customer service

[aquadux]

My wife and I went to our local BBQ/Weber specialist on Sunday, (we were the only customers in the store) we told the young salesperson that we were looking for a gas BBQ for our c/t.

We asked about the Weber q but were told that they had none in stock and it would be weeks if not months before they came in.

We then asked if she could recommend anything else, but were told (with a wave of the arms) this is what we have but we would probably be better off going to Rays Outdoors. The salesperson then disappeared out the back where we could hear them discussing what had happened Saturday night. Needless to say we walked out.

Is this the way sales people are taught how to deal with customers these day.

Anyway that's my whinge for the day.

Richard

[bunyip]

It is becoming all to familiar IMO.

And not just at a consumer level. At work we put 10's of thousands of dollars through a particular supplier each month, they are not unique in the market place so moving is an option. Their attitude is very much that they are doing us a favour supplying us. We stopped using them at one point and it took them around 4 months to call us and ask why!!

If a shop attendant doesn't want to take my money that is fine, I will spend it elsewhere. Very few products (that I am interested in at least) are distributed from a sole point, therefore there are options.

I am also becoming a grumpy old man (just ask LB) which is probably not helping the situation.

Bunyip

[Bird]

Is this the way sales people are taught how to deal with customers these day.

Training?? WTF?

Your on bare min wage, given all the Shit jobs, your treated as nothign more than a number, and given "walk thru the door" training - EG: walk thru the door, your now an expert.

Like ANY of the drive thru take away places, why would you give a Shit...

[MDS69]

A positive story not related to our pastime.
On Friday afternoon 2 weeks ago around 2.30pm I rang an airconditioning contractor in St Marys Sydney (Ample Air 9623 7744) and enquired about ordering replacement filter material for my ducted AC at home. I paid over the phone with CC and the helpful lady said she would post that afternoon. To my amazement I received a package on Monday morning before 10.00am with my goods. Standard postage too.
I rang them to say thanks for the great service. Not that is was a hard request but none the less.

Another
I ordered a 300W pure sine wave invertor over the phone on 28th August. They advised stock wans't due until early October but did have a small quantity coming via air freight to fill orders until their large shipment came in. 7th September was the due date in their possession.
6th September I get an email saying my order had been dispatched and the next day I received it.
www.wallcann.com

[GeeTee]

Aquadux, I'm sure the person who has invested the hundreds of grand to set-up this store will appreciate a polite phone call from you to say how this lack of service must be hurting this business. Owner/operators really appreciate the feedback...often they don't know there's a problem as staff are always 'on task' when the boss is on-site 

[bunyip]

Customer service is what won Express Tools and Campers our business when buying a KK.

Peter and Winton were fantastic, could not spend enough time going over things, telling us what they felt was value and what was not really required.

There are still some people out there with great customer service, I have just noticed an increase in bad customer service recently.

For me two things are important:
1. The customer is not always right, tell me what I need to hear not what I want to hear.
2. Under promise and over deliver. I would much prefer to be told the wait is 3 weeks and have it come in two, than the other way around because they feel I will go elsewhere.

Bunyip


Bunyip

[aquadux]

Aquadux, I'm sure the person who has invested the hundreds of grand to set-up this store will appreciate a polite phone call from you to say how this lack of service must be hurting this business. Owner/operators really appreciate the feedback...often they don't know there's a problem as staff are always 'on task' when the boss is on-site 

A not so pollite e-mail was sent to the owner of the company last night.

Training?? WTF?

Your on bare min wage, given all the **** jobs, your treated as nothign more than a number, and given "walk thru the door" training - EG: walk thru the door, your now an expert.

Like ANY of the drive thru take away places, why would you give a ****...

I would like to think that people still have some pride in their work even if it is a drive thru take away place

Richard

[bussoboy]

its a vicious circle, you pay crap wages you get crap staff, you pay better wages you put your prices up to cover said wages and people go and buy it cheaper on ebay

Retailers really cant win anymore.........  but when you come across good service in a store make sure the powers that be are aware of it

[Bird]

its a vicious circle, you pay crap wages you get crap staff, you pay better wages you put your prices up to cover said wages and people go and buy it cheaper on ebay

Retailers really cant win anymore.........  but when you come across good service in a store make sure the powers that be are aware of it

Bingo.

[McGirr]

You do not need big money or training to be polite and courteous when serving or helping someone.

I have worked in sales all my life and its common sense to be polite and listen. The trouble is the young people today have a different idea of what service is.

Working in realestate I am stunned at the lack of service sellers put up with. Never hearing from their agent for months, poor communication etc. And these are supposed to be so called professional agents. 

Mark   

[Mallory Black]

Politeness and Courtesy, they are qualities a person brings to a sales job.
if they don't have those they can do themselves a favour and take on some non-customer facing work.

But hang on.... a Weber specialist who says they can't get their hands on a Q for weeks/months?
there's got to be more to that!  Good on you Aquadux for telling the owners.

[bussoboy]

i sorta expect bad service if i go to kmart, big w etc etc (but sometimes i'm suprised), but going to a specialist i expect quality service and often i am dissapointed

having said that, the service we got from the staff @ hogs breath cafe in clarendon on sautrday night was top notch

[xcvator]

I have been in service supply both as a plumber and machine operator and to be polite, courteous,and helpful costs me NOTHING, but customers come back year after year. It's got nothing to do with how much you get paid, it's your attitude and mentality. Even little things like " you want a bag for that" or " would you like a bag for that " can make a big difference, so even if the person is on their first day at the job there is no excuse for bad service even if you know nothing about the product.Do the very best that you can on the day for that situation and 99% of the time every body is happy.
     

