Scratching an itch. We all have theories. Some issues have two reasonable, legitimate sides. Not this one. We all know it. It's gotten worse. Won't change until we (the customers) do something about it - meaning, spend our money elsewhere. I read of an incident that rings true in my anecdotal world. A waiter arrived at a table, saying nothing, and looked at one of the diners at a table for six while holding his "device." That person gave him their order as he pecked away. A glance on to the next, and then the next, and then the next. Tap tap tap. No words spoken, no interaction, no specials conveyed, no suggestions. Come on people. I want to say it's abnormal but I'll be nice and say it's "unusal." Join me. No tips when you order standing up (at the register). Tips need to reflect service, not be a reflex. It's up to us.
Tips for everything these days. Also, the QR code thing is nuts—you expect me to tip the waiter when all they do is walk the food to my table? On the other hand, I’d hate to be a waiter in one of those places. Feeling like customers need to tip me out of pity or something. Maybe we should abolish QR codes in restaurants?
The service bar is extremely low which creates great opportunities for those who are willing to not follow the trend. Being successful has never been easier so observe, work hard, and take advantage of it!
I think this probably is true, generally, increasingly over time, especially after COVID. But I still encounter particular companies (ex. Lowe's) and particular franchise locations (the Dunkin Donuts near my parents' house) with consistently great customer service. I am also extremely loyal to Ally Bank after I had an issue with my debit card, called their customer service line, and had a team of real human beings resolve my issue quickly and sympathetically. I do think that quality customer service still pays dividends for companies in a competitive market, especially one that is increasingly saturated with robo- and AI-generated call centers.
I also think there is a general cultural shift toward social anxiety, or lack of social awareness, where customers are less kind to their cashiers and servers, and therefore it is not reciprocated. It may be a toxic cycle that you, as a divergently nice person, are the unfortunate bystander of.
Also, let's play out the alternative, where we require college degrees, U.S. citizenship, or high wages for retail workers - are you sure you wouldn't complain about the resulting high prices of groceries?
I agree that companies with good customer service have an edge over those without it. I just don’t think there are many companies that do have good customer service—not consistently, at least. A handful of locations that go above and beyond are heartening, but they don’t account for much when the rest of the companies have bad service.
I also agree about the social anxiety part, though I’m not sure it leads to customers being rude. That may be the case for separate reasons. And you did see a spike in incidents in airlines post-pandemic, for instance, where passengers had to be escorted off the plane because of how they behaved toward flight attendants. But actually, I think the increased social anxiety has led people to be less confrontational, which I think has further led to people not being willing to, say, ask for a restaurant to remake a mistaken order. Or maybe I’m projecting.
As for the alternative: One thing I neglected to say is that the places with better service do typically have higher prices. It’s a trade off that you may or may not be willing to live with. For many day-to-day shopping decisions, I’m willing to put up with poor customer service in return for cheaper goods. But I do enjoy getting good service, even if it means I have to pay more for it. And I don’t think it has anything to do with the educational attainment of the staff. I think citizenship is more of a neutral thing—as I wrote, I’ve seen both citizens and non-citizens provide bad customer service.
What I’m advocating instead is an attitudinal shift. We need to care more about service and about getting better at our jobs. This means managers at these stores need to actually care about the service they are providing and make sure that their new hires are trained well. They can fire people who don’t provide good service and promote those who do. The actual steps involved aren’t that complicated. It’s putting in the work that’s the challenge.
I think a lot of this stems from an increasingly small pool of job candidates. Many managers are stuck with inconsiderate employees (or untrainable ones) because they have no other options to choose from. You hire someone and hope for the best!
G, I had to laugh when you were describing your shopping experiences, I think we are shopping and dining at the same places! It is just as you described! Thanks G, it makes me feel better knowing it’s not just me experiencing these things! :)
Scratching an itch. We all have theories. Some issues have two reasonable, legitimate sides. Not this one. We all know it. It's gotten worse. Won't change until we (the customers) do something about it - meaning, spend our money elsewhere. I read of an incident that rings true in my anecdotal world. A waiter arrived at a table, saying nothing, and looked at one of the diners at a table for six while holding his "device." That person gave him their order as he pecked away. A glance on to the next, and then the next, and then the next. Tap tap tap. No words spoken, no interaction, no specials conveyed, no suggestions. Come on people. I want to say it's abnormal but I'll be nice and say it's "unusal." Join me. No tips when you order standing up (at the register). Tips need to reflect service, not be a reflex. It's up to us.
Tips for everything these days. Also, the QR code thing is nuts—you expect me to tip the waiter when all they do is walk the food to my table? On the other hand, I’d hate to be a waiter in one of those places. Feeling like customers need to tip me out of pity or something. Maybe we should abolish QR codes in restaurants?
The service bar is extremely low which creates great opportunities for those who are willing to not follow the trend. Being successful has never been easier so observe, work hard, and take advantage of it!
I think this probably is true, generally, increasingly over time, especially after COVID. But I still encounter particular companies (ex. Lowe's) and particular franchise locations (the Dunkin Donuts near my parents' house) with consistently great customer service. I am also extremely loyal to Ally Bank after I had an issue with my debit card, called their customer service line, and had a team of real human beings resolve my issue quickly and sympathetically. I do think that quality customer service still pays dividends for companies in a competitive market, especially one that is increasingly saturated with robo- and AI-generated call centers.
I also think there is a general cultural shift toward social anxiety, or lack of social awareness, where customers are less kind to their cashiers and servers, and therefore it is not reciprocated. It may be a toxic cycle that you, as a divergently nice person, are the unfortunate bystander of.
Also, let's play out the alternative, where we require college degrees, U.S. citizenship, or high wages for retail workers - are you sure you wouldn't complain about the resulting high prices of groceries?
I agree that companies with good customer service have an edge over those without it. I just don’t think there are many companies that do have good customer service—not consistently, at least. A handful of locations that go above and beyond are heartening, but they don’t account for much when the rest of the companies have bad service.
I also agree about the social anxiety part, though I’m not sure it leads to customers being rude. That may be the case for separate reasons. And you did see a spike in incidents in airlines post-pandemic, for instance, where passengers had to be escorted off the plane because of how they behaved toward flight attendants. But actually, I think the increased social anxiety has led people to be less confrontational, which I think has further led to people not being willing to, say, ask for a restaurant to remake a mistaken order. Or maybe I’m projecting.
As for the alternative: One thing I neglected to say is that the places with better service do typically have higher prices. It’s a trade off that you may or may not be willing to live with. For many day-to-day shopping decisions, I’m willing to put up with poor customer service in return for cheaper goods. But I do enjoy getting good service, even if it means I have to pay more for it. And I don’t think it has anything to do with the educational attainment of the staff. I think citizenship is more of a neutral thing—as I wrote, I’ve seen both citizens and non-citizens provide bad customer service.
What I’m advocating instead is an attitudinal shift. We need to care more about service and about getting better at our jobs. This means managers at these stores need to actually care about the service they are providing and make sure that their new hires are trained well. They can fire people who don’t provide good service and promote those who do. The actual steps involved aren’t that complicated. It’s putting in the work that’s the challenge.
I think a lot of this stems from an increasingly small pool of job candidates. Many managers are stuck with inconsiderate employees (or untrainable ones) because they have no other options to choose from. You hire someone and hope for the best!
G, I had to laugh when you were describing your shopping experiences, I think we are shopping and dining at the same places! It is just as you described! Thanks G, it makes me feel better knowing it’s not just me experiencing these things! :)