business.  Because if I'm not spending my money in your store, I'm spending it somewhere else.

*****

There is a Maverik gas and convenience very near work.  They have a decent salad when I'm feeling lazy or when the day is getting away from me.  Plus, being a convenience store, Maverik is the perfect solution to my junk food cravings.

Except there are these 2 ladies who work there.  And they are awful.  They act like ringing up your selections are a huge inconvenience.  

Like she was just taking a nap and I woke her up to ask where the bathroom is.  

And I want to reach across the counter and shake them both.

Their attitudes make me think twice about walking in there.  I'm a generally happy and cheerful person.  I make a point to look them in the face, say hello, be cheerful, and speak clearly.  They act like they want to kill themselves.

I walk in cheerful, spend 2 minutes inside, and walk out crabby.  Ack!  I try not to let two gas station workers have that much power over my attitude.  But it happens every time.  They are the vinegar to my sugar.

My point?  If you work face to face with customers, have a good attitude.  Or get a new job.

And the worst part about this whole thing?  Both these places are so convenient that I keep going back.  It's about time I break the habit.

Cheers!

M