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Harold Mansfield
03-15-2017, 06:08 PM
So I go to the supermarket deli counter yesterday.

They told me they were closing and couldn't serve me anything unless it was prepackaged.

I asked the guy "What time does the deli close?"
He says: "8 p.m., unless we're short staffed, then it closes at 7 p.m."
I say, "So there's no real schedule?"
He says, "Yes, we close at 8. But we're shutting it down at 7 today because there's only 2 of us"

I say, "but it's only 6:30. That math still doesn't add up".

Every time I've ever gone there, there's ALWAYS only 2 people working. No matter how busy it is, there's rarely more than 2 people behind the counter.

He could have just said, "Yeah, we just close it whenever the hell we want", AND THAT would have made more sense to me.

Totally ridiculous.

Owen
03-15-2017, 10:26 PM
So I go to the supermarket deli counter yesterday.

They told me they were closing and couldn't serve me anything unless it was prepackaged.

I asked the guy "What time does the deli close?"
He says: "8 p.m., unless we're short staffed, then it closes at 7 p.m."
I say, "So there's no real schedule?"
He says, "Yes, we close at 8. But we're shutting it down at 7 today because there's only 2 of us"

I say, "but it's only 6:30. That math still doesn't add up".

Every time I've ever gone there, there's ALWAYS only 2 people working. No matter how busy it is, there's rarely more than 2 people behind the counter.

He could have just said, "Yeah, we just close it whenever the hell we want", AND THAT would have made more sense to me.

Totally ridiculous.
I wish I could do that at work.

Krich
03-15-2017, 11:49 PM
Does the corporate office know bout this???

Might be fun to drop them a line and let them know they are turning away paying customers and watch the you-know-what roll down hill. :cool:

Harold Mansfield
03-16-2017, 01:29 PM
Does the corporate office know bout this???

Might be fun to drop them a line and let them know they are turning away paying customers and watch the you-know-what roll down hill. :cool:

Situations like this I'm always caught between reporting it, and asking myself do I really want to get the workers in trouble? I mean I go there all the time, I've gotten familiar with the people who work there. I know it's probably crap money, especially for an adult.. is it worth the hassle? Especially since it will probably change nothing. Also if I worked there, I can definitely see myself trying to get the hell out of there as quick as possible when ever I could.

Which is strange because I'm usually quick to make a stink about shoddy service.

It's an interesting thing to observe though. I find that it's easier for me to just walk way, thinking to myself how ridiculous it is that they are costing themselves money like that, and now knowing that I can't depend on them to be open when they say they are, that I'll probably go elsewhere in the future to avoid making a wasted trip.

Is my 2 or 3 orders a month enough to make a difference in the bottom line? Are there more people who have come to the same conclusion and spend less there now? How much is that over the course of the year?

So then I apply that to my own business and that of my clients.

How many people see something wrong like that either in your customer service or on your marketing materials and never say anything, they just don't spend money with you and you never know that you lost them?

Would I want people to tell me? Absolutely.

But I'm also kind of a jerk and think that if a business is that nonchalant about the consistency of their service that they deserve the consequences of those actions.

Krich
03-16-2017, 01:51 PM
In the interest of helping others (other customers getting crappy service), as well as in the interest of what's good for society in general... this should be reported to corporate.

Otherwise, deadbeats are being paid to be slackers on the job when someone who is willing to do good work and do what's right is not able to take the place of these slackers.

Not saying "hate" the slackers (these days, they claim if you as much as disagree with someone you are a "hater" which is a guilt trip by slackers to get people to not say anything so they can continue to be slackers and overall crappy human beings!)

Give me the store name and address and I'll get in touch with corporate and remind them that their competition is higher good people that desire to do the right thing and by having slackers on the job it makes the leaders of the company incompetent.

I'm sure they would like the opportunity to not be incompetent leaders ;) I know I would if I were in leadership of that company... I'd fire that back side and get me someone who wants to do the right thing.

