Cue courtesy/customer service thread.

[moosmom]

RICHARD,

Thank you!!!

I work in retail and love my job. I work in Customer Service and have met all types of people. For the most part they're all great. Here is my take on things from the other side of the counter.

I give every customer I'm helping my undivided attention. It's very rude when someone approaches me while talking on the cellphone. I don't do it and get really pissed off when people do it to me. Rather than check them out, I stand there and stare at them, chatting away, waiting for them to hang up. If they look at me like I have two heads, I say, "I'll just wait till you're finished." Most of them hang up quickly.

Then there are the people who are in SUCH a big hurry. If there is a line at the registers, I ask if I can help the NEXT PERSON IN LINE. By that I mean, the person who is NEXT. I wind up with someone who just got in line as opposed to someone whose been in line for a while. I try to be fair and have gotten the "hairy eyeball" because I didn't take them first. Oh well. Sucks to be them.

Take the "sneaker skates" that is the latest rage with the kids. Call me a 6iatch, but I very politely tell them there is no skating in the store. It takes one kid to create havoc with those things. Personally, I don't care if the parents get mad at me. They'll be the first ones to sue the store if their precious little kid gets hurt in the process.

Lately I've noticed that a lot of people are cranky, no matter how nice you are to them. I tell them to have a great day because I truly mean it (contrary to ES opinion).

When someone writes a check and it doesn't go through, don't curse me out and ask me why their check has been rejected. I'm not the bank. I don't KNOW why your check won't go through.

Returns...if you don't have your receipt, expect to produce your driver's license. Don't cuss me out and tell me it's an invasion of your privacy. It's store policy for returns without receipts. I don't make the rules, I just try to enforce them. When I get a customer that's rude, I pass the buck to a manager. I don't get paid the big bucks they do to take that kind of crap.

Our store offers gift packaging for anyone purchasing off a bridal registry. I do my best to make the package look nice and presentable. It is not gift WRAPPING, but rather a nice gift bag with tissue, tule and a card attached. I take offense when, after I've presented the package to a customer and I get, "What??? That's it???" Then they turn to their friends and say, "That's okay, I'll just re-do it when I get home."

Then there are the customers who wait till the very last minute (our store closes at 9:30 pm) and decide they absolutely, positively HAVE TO HAVE something that can't wait till the morning. They come running in to the store and end up "browsing" while we're trying to close the store. I've been on my feet all day long, I'm tired and I want to go home. When I make the announcement that we are closing and to please bring all purchases to the check out, PLEASE do so. We have families that we want to go home to as well.

I try to treat our customers like I want to be treated. You can't please everyone, unfortunately. And whoever said "The Customer is Always Right" should have his head examined. That's one saying that is taken to extreme in some cases.

Okay, I'm done ranting. You've opened a can of worms RICHARD and I thank you!! There is more to one side.

Sorry this is so long.

[sparks19]

LOL Moosmom.... I know exactly what you mean.

I remember when I worked at Tim Hortons (for those that don't know it's a coffee/donut shop and is like an institution in Canada.... people just HAVE to have their Timmy's)

there is nothing like dealing with people before they have their morning coffee

but you would not believe how many times in the drive thru (now Timmy's drive thru in the morning is usually lined up down the street.... not becuase we are slow but becuase it's just that popular.... we try to have you from the drive thru speaker to pulling away from the window in 30 seconds.... that's if you don't have an order a mile long) Anyway.... how many times I heard through the drive thru speaker or at the window "Could you hurry that up I'm late for work"

WHAT???? first off, it's not MY fault you are late for work.... perhaps you should get your priorities straight and go to work instead of waiting in line at timmy's.

Second, if you are in that big a hurry you shouldn't have order a dozen donuts, two bagels toasted one with cream cheese one with peanut butter, and a coffee for everyone you work with. I'm sorry but it takes time to put an order like that together.... I can't just snap my fingers and have it done... and I'm sure you want it done right. if I do it faster and get it wrong I bet you will be storming in that door any second to tell me what a moron I am and to tell me AGAIN how late for work you are.

GO TO WORK.

[Pam]

Richard this is a thread that is good for viewing both sides and I am enjoying it a lot.

I work for an ophthalmologist and of course my problems are in dealing with patients who do not know their insurance requirements. We make phone calls ahead of time telling them to make sure the referral has been called in to the primary doc and then, prior to their visit, go online to try to retrieve the referral. This all takes considerable time. When they arrive and get angry that they won't be seen because there is no referral in the system it is enough to make you want to pull out your hair.