[Kit_e_kat9]

This hangs on my wall ... just in case I forget it.

A Customer is the most important person ever in the business ... in person, by mail, by fax or over the phone.
Customers are not dependant on us ... we are dependant on them.
Customers are not an interruption our our work ... they are the purpose of it ... we are not doing them a favour by serving them ... they are doing us a favour by giving us the opportunity to do so.
A Customer is not an outsider to our business ... but an essential part of it.
Customers are not cold statistics ... they are the flesh and blood human being with feelings and emotions like our own, and with biases and prejudices.
A Customer is not someone to argue and match wits with.  Nobody ever won an arguement with a s Customer.
Customers are people who bring us their wants.  It is our job to handle them profitably to them and to ourselves.

I think BBQ's Galore (and a million other places for that matter) need this mantra to be said by each employee prior to starting work.  I'm sure it would start to sink in after awhile.

Kit_e

[bussoboy]

This hangs on my wall ... just in case I forget it.

I have "if you want good employees, be a good employer" hanging on my wall

[RobM]

Reading this thread reminded me I hadn't contacted Ovesco re: customer service.

This is the post I just made on their web site  ( saves telling the story twice)

"A quick thankyou for excellent customer service. While researching light weight hinges one of your salespersons took the time  to weigh a hinge for me and when I couldn't find the ball ends from the gas struts I purchased from you, ( probably lost by me), one phone call and Toby had 4 more here in Townsville within a couple of days.
That level of service is what gets Ovesco bookmarked in the "favourites".
Regards"

I might add they didn't even charge for the strut balls, and have always been helpful over the phone.
Just a shame there wasn't more like them.

RobM

[bussoboy]

on the other side of the coin, we just had a would be customer come to the counter pre fired up, swearing and carrying on and demanding a discount etc etc.........when will people learn, if you want to be looked after, a smile and manners will get you a hell of a lot further than attempting to bully staff........needless to say he left with his money still in his pocket because we refused to give him anything off the RRP and we let him know why - Sydney Tools are welcome to scum like him

[GeeTee]

A not so pollite e-mail was sent to the owner of the company last night.

I would like to think that people still have some pride in their work even if it is a drive thru take away place

Richard

Done now, and your call, but why 'not so polite'?

[fishfinder]

The service factor in most industries has almost become none existent in the last 10 years and if I do come across some one who does appear to be genuine about making sure you walk away happy I always compliment them on their service. I had a problem with an insurance company from double dipping in my bank account for $1300 + dollars, I contacted them was polite to them and told the person I was speaking to that I am aware it was not her that taken an unauthorised payment from my account and what can be done about getting my money back, I was told the transaction will be reversed and will receive it within 2 days was vary sorry and can not understand why this happen, but some one will contact me the next day as they do not want me to change insurance companies. So 5 days later I contacted them asking where is my money and what happened to the return phone call ? The girl said she will investigate the recorded phone call and will call me back on Monday. I made a comment about the lack of the care factor in todays world and she agreed and said she will personally call me back, as she also gets frustrated with idle promises... So it is now Tuesday and the person behind that sweet voice has just made some one else with the insurance company to see that I am not always polite, still no money still no return phone calls might have to go else where after I demand all my money back and close my policy with them.

[fuji]

You do not need big money or training to be polite and courteous when serving or helping someone.

I have worked in sales all my life and its common sense to be polite and listen. The trouble is the young people today have a different idea of what service is.

Working in realestate I am stunned at the lack of service sellers put up with. Never hearing from their agent for months, poor communication etc. And these are supposed to be so called professional agents. 

Mark   

R You still selling properties?

[aquadux]

Done now, and your call, but why 'not so polite'?

Hi

"not so polite" was probably the wrong choice of words. STERN email would have been a better post.

A response was received from the owner.

"I'm shocked is an understatement. I'm really sorry our staff have made you feel poorly on our brand.
I hope you will still consider purchasing a BBQ from us."

A pretty poor response in my opinion, no way i will be going back to this store

Richard

[Bird]

Hi

"not so polite" was probably the wrong choice of words. STERN email would have been a better post.

A response was received from the owner.

"I'm shocked is an understatement. I'm really sorry our staff have made you feel poorly on our brand.
I hope you will still consider purchasing a BBQ from us."

A pretty poor response in my opinion, no way i will be going back to this store

Richard

so what sort of response did you expect?

[GeeTee]

yeah, with Lost, I'm also keen to know what you expected! It'd be nice if he asked a little more and offered a gift of, say, a free set of steak knives

It'd be different if I got told to *** off by the CEO, but I don't think I'd 'burn' a brand because of one teenage kid 

[Mallory Black]

A great book out there by a guy called Carl Sewell, "Customers for Life" get it, read it

[Ranger07]

Have to agree there is no such thing as customer service anymore! It doesn't cost a thing to say 'hello' to someone or to do what you say ie return a phone call or follow up a complaint etc.  It is so wide spread everywhere you go.  We have recently started up our own bobcat and skip bin business and it has opened our eyes as to how the world turns from mechanics telling my husband to 'f... off' because he dared to poke his head in the workshop because the office was locked, to the local recycle concrete supplier closing the gates 3 hours early even though he knew my husband was coming back for several more loads of concrete to finish a job.  Then there's the abusive honks and swearing tirades he receives when a fully loaded 8 tonne truck doesn't go up a hill as fast as it should.  I hate to think what it's going to be like when my kids are our age. 
So much more I could say sorry for my rant!!