Of course I'm an old guy so I'm sure the young folks are rolling their eyes right about now thinking "but, it's my RIGHT to be a slacker and still get paid" which is total BS...

Bobjob
03-16-2017, 02:24 PM
"Yeah, we just close it whenever the hell we want"

Deli guy: "And now that you are here (looks down at watch-looks at you) we're closed."



I just read one on the internet that irks me. Not sure if it counts as customer service or not. When I'm already doing business with a Company for years and they offer a great deal to new clients.

SumpinSpecial
03-19-2017, 08:14 AM
I'm sure they would like the opportunity to not be incompetent leaders ;) I know I would if I were in leadership of that company... I'd fire that back side and get me someone who wants to do the right thing.

Of course I'm an old guy so I'm sure the young folks are rolling their eyes right about now thinking "but, it's my RIGHT to be a slacker and still get paid" which is total BS...

I have the opposite opinion from my near-30 year career in corporate America. My experience is that management won't want to hear any negativity, even phrased as constructive criticism. "You don't have the whole story" "there are reasons for that" and worst of all "my team is fantastic thankyouverymuch so shut up and get out" I've always encountered more defensiveness in management/executive levels than at the "worker bee" level.

I would prefer to know also, so that I could fire slackers and hire competent people who won't ruin my company. But you'd be surprised how many people only care about themselves!

turboguy
03-19-2017, 09:53 AM
Some people really do appreciate suggestions of how to improve their business and others really think they know everything even if they don't.

I know in my business I not only like to hear criticism but try to analyze it to see if there is something more in what they are saying that could lead to a product or service improvement. Many of the best changes we have made have come from a very casual (or sometimes not so casual) comment from a customer.

This subject made me think of a comment I heard ages ago when I was 22 or so and was at the National Hardware Show which was held in NY at the time helping out in one of my suppliers booths. One of the other reps made a suggestion to the companies sales manager. Since I was also in the field I realized the suggestion he was making was a really good one that with little investment could have an excellent impact on sales. After making the suggestion the rep who had made it went to get a cup of coffee and the sales manager turned to me and said "We hire our sales people to sell what we make not to tell us what to make." I lost a lot of respect for the sales manager with that comment.

Krich
03-19-2017, 11:09 AM
Well... there's always social media! :cool:

One could start a whirlwind of bad publicity for a company and their slacker employees which would force them to do something since the public will be laughing at them and shopping elsewhere. If it's a company with shareholders and/or investors... that should get some action since it can hit them in the pocket book.

Of course that could be an issue for someone blowing the whistle publicly as we've seen companies file lawsuits against those that speak "negativity" against them so it helps to do some things anonymously.

Or, when we realize how we treat others is eventually going to be how others treat us... we can know that those that don't treat their customers right will eventually receive the trouble they deserve.

And, they claim (some study done back in the day) that a happy customer will only share their happy experience a few times, but an unhappy customer will go out of their way to share their unhappy experience many times so there's always that.

Harold Mansfield
03-19-2017, 12:39 PM
I've actually gotten good responses making complaints on social media. Generally most companies have someone manning Twitter and will message you. Many times I've actually gotten faster service on Twitter.

This isn't that big of a deal to me. I just thought it was an example worth sharing.

Krich
03-19-2017, 01:10 PM
Well, it is kinda a big deal from the viewpoint of trying to help others... not only helping the general pubic (customers), but also helping the company so they don't end up losing sales and have to start laying people off.

Customer Service is everybody's business either directly or indirectly.

Unless it's the government... cause after all, it's not like you have competition in that arena. :rolleyes:

That could be helped if it were easier to fire government employees that are slackers... but if you do that, they'll be riots in the street by all the slackers who will suddenly find the energy to protest while having little energy to do good work at their jobs, if they even have one seeing it's a career choice these days to be on welfare.

But, what can ya do??? It's the nanny state and somebody has to change their cupcake diapers and wipe their snowflake noses :p

I feel sorry for the younger generation coming up, I really do...

