Cue courtesy/customer service thread.

[mina'smomma]

Sales people who say "No problem" or "have a good one" in place of please or thank you. They are not synonymous.

I should hope doing your job is not a problem. I would hate to think the service I am paying for is a problem!

And have a good what? It does give me a few seconds of wondering...good day...good life...good roll in the....? But it certainly doesn't tell me the merchant appreciates my business!

Ok I do have to admit I do say No problem to my clients when they leave, but if I don't they tend to think that they've somehow burden my day. I'm a Veterans Service Officer and I handle around 200 claims for benefits. So when a client is profusely saying "Thank you" for doing my job and just ranting on I say "You're Welcome and Have A Nice Day." the first time and then kick in the "No Problem it's what I love" after that. I feel that it reassures them that they ARE NOT a burden to me and I enjoy assisting them.

[sparks19]

Ok I do have to admit I do say No problem to my clients when they leave, but if I don't they tend to think that they've somehow burden my day. I'm a Veterans Service Officer and I handle around 200 claims for benefits. So when a client is profusely saying "Thank you" for doing my job and just ranting on I say "You're Welcome and Have A Nice Day." the first time and then kick in the "No Problem it's what I love" after that. I feel that it reassures them that they ARE NOT a burden to me and I enjoy assisting them.

That is true.... at a certain point "You're welcome" and "have a good day" gets very repetitive. Both for customer and employee. You figure in a CS job you say "you're welcome" hundreds of times a day lol..... it's only natural to switch it up a little now and then.

Plus, being on a first name basis with many of our customers.... I find it rather impersonal to give them the usual lines of "thank you" and "Have a good day". I have a very casual relationship with many of them and it seems so out of place to suddenly get very proper with them.... I would much rather wish them good luck with the project they are planning.... but I always tell everyone to have a good one or have a good day. They like it because it gives them a more personalized feeling atmosphere and not like I am just spewing out generic terms.... I am actually taking an interest in what they are doing.

[Kfamr]

Richard, crap like this is EXACTLY why I quit my job and WHY I was so miserable there.

The customers were so incredibly rude. HELLO - we have feelings too! Just because we don't wear a tie and a suit to work everyday does not make us less of a person than you!!

I have been cursed at more than one occasion from a customer - when I pride myself on customer service and trying to make the customer happy. Do I deserve to be cursed at when trying to do my job? NO.


My mom told me a story a lady had to wait about 2-3 minutes in the drive-thru, this is after I quit. The customer in front of her had a large order. She came up to the window and said "I feel like f***ing bombing this place" and went on about how horrible the service is, how rude the employees are, bleh bleh bleh. People like her make me incredibly ill and she was actually one of the reasons I spent my first 2 weeks at the new location in tears.

[Blue_Frog]

My mom told me a story a lady had to wait about 2-3 minutes in the drive-thru, this is after I quit. The customer in front of her had a large order. She came up to the window and said "I feel like f***ing bombing this place" and went on about how horrible the service is, how rude the employees are, bleh bleh bleh. People like her make me incredibly ill and she was actually one of the reasons I spent my first 2 weeks at the new location in tears.

Ugh. Thats just awful for your poor mom!
step.1. Write down license plate
step.2. Call police with bomb threat "Gee officer, a customer threatened us and our staff at the drive through, heres her car plate number"

At least phones gives you the anonimity of not having a customer directly in your face. When I still did phone support at previous companies, i dont know how often I used to get threatened over the phone ... "blah blah, i broke my stuff, its somehow your fault, and now im really angry and if you don't fix it, i'm coming to get you, i know where the office is ...". Never threaten someone who has your customer profile up on their screen if you ever want decent customer service or support again -- they do keep records of 'irates' in situations like this, and have (and i'm sure they continue to do) refused customers service for life.

[Edwina's Secretary]

INSTEAD of saying "thank you" and "you're welcome"....

First time I have ever heard good manners...i.e. "please" and "thank you" referred to as boring and impersonal...gosh...

[lizbud]

Richard, crap like this is EXACTLY why I quit my job and WHY I was so miserable there.

The customers were so incredibly rude. HELLO - we have feelings too! Just because we don't wear a tie and a suit to work everyday does not make us less of a person than you!!

I didn't know you quit your job. It must have been really bad for you cause
I know how much pride you take in what you do.

I learned long ago that I just cannot work in most "service type" jobs.Any
thing involveing face to face with a customer, forget it.Computer Prog.
was perfect, I worked at my own pace & produced a product (program)
that was used by a customer (Agency). No listening to complaints all day.

[AdoreMyDogs]

Any kind of abuse is totally unnecessary. I must say, though, to abuse anyone in the food service business is dangerous. I'd NEVER, EVER gripe at anyone in the food service business....bad things can happen to your food. It's one thing to complain if there's a problem, but it leaves you at risk of eating something really gross if you go too far. If I ever have a problem at a food joint, whether it be fast food or sit-down, I ALWAYS leave and go somewhere else. If it was a problem that needs attention, I contact corporate. Anyone who gripes at and/or abuses food service employees, you are putting yourself at risk. I would NEVER imagine getting revenge and doing something terrible to someones' food, but not everyone is as honest as me.

