Do retailers know anything about customer service

littletiger

Am I totally off the wall in saying that customer service sucks in Ireland?

Example: I was at a supermarket checkout where two female ckeackout assistants were talking across the customers infront of me about what one of them have gotten up to the previous night. She never said please or thanks when the customer handed over their money.

Surely if a manager is worth anything they would not allow this to happen?

My name is URL

Did you complain in the shop by any chance?

TheZohanS

littletiger wrote: »

Surely if a manager is worth anything they would not allow this to happen?

Unless someone complains to a manager they can't be pulled up on it.

Did you complain to a manager?

AckwelFoley

Was my name mentioned my any chance?

c_dog

i agree with you, i worked for dunnes stores as a customer service operator. i myself was polite and worked hard but as for the other people who worked there i found them rude and they didn't seem to give a ****

AckwelFoley

My name is URL wrote: »

Did you complain in the shop by any chance?

Dont be stupid.

AH is a much more effective means of venting dissatisifaction

drunkmonkey

I hope they washed their hands before handling your sweets...:pac:

littletiger

c_dog wrote: »

i agree with you, i worked for dunnes stores as a customer service operator. i myself was polite and worked hard but as for the other people who worked there i found them rude and they didn't seem to give a ****

The first two asked did I tell a manager. As you have worked in the industry - would I have achieved anything if I had reported it?

TheZohanS

littletiger wrote: »

The first two asked did I tell a manager. As you have worked in the industry - would it have achieved anything if I had reported it?

Reporting it to AH won't achieve anything but reporting it to a manager would.

AckwelFoley

littletiger wrote: »

The first two asked did I tell a manager. As you have worked in the industry - would I have achieved anything if I had reported it?

Yes.

A little bit extra in your coleslaw next time you went there.

Thats why i never complain about the food in a resturant.

Einstein

littletiger wrote: »

The first two asked did I tell a manager. As you have worked in the industry - would I have achieved anything if I had reported it?

yea it would.

If my staff did that they'd know all about it. Customer complaint = verbal warning tbh.
I'm not a v nice boss.

Schism

Good old Irish, don't report something to anyone that might be able to do something but be sure to moan about it to friends. (no offence OP, we all do it.)

thelordofcheese

littletiger wrote: »

Am I totally off the wall in saying that customer service sucks in Ireland?

Example: I was at a supermarket checkout where two female ckeackout assistants were talking across the customers infront of me about what one of them have gotten up to the previous night. She never said please or thanks when the customer handed over their money.

Surely if a manager is worth anything they would not allow this to happen?

As powerful as they are, managers are not allowed to reach into the minds of customers and remove their ridiculous sense of entitlement.

Mores the pity.

littletiger

betafrog wrote: »

The lack of customer service in Ireland has a lot to do with too many customers being self righteous cünts. After a while of trying to be polite and courteous you get tired of being treated like utter shîte and start treating the customers the same why. It's a 2 way street. If you expect respect try showing some.

How was standing there saying nothing and being spoken across being rude. Do you like your job? I think you are one of the people I am talking about. Can you define a self righteous c*** in the context of the issue I raised and please define the term c***

Poor Uncle Tom

thelordofcheese wrote: »

As powerful as they are, managers are not allowed to reach into the minds of customers and remove their ridiculous sense of entitlement.

Mores the pity.

No, but they're allowed to reach into the pockets of customers and remove ridiculous amounts of their earnings though.

F*ck em, power to the people, complain with your feet, shop elsewhere.

littletiger

thelordofcheese wrote: »

As powerful as they are, managers are not allowed to reach into the minds of customers and remove their ridiculous sense of entitlement.

Mores the pity.

Surely they are entitled to being served in an efficient and mannerly way?

Einstein

littletiger wrote: »

How was standing there saying nothing and being spoken across being rude. Do you like your job? I think you are one of the people I am talking about. Can you define a self righteous c*** in the context of the issue I raised and please define the term c***

this is AH...no defining here...
boob talk maybe...

My name is URL

littletiger wrote: »

Surely they are entitled to being served in an efficient and mannerly way?

