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What Customers Want From Customer Service
By JLP | July 21, 2009
Interesting article over on MSN about what customers want from customer service. Their list:
• To be greeted promptly—whether in person, on the phone or via a quick-loading Web site.
• To have concerns addressed with sensitivity and efficiency—with eye contact if the exchange is person-to-person.
• Clear communication from people who know what they’re talking about.
• Individualized solutions rather than cookie-cutter responses that apply to one and all regardless of unique needs or circumstances.Bottom line: Customers want to be treated like they’re important and valued.
Here’s what I want from customer service:
• A smile – A smile goes A LONG WAY!
• Friendly service – I hate feeling as though I’m inconveniencing them by shopping in their store or going through their checkout lane.
• No talking with other employees and ignoring me. – I don’t want fake attention but I don’t want to be ignored either.
• People who move slowly no matter how busy the store is. – I get so tired of watching kids walk around like they are 90 years old. If they wore pants that fit, they could move faster…lol.
The article mentions that people don’t like waiting. I don’t like waiting either but I can handle it if I think the employees are doing the best they can. That could be because I worked in the grocery business for nine years and was on the receiving end of people’s discontent with waiting.
I do think one area where most companies could improve customer service is with their phone systems. How many times have you heard, “Please listen carefully as our menu options have changed.” What does that mean? It loses it’s meaning when EVERY business you call has the same recorded message.
Topics: Miscellaneous | 17 Comments »
July 21st, 2009 at 11:57 am
Hear, hear!!
what about when you catch an error the cashier made (or the store) and they go about processing your refund with a grumpy frown, no apology??
July 21st, 2009 at 1:29 pm
In my opinion, customer service is a role that all employees share, not just the person that happens to be manning the ‘customer service’ counter that day.
For example, my home builder supply company has amazing customer service. They don’t expect their customers to know everything about home building, but the customers do expect that of the employees — and they deliver.
July 21st, 2009 at 4:27 pm
Unfortunately, it is difficult to have great customer service these days as consumers don’t seem to want to pay for it.
Most consumers talk a good game about wanting great customer service, but will forgo service with a smile to save a few dollars everytime.
July 21st, 2009 at 4:31 pm
You can have:
1) Low Prices
2) Good Customer Service
3) Quality Goods and Services
You can only pick two…
July 21st, 2009 at 4:35 pm
russ: I’m sure you jest — those three items are not mutually exclusive. Sounds like all that is needed is some competition if a company is not delivering on all three fronts.
July 21st, 2009 at 4:44 pm
Russ,
I don’t think that is true at all. By your thinking, I should expect service at Wal Mart to be worse than service at Kroger because they are cheaper than Kroger.
I think it is much more about training and management than anything else. Just because you pay someone more money does not necessarily make them a better employee.
July 22nd, 2009 at 7:24 am
Ok…not that this is an excuse…but how often is the blame on the other end?
I was recently in a store checkout line (a long one, at that) and there were two customers in front of me that had major attitudes! They were inpatient and rude and, from what I observed, the cashier was doing an awesome job. So, maybe customer service isn’t the best because customers aren’t the best…just a thought.
July 22nd, 2009 at 7:52 am
Beth,
You make a good point. I’m not excusing customers. But, it has to start somewhere and maybe customers have been trained to expect the worst.
I worked retail for a long time and I have found that MOST customers are friendly and respond nicely to a good attitude. That’s been my experience.
July 22nd, 2009 at 8:20 am
My pet peeve: Calling company XYZ’s phone system. Typing in my account number only to have to repeat it again when a human gets on the line.
July 22nd, 2009 at 9:22 am
We went to the beach this past weekend for a 4 day weekend vacation. We went to a newer shopping center thing right on the beach, facing the beach, lots of restaurants and very nice.
We walk into a pet-item store (toys, collars, leashes, etc.). It is empty except for one lady behind the counter working on a computer. She doesn’t greet us as we walk around her empty store.
Two more people come in behind us. No greeting.
Five people come in behind them. The small store is now full. No greeting. No sales pitch. No, “if you need help with anything just let me know.”
Nothing.
I almost walked up to give her some pointers, but figured she must be a part-time worker and could care less.
July 22nd, 2009 at 9:42 am
I work part time at a high end department store. My job used to be fun – but now they are hiring LAZY people – people with no sense of urgency – no common sense – nada. It seems as though some people don’t want to think – they just want to clock in and out and collect a pay check at the end of the week. It puts more pressure on those of us who do care – we end up doing our jobs plus picking up the slack for the goof offs. Customers have received exceptional service somewhere and that becomes their standard and the hold everyone to it. I do not blame them – I do the same thing.
I do get tired of customers grumping because things are made in China (or Peru or Vietnam) – yet they don’t want to pay enough for that same shirt that a person in the US could make a living producing it. Sorry – but Russ has a good point. It shouldn’t be that way, but the more we trend toward socialism, the more it is going to be that way.
July 22nd, 2009 at 11:24 am
In a competitive environment where everything is commoditized, it is nearly impossible to have great customer service, low prices, and quality goods/services.
In general, most places that have bad customer service have low paid customer facing employees whether it is the surly cashier at your grocery store or a guy named “mike” in a call center in India who can barely speak english.
Companies make these decisions because consumers will not pay the extra cost needed to hire employees who are pleasant. It simply cannot be done.
Like I said, we talk a good game about wanting better customer service but will trip over ourselves to save 50 cents. Often times, it is that extra 50 cents that is paying to ensure you have a good experience.
July 22nd, 2009 at 1:03 pm
I worked for Sam’s Club for almost 8 years. I can honestly say customer service was my top priority. I didn’t care if the customer was an ass or if they were as sweet as could be. I treated them all the same. I actually probably worked harder on the ones that were rude and nasty to see if I could turn them from the dark side.
When I shop now, you better damn well treat me like you’re happy I’m there, because I’m paying your wages. That’s the bottom line. I don’t care if you run in to rude customers or if you don’t even want to work that day. Leave your troubles at the door and treat each and every customer like you would want to be treated. I CAN’T STAND IT when I’m the one to ask “How are you today” when going through a checkout.
The bottom line to me is that if you don’t want a job and can’t be happy with what you have then get the hell out.
July 22nd, 2009 at 1:07 pm
RIGHT ON LITTLE BRO!
July 22nd, 2009 at 6:05 pm
There is a (nameless) fast food company that I absolutely refuse to go back to. I have not been to any of their franchises in over 10 years due to a string of bad customer-service experiences: basically screwing up the order in the drive-thru, repeatedly.
That company might have the best prices, and the highest quality goods, and I still would refuse to go there, ever again, for life.
What good is it having high quality products and prices, if the employees just are not actually capable of putting them into the bag?
The reality is, the company with poor customer service, hence bad management, likely has poor quality products as well as higher prices. Since all are related to being badly managed.
July 23rd, 2009 at 9:17 am
I would add to the MSN list:
Do not try to sell me something when I’ve come to you with a service issue. USAA is becoming notorious for doing this.
July 23rd, 2009 at 2:53 pm
I have to agree that many people will trade customer service for a lower price, but in many cases customer service is the only determining difference in where to shop. In my case, I find myself increasingly drawn to stores, restaurants, web sites that have good customer service. Saving a dollar here or there only to be aggravated by rude, surly, indifferent, or non-existent service is a losing game that I refuse to play.