Abuse is bad, of course, but abusing someone in the food service business is just plain risky.

[sparks19]

Any kind of abuse is totally unnecessary. I must say, though, to abuse anyone in the food service business is dangerous. I'd NEVER, EVER gripe at anyone in the food service business....bad things can happen to your food. It's one thing to complain if there's a problem, but it leaves you at risk of eating something really gross if you go too far. If I ever have a problem at a food joint, whether it be fast food or sit-down, I ALWAYS leave and go somewhere else. If it was a problem that needs attention, I contact corporate. Anyone who gripes at and/or abuses food service employees, you are putting yourself at risk. I would NEVER imagine getting revenge and doing something terrible to someones' food, but not everyone is as honest as me.

Abuse is bad, of course, but abusing someone in the food service business is just plain risky.

LOL Gross.... good point

[sparks19]

Another pet Peeve.....

When you are VISIBLY assisting a customer and another customer just butts in with their question like you aren't even talking to the first customer.

This just happened to me lol.

I was checking a lady out at the counter and she was asking me if we had a piece of silver that was on one of our bracelets.... WHILE this lady was asking her question this other lady walked in and started talking right over top of her and asked me how much a certain piece was (even though the price was RIGHT in front of her face) I just said "I can help you with that just give me one moment to finish with this customer" and she SIGHED at me I was serving this other lady first.... and she was asking a question when this woman butted in and spoke right over top of her.

[moosmom]

I was checking a lady out at the counter and she was asking me if we had a piece of silver that was on one of our bracelets.... WHILE this lady was asking her question this other lady walked in and started talking right over top of her and asked me how much a certain piece was (even though the price was RIGHT in front of her face) I just said "I can help you with that just give me one moment to finish with this customer" and she SIGHED at me I was serving this other lady first.... and she was asking a question when this woman butted in and spoke right over top of her.

THAT is downright obnoxious. Some people just don't get it. Or plain just don't give a $^it!!!.

[dukedogsmom]

This is just a general thing but the attitude that just because they are in customer service, that gives the customer free reign on how to treat them. I swear, I'd get fired the first time someone pulled crap with me. Business owners shouldn't allow their employees to be treated like that. Here's a good website: www.customerssuck.com

[Catlady711]

Here's a good website: www.customerssuck.com

I've always loved that website! Just when I think I'VE had a bad day with the clients, I read about how bad it could be! Kinda makes me feel like it's not so bad then.

I could fill pages and pages of customer service stories (from both sides of the fence) but I'll try to limit myself...

Teachers: We also have a problem with these. One retired teacher likes to call up late in the day and say things like "I'll take an appt. at 3:15 on Thurs". What? you don't call us and tell us what time you'll take an appt. You can tell us when you'd prefer to get in and we'll do the best to accomodate you. Even if I DID have 3:15 on Thurs. open I won't give it to the guy just because of his attitude!

Late people: We have clients that like to stop in at 2 minutes to close to 'just pick up some food". Usually it ends up also entailing "just a quick question" while they are there. We end up being 20 minutes late getting to go home. Also people that call right at close time doing the same thing.

Just a QUICK question: It's NEVER a quick question. Usually it entails someone trying to get some free magical fix without having to make an appointment. Those "quick" questions frequently take up to 15 minutes to answer properly and still usually result in having to make an appt.

Barking dogs: Clients that have uncontrollable barking dogs in the lobby or check out area! It's impossible to hear the phone or carry on business with that much noise going on, not to mention it terrifies the other animals in the hospital! I recently had to leave an exam room (that had a closed door!) to request a waiting client take her dog outside until we had a room available because her dog was scaring the beejeebers out of a young puppy we were trying to work on, not to mention the receptionist had to yell in the phone to be heard and had to ask her caller to keep repeating themselves. The lady with the barking dog got all huffy because I asked her to wait outside!

Cell phones: Recently a man came in to pick up his dog from surgery, while I was getting his paperwork around his cell phone rang, so of course he had to answer it. I impatiently waited while he conversed and he just kinda looked at me like 'well so finish what you were doing'. I told him I'd finish when his phone conversation was over so I could go over the aftercare instructions with him. He said "oh that's ok, just go ahead anyways" and REFUSED to hang up his cell phone. I doubt he heard anything I was saying about the aftercare, I just hope he took the time to actually read over the written instructions later.

Cashiers: After having worked as a cashier for several years, I tend to look at the types of people in long lines, and the cashiers, before I chose one. If I see older men with a few items I'll chose that line, they tend to pay in cash and have a handy wallet. If I see a lady with a huge purse and many items I'll skip that line because they tend to wait until everything is rung up, THEN they go digging through their 'luggage' looking for the checkbook. If I see a person with one or two small kids running around I'll pick a different line, mostly the customer tends to be hollaring at the kids to behave instead of putting their items on the belt, or paying and leaving. If I see a cashier yaking alot with the customers I'll pick a different line, the cashiers like that tend to take forever to ring up items. If I see a cashier who looks frustrated or hectic I'll chose a different line, it could mean they are new and unsure of prices etc. and will take longer.

Guess I'd better stop here otherwise I could go on all night! ROFL