You chose not to say anything to the only person that could do anything about it, the manager

entitlement waived tbh

Wertz

Agree 100% OP....had a similar experience just last week in my local Dunnes...two till operators and a manager having a chat as they do. I walk up with my basket, get virtually stared through...the girl operating my till decides to start rabbiting on about her "pho-in" and how she switched to whatever comapny for free texts...the manager walking away shouting back over his shoulder about what package he was on...my only interaction with the girl on the till was being barked at did I have a clubcard.
It's pretty disheartening walking out of a shop after dropping 40 quid and not even getting smile or feckin' hello, thank you, or a goodbye.

To those saying complain to the manager...lol. All that gets you is smiles and apologies and the minute you're out the door it's "Who was that dry sh*te?".

The trouble is we never complain...and because of that when we do it's ineffectual because it's just seen as someone being cranky or unreasonable...heaven forbid shop staff treat customers with a little manners, in return for our patronage...more over customers are seen as some sort of passingf inconvenience for a lot of staff, or at least that's how it comes across...

bakkiesbotha

What can a manager do about this? He can't turn back time and make it better. And if he pulls the checkout girl up on this specific incident it will just result in the OP receiving even worse treatment next time he is at the same checkout. Either sullenness or sarcastic, exaggerated politeness.

His job is to be on top of these girls all the time, riding them hard.

ejmaztec

snyper wrote: »

Dont be stupid.

AH is a much more effective means of venting dissatisifaction

Customers shouldn't take it from these till-scum and should always carry a revved up chainsaw when they go shopping.

Many's the time that I've seen body-parts hanging on meat-hooks in Tesco car-parks.

Another satisfied customer.

TheZohanS

Next time it happens OP drop your shopping and walk out.

Poor Uncle Tom

bakkiesbotha wrote: »

........His job is to be on top of these girls all the time, riding them hard.

:eek:

Any vacancies for managerial positions?

K4t

The customer is always right.

Thread/

littletiger

betafrog wrote: »

I didn't say you were being rude. I said that after a while of being treated like crap you will starting acting the same way.

In the way that you assume that all retailers know nothing about customer service a retail worker is gonna start feeling like everyone is a dick if they start getting treated that way. You say that they never said please or thank you. When I worked in retail I went out of my way to say please and thank you and heard it back on average 10% of the time. When I worked in retail every second customer would assume you were there to screw them for every penny they had and would become very animated about it.

What's more, the whole Eddie Hobbs and EU Trade Laws craze that has sweeped the nation means that a large number of customers suddenly think they're god and will make it known to you at every possible opportunity. Can't tell ya how many times I heard the phrase "I pay your wages", and before you give out about my Customer Service skills I was awarded for my "skills" several times and have a copy of a letter sent to a previous manager praising my service. Thankfully I only ever did retail part time but I can very easily see why someone would stop caring if they had to do it as their career (no offence to does that do).

Agreed if people are being knob heads then they should be treated as such but until that fact is established people should be dealt with in a professional and friendly manner.

Wertz

littletiger wrote: »

Agreed if people are being knob heads then they should be treated as such but until that fact is established people should be dealt with in a professional and friendly manner.

Exactly. Until I or any other customer starts acting like a dickhead, do we not deseve the benefit of the doubt?
I'll always make it my business to say please or thank you and treat staff in a dignified way (who honestly likes doing this sort of work or thinks it's easy?)...but I'll be damned if I'll keep doing it in the face of ever increasing ignorance and indifference to the customer...

Abi

TheZohan wrote: »

Next time it happens OP drop your shopping and walk out.

Bang on. I've dumped clothes I was going to buy into a managers hands over the same kind of shyte, and told him exactly why I wasn't buying the stuff. If a shop wants you to hand over your cash, then they'd better keep their staff in line. That was nearly a year ago now I'd say, when people could have their choice of jobs. If the OP is talking about a recent incident, not only are the staff incompetent at their jobs they are pretty fcuking stupid too. The way things are at the moment, they could be replaced in a nano second for someone far more competent and happy to have a damn job.

thelordofcheese

Abigayle wrote: »

Bang on. I've dumped clothes I was going to buy into a managers hands over the same kind of shyte, and told him exactly why I wasn't buying the stuff. If a shop wants you to hand over your cash, then they'd better keep their staff in line. That was nearly a year ago now I'd say, when people could have their choice of jobs. If the OP is talking about a recent incident, not only are the staff incompetent at their jobs they are pretty fcuking stupid too. The way things are at the moment, they could be replaced in a nano second for someone far more competent and happy to have a damn job.