Harold Mansfield
03-19-2017, 01:26 PM
Unless it's the government... cause after all, it's not like you have competition in that arena. :rolleyes:

That could be helped if it were easier to fire government employees that are slackers... but if you do that, they'll be riots in the street by all the slackers who will suddenly find the energy to protest while having little energy to do good work at their jobs, if they even have one seeing it's a career choice these days to be on welfare.

But, what can ya do??? It's the nanny state and somebody has to change their cupcake diapers and wipe their snowflake noses :p

I feel sorry for the younger generation coming up, I really do...


Woah, easy there. You just went off on a tangent about Government which is not what this conversation is about. Please refrain from the political commentary and dog whistles like 'snowflake'. This isn't Reddit or Twitter.

And we'll promise to get off your lawn :)

Krich
03-19-2017, 01:57 PM
The conversation is about bad customer service and I doubt anyone would disagree that when dealing with most any government agency (federal, state, or local) one can confidently expect... bad customer service.

It was just another example... and most of the folks that work in these places are shall we say "tender" ;)

Harold Mansfield
03-19-2017, 02:23 PM
The conversation is about bad customer service and I doubt anyone would disagree that when dealing with most any government agency (federal, state, or local) one can confidently expect... bad customer service.

It was just another example... and most of the folks that work in these places are shall we say "tender" ;)

I can think of many occasions when I've dealt with a federal, state or local government agency and have gotten good service. It's not an across the board thing. I think we take for granted how many government services run so smoothly that we don't even notice them. It's easy to pick on low hanging fruit at say the VA, TSA or the DMV, but to say across the board all government is inept is unfair and not true.

And I say that using my public school education, as I type on my computer that's plugged into the wall and isn't blowing up or electrocuting me. On the internet. Eating food that isn't making me sick. Watching TV and don't have to shield my eyes from pornography. Drinking water that doesn't kill me. Later I'll go to the store and spend money that has value from my bank account that is secured, and insured, and I'll get there on smooth well planned roads, where none of the cars are using leaded gasoline, and are following basic traffic rules, and I can be reasonably sure most are licensed.

Business Attorney
03-22-2017, 10:48 PM
This is slightly different but earlier today I read responses to a question on Quora asking whether servers pass along "compliments to the chef" comments. Several people in the food industry, after answering the posted question, made a further point of saying that most chefs would rather hear complaints than have not know that there was a problem. That makes sense because it is much better to change a recipe or change the menu before you find yourself faced with empty tables during what should be your busy hours.

Harold Mansfield
03-23-2017, 02:50 PM
I worked in the restaurant industry for years and yes I always passed along feedback to whoever it was for. I've never worked in the back of the house, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that it's a thankless job. It's hot, servers complaining all the time, everything is a rush and you never get to hear the feedback of when things go right and people are pleased. So yes, whenever there was a "compliments to the chef" I always passed it along cause those guys need to hear it from time to time.

cbscreative
03-25-2017, 02:01 PM
I too was a server for a few years. I never envied the line cooks but both establishments I worked at had great teamwork between the cooks and servers (and managers). For sure, any compliments were passed on.

WarrenD
03-31-2017, 03:47 AM
I usually get good mobile signal reception at my home. A couple of years ago, it suddenly went bad. There were areas of my house which were completely without a signal so naturally I contacted customer care. They said some tower had gone down and it would take 3 days to get it fixed. I thought fine, I can wait for 3 days. But nothing happened. When I called up again, the customer care guy once again extended the deadline for resolving the issue. This went on for nearly 3 weeks. At the end of it, the guy was curt enough (or courteous enough, depending on how you look at it) to tell me that this was a long term issue and would take much longer to fix & that I should just switch to another company. Naturally, I was angry and I did what he said! But not before I splashed it all over my social media accounts! Then some senior guy from the company called me and tried to win me back, but by then it was too late.