member for 1 year 23 weeks
Remember when customer service meant service provided for you by a person that was more than happy to serve you? More and more, customer service means you get to serve yourself. In technical terms, that means "self-service".
What is better? Customer service or self-service? The answers I've received are "Oh, it's way faster than waiting for a store clerk to show up to wait on you", "it's confidential" and "it's accurate".
Kiosks have popped up all over the place, allowing you to mail and ship packages, order food, pick up dry cleaning or prescriptions, check out library books, rent a video or DVD, check into a motel or hotel, pay water bills, parking tickets, newspaper subscriptions, and some banking.
YOU NEVER ASKED TO DO ALL OF THIS
We've been adding jobs to our daily lives ever since self-serve gas pumps took the service out of the service station. Years ago, I used to buy gasoline from a particular gas station because the guy that was pumping gas was to die for, I mean, what a hunk!
Now days, we check ourselves in at the airport for flights, either online or at a kiosk. About forty (40%) percent of us do our banking online. Did we really ask to do all this work?
POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE
A recent survey by WSL Strategic Retail Group discovered that most of us would rather not be our own "customer service representative".
Companies know that we value our time and money. It may be difficult to believe, but back in the mid-1970s people were very hesitant to use Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) when they first were offered to the public by major banks. However, they caught on, and now, instead of racing to the bank before closing time, you can get cash on your own time. Plus, the majority of banks charge ATM fees.
Gas service stations persuaded us to pump our own gas, thus saving us money (usually a discount of a few pennies) and having our hands reeking of unleaded fuel.
It used to be, "we will give you something extra or a discount for doing self-service, now, if you don't use self-service, we will charge you extra for having a real, live person assist you".
I think that most customers and consumers would rather have real, customer service, than self-service all the time. Great customer service can really make or break a business. I would prefer to call a company with a question and speak to a real, live person, than pushing telephone buttons, and listening to a recorded message.
A great motto was from Marshall Field's State Street Store in Chicago, which was simple, "Give the lady what she wants". Cheers! I agree!
Comments
Login or register to post a commentThis is so true. Where has
This is so true. Where has customer service gone? The funny thing is that when you find people you really like who go above and beyond the call of duty and take care of you, you go back! I would rather pay more for great service then to payless and ad more for me to do in my already hectic life!
Fantastic thoughts, great post!
so true
Most of the time I do not mind doing self service. In fact, I prefer it. But when I need an actual person to interact with, I am almost always disappointed.
I was at O'Hare today. I passed by the Welcome to Chicago booth. There were two ladies there that seemed so pissed off that they were there. While pointing to a kiosk about 25 feet away, I asked if that was where I could call a cab. One of the ladies nodded her head yes, but did not make eye contact. After using the kiosk, I went back to tell them that one of the stations wasn't working. She looked at me like I was saying the stupidest thing in the world. I do NOT want people visiting Chicago to have these representatives of Chicago their first impression of our awesome city.
Customer Service
Thank you, tuki22 for your response. As for the two ladies at the O'Hare Welcome to Chicago Booth, they should be reported to the Office of the Airport Management and the City of Chicago Public Relations Department. See, this gives a bad image to one of the greatest cities on Planet Earth, Chicago.
I hope you were not deterred by these two very disinterested people, as Chicago is home to some of the most friendliest people, sports, great restaurants, shopping, museums, the list is endless.
Ellen R. Day
Customer service
Great article.
Your readers might want to try www.Measuredup.com a leading customer service review website where people share reviews with other users and with companies. Companies that are involved with and value customer service read Measuredup to keep up on what people are saying and to be able to improve customer service.
Your disputes could be resolved using MeasuredUp if the company you reviewed reads your review or another consumer could give you advice. When you have good things to say a company could reward you.
It is free and easy to use and your info is private.
I have tried some other sites that are also good but really like this one.
Spot On!
You're completely right! The worst is when you REALLY need to speak to someone because, for example, your internet connection DISconnects. I can't stand calling the customer "service" number, just to get frustrated as a computer tries to translate and then reply to what I tell it (and all the while i'm still w/ out the service i called for).
Very True about No Customer Service
Very true, companies just don't take pride in appreciating business. It all starts at the top. As they always say, if momma is sick, everybody get's sick.
"Where Success Is Created Together"
Joboja.com and Joboja.blogspot.com
Great Thought
I completely agree with your comment, "that it all starts at the top!" Something to chew on and remember in day to day business with clients, customers, friends, family............
Two-sided coin
I completely agree, but there is, of course, another side to this story. We've also seen a sharp rise, in recent years, in out-of-control, demanding, and just plain rude customers.
I worked in a bakery while I went through massage school, and prided myself on providing superior, friendly service, but some of the people who came in were just obnoxious! We live in an era where convenience is a top priority for most people, which has eliminated a lot of the niceties that were involved in the customer-clerk interactions I remember from my younger days.
If you've worked in customer service, you know how difficult it can be, and it puts a new perspective on your own interactions with service people. Just recently, I was making some changes to my phone bill, and I took a few extra moments to speak to the operator's manager to describe how helpful she'd been to me. He put the details in her file for her next review, she got a self-confidence boost, and I put a few points in the karma bank. Win-win-win.
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Maddie