No. Not really.

But as long as you feel better about yourself, that's cool.

AckwelFoley

When i go to a supermarket i have a simple checklist of what i value as a good store.

Good produce.
Good Prices
Decent Parking


People that are on tills in these places are scanning barcodes and dealing with people 9 hours a day. I'll forgive them for not breaking into conversation with me. Its not what i went into the store for. I went it for my cheap value pack condoms and refuse sack and duct tape.

If however im paying 40k for a new vehicle, i would expect the salesman to at least ask me how my day was and perhaps why im looking for an all terrain amphibious motor vehicle

Bandit12

I had a experience in Tecso in Nutgrove few weeks back not unlike the OP's. Two teens behind the checkout talking about a night out (massive it was :rolleyes:), anywho they took an eternity to serve me and i complained to the manager about it. The manager told me they where "only human and had the right to talk during work hours"....With a manager like that it's no wonder the shop is in the state it is.

TheZohanS

snyper wrote: »

I'll forgive them for not breaking into conversation with me. Its not what i went into the store for

I agree.

But the shopping eperience should be neutral at the very least, not negative as described in the OP.

If you spend €100 each week that equates to €5200 per annum. If you lose a few customers like that each week you won't be long having to cut back of staff hours.

Wertz

I don't know what you do for a living snyper (construction isn't it?) but don't tell me you haven't worked long hours and still had to put on a nice face for the client/customer; I know I have.

No-one's asking for a wee chat and a nice cup of tea...they just want to be treated like human beings, not looked at as if we're getting in the way of them leaving for the pub...manners cost nothing, a smile uses less face muscles than a frown etc.
If staff can be that arsed to keep up a convo between them whilst they scan your sh*t, is it really that much to ask them to interact in a manner that even approaches being pleasant?

Abi

thelordofcheese wrote: »

But as long as you feel better about yourself, that's cool.

Feel better for having complained about shyte service?




You bet.

thelordofcheese

Abigayle wrote: »

Feel better for having complained about shyte service?




You bet.

Well, as long as you're not deluded into think you achieved anything.

Abi

thelordofcheese wrote: »

Well, as long as you're not deluded into think you achieved anything.

I did this little "Stayin' alive" strut on the way out actually. Have you ever been complained about, per chance?

chocgirl

I couldn't care less whether the shop assistant speaks to me or not but it's nice if they at least acknowledge your presence by looking at you. The girl in our local shop regularly drops the change all over the counter if you don't have your hand out to catch it in time. She's either yapping to somebody beside her or has her head buried in a magazine.

AckwelFoley

thelordofcheese wrote: »

Well, as long as you're not deluded into think you achieved anything.

Jaysus cheese.. Some shoite into your cornflakes this morning?

Morzadec

Does anyone notice a trend that all these complaints are against places like Tesco and Dunnes, and people who speak in working-class accents?

I work in retail and I'm friendly to everyone, will always say thankyou and please etc.. even if I'm in a **** mood and really don't want to be spending my day putting numbers into a computer, cleaning up after unruly brats, listening to unruly brats scream etc...

But still I agree, if you work in retail you should at least feign politeness even if you're having a crap day. But from my personal experience of retail, there are a lot more rude customers than rude staff members.

Any argument between customer/retail worker that I have seen has been the customers own rudeness, and sense of superiority over the retail worker, who most likely dosn't enjoy their job and dosn't want to be there.

OP you have had a bad experience with retail workers, and I agree that they should make an effort to engage.

But 'the customer is always right' is a completely fucking joke of a phrase because sometimes they're rude, selp-important, angry cunts just looking to belittle you.

From my experience there are more problems with rude customers than rude retailers in this country, but that's just my experience.

TheZohanS

thelordofcheese wrote: »

Well, as long as you're not deluded into think you achieved anything.

She did achieve something. She didn't accept poor service from a shop and took her money elsewhere.

To top it all off she informed the manager, it's very simple really.

Maybe you need to read over her posts again, I don't think you get it.

thelordofcheese

Abigayle wrote: »

I did this little "Stayin' alive" strut on the way out actually. Have you ever been complained about, per chance?

I've had more than my fair share of members of the public throw all kinds of strops, swear never to come back and to tell all their friends how horrible i was. I've been accused of every kind of -ism in the book and of being part of a grand conspiracy to defraud the elderly. twice.

Ahh, the joys of working returns.

but i digress, because everytime someone did something like that, they were humoured until they stormed off and then everyone went back to not caring.

Customers are like petulant children, their bull**** is tolerated to soothe their massive egos, nobody is going to be out of a job because you complain to a manager.

snyper wrote: »

Jaysus cheese.. Some shoite into your cornflakes this morning?

Porridge, and i thought they were raisins.....

K4t

Morzadec wrote: »

From my experience there are more problems with rude customers than rude retailers in this country, but that's just my experience.

That would make sense considering there are a lot more customers than retailers.

Wertz

Morzadec wrote: »

Does anyone notice a trend that all these complaints are against places like Tesco and Dunnes, and people who speak in working-class accents?

Well of course they are...it's strange but I've never been ignored like this in the german retailers by either their non-national or Irish staff. Go down to the supermarkets in the North to see how customers should be treated.
BTW I have what people might term a working class accent...this isn't a class issue as far as I'm concerned...

sdanseo

Can we add a rule into the charter along the lines of "no ranting and raving permitted if realistically, you could have done something about whatever you want to rant about and didn't"? :P

More seriously - I will agree though that there a lot of people working in supermarkets etc who are ungrateful, rude, arrogant idiots who can't dress themseles. I worked in retail, I'm doing it again now, and somehow *shock horror* I manage to keep myself polite and presentable and not smelly either. Why others can't manage that is simply beyond me.

Tony255

myself and the OH were in tesco's doing our BIG SHOP last week and we were after putting all our stuff on the belt must have been about 150-200, the assistant watched us do it and then when it came to our turn just said "i'm closed, you will have to go to another till". Asked her if she was for real watching us put everything up before telling us and she just shrugged her shoulders, we left everything on the belt and just walked out got a bit of satisfaction knowing that she would probably have to put it all back. Will never shop there again because of that, completely drove me mental mentioned to the manager also on the way out and might aswell have been staring at a blank wall.

I completely agree with the OP as a customer I always say please and thank you and am amazed at the attitude of the people working in some stores, its like they feel like they are doing you a favor. I think the bad customer services is not just limited to retail stores only I look at places like pixmania and see the massive bad press that they seem to get here on boards (I personally had any dealing with them so cannot speak from experience).

As a retailer myself even though it is only started and completely based online I still think customer services is the most important thing. The rule of thumb it is much harder to make a new customer than it is to keep an existing customer.

There is only one way we can break this habit and that is to complain, for some reason the Irish seem to be embarassed to complain and that is why we have the customer services that we have. It drives me crazy in restaurants, etc... and I always make a point of letting them know what I think. I work hard for my money and do not expected to be treated like I am a hindrance to them.

Dont get me wrong here Ireland has some great retailers, restaurants, etc... and I do think it is getting better and these are the ones that will continue to get repeat customers.

Novella

I work in a shop and sometimes stand around having a chat. I don't actually give a fcuk about my job, it's just a part time thing until I finish college! A lot of people in retail are like this, college students just looking to make a bit of cash who couldn't give a sh!t about making polite conversation about the weather or whatever! That's prob why the service can be a crap!

In all fairness though, if a customer did talk to me, I would always talk back and be friendly I always say hello and how are you too, so I guess you were unlucky!

littletiger

Novella wrote: »

I work in a shop and sometimes stand