We also have patients who call to make an appointment and then want a card sent out a few days in advance to remind them of their appointment. I tell them that we don't mail reminder cards but try to make a reminder call the day before but, depending on how that day is going, it might not be possible. We encourage them to keep track of their appointments themselves. I have even had patients ask me how to do this. Ummmm, buy a calendar.

[RICHARD]

We encourage them to keep track of their appointments themselves. I have even had patients ask me how to do this. Ummmm, buy a calendar.

+


LOL,

I just posted a rant about that in the "Lady dies in the waiting room" thread.


Here's another one.

I get a card to sched a woman for a gall bladder removal.

Here's a tidbit for you all looking for an operation.

A scheduler usually gets next month of openings in an operating room one month in advance. By the middle of the month that month is FULL. iIf you can call in mid month and ask for a date within the FIRST TEN DAYS OF THE FOLLOWING MONTH.

Operating room time is precious and costly. I had to get the MOST URGENT cases in......Gangrene of the foot cannot wait...I am sorry but I have to get that person in first.

A woman called in and asked for a spot, I explained to her that the month was full and if she called in 1.5 weeks I could get her in ASAP. She made sure that I knew about her situation and the prep she needed to get done..Like get her life partner to care for her. I apologized and put her card out front on the pile to make sure she got in.

From the demographic info I saw this woman was a teacher..she also made it a point to scratch out the Who To Contact in Case of Emergency and Name of Spouse boxes and write "Life Partner" and the name of the LP...


Here in CA city workers and teachers are the biggest PITAs....they think that they have priority. That and the fact that this woman made it a point to let me know she was gay..I doin't care who you bed down with, but this is important in the story...

----

A week later I get a forwarded voice mail from the boss.

THe person identifies themselves as the Gall Bladder Broad and she's spewing GALL...This "see you next Tuesday" is ranting that I haven't given her a call with a date. She has get time off work and her LP has to take time off to take care of her....and she's hinting that this is discrimination because I am a man scheduling her.

She's called the admin office and I have to go upstairs and talk to the Admin Sect. I explained the situation and she rolled her eyes and shook her head.

--------------

I went down to my desk got her a pre op appointment, her surgery dates and called her back,

This POS was so nice it wrankled my arse..

"Oh, thank you for calling!" "Oh wonderful!" "This is great....." You could hear the satisfaction in her voice.......she got exactly what she wanted.

When I finished I didn't bother to say goodbye, good luck or eff you. I hung up on her arse.

She got what she wanted by calling the boss, hospital administration and claiming that I was biased against lesbians.

-------------------

I have been held up by clerks who are too busy to help me, but I either walk out, find another person or take my business elsewhere.


My life is too short to be put off by people who dole out crappy service.

[karyn674]

Things you encounter whilst working!!!!!!

I do make-up so I meet new people most of the time. Sometimes you meet people so rude you'd like to make them so ugly!!!! Like one time this lady booked me and I went to her address and she was telling me how she adores her make up artist that she couldn't take her for this occasion of hers!.......so she booked me instead

But the worse of them all was at the theater. It was opera week-end and I had Cavalleria Rusticana if I'm not mistaken, and both me and my sis who's also a makeup artist where working in the makeup room on these Italian opera singers. At one point the wig groomer came into our room from the back door went to the sink with a wigg in his hand and started spraying a LOT of hairspray without even noticing that these people have to perfom on stage!

The guy who I was about to start was shoked, jumped on his feet and in broken English he said 'you come to my room, you come to my room' and dashed out as if he'd just met the devil.

So, slowly I gathered my brushes and other stuff that I might need and headed to the 3rd floor where the camerini of the singers where. When I came infront of the door bearing his name I knocked and a voice from inside said 'Avanti' so I opened the door to find him in front of the mirror wearing only his black undies, a black boots up to his knees and a wip in his hand!!!

I WAS PETRIFIED!

The second thing I did after scanning him from top to bottom trying to realize if i'm dreaming or not, was to dash downstairs refusing to do his make up in his room!

Some people do amaze you that is true!

I remember I was so furious at him that day I asked my sister to do his make-up cos I just couldn't, if I had the opportunity to have his face that day was only to slap him hard!

Now I look back and laugh about it!