Customer Nonservice

Was doing a favor for a neighbor by picking up some patio furniture she had purchased at the local CVS Drug Store. When we arrived, we walked up to the nearest counter as it had an employee behind it. Unfortunately, some guy, an obvious friend of the female employee beat us there. They were having a pretty good conversation. We, paying customers, were completely ignored. Not an acknowledgement that we even existed.
Customer service in this country has sunk to a very low level. But it’s our own fault. We accept poor service at every level. It’s OK by us for a cashier to answer the phone and answer questions to a potential customer while we stand waiting. Merchandise in one hand and cash in the other. But it makes it all OK if they turn to you and say “thank you for waiting.”
While in London a couple of years ago, I walked into this small shop of English sports memorabilia. Stuff like old cricket bats and balls and other stuff I had no clue about. The lone clerk, a young girl, was on the phone having an obvious personal conversation. As our eyes met, we instantly knew something about each other. She knew I wasn’t going to buy anything and I knew she wasn’t going to get off the phone. Plus, she certainly didn’t care.
I was buying a new saddle bag for my bike and the cashier seemed a bit preoccupied, disturbed or maybe just plain angry. She was a bit curt while helping me and taking my money. But to her, all was well when she thanked me for my purchase. Yeah, that made it all OK.
Well, here’s how those three scenarios ended, where I drew the line in the sand. As the young man at CVS was walking back to the store, I asked him for the woman’s name behind the counter. The one that had ignored us. He told me and then asked if there had been a problem, since that’s why people usually ask about names. I told him what had happened. He replied that it would be mentioned to the manager.
The girl in London didn’t know one more thing about me. I was going to make her get off that phone. I looked intently at stuff in the cases and then asked if I could see something. I don’t even remember what it was. With a roll of the eyes, perfected by young girls everywhere, she told her friend something, put the phone down and came over. I thanked her politely and then moved onto the next case waiting for her to start up her conversation. Then once again, I asked to see something. She hung up the phone and I turned to the door and with a smile, thanked her just the same.
After cashier finished answering questions to the customer on the phone and thanked me for waiting, I politely said that other than leaving, I really had no choice. Then I asked if the phone had a “Hold” button and suggested that maybe it would be better to have a customer that she didn’t even know would be purchasing something be put on hold rather than someone standing there cash in hand. All with a big smile on my face.
The girl in the bike shop, poor thing, was having a crisis. I simply asked her if she was having a bad day. She replied that it was almost time for her to go home. I mentioned that she just looked a little out of sorts. She just looked at me. I hoped that it wasn’t anything serious, sweetness and concern oozing out my every pore. She ran my card through the machine. I hoped that her day would be much, much better, grabbed my stuff and left.
To quote that old movie: “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore.” Won’t you join me? Come on, strike a blow for mistreated, unappreciated and ignored customers everywhere. Be sure to kill them with kindness and then smile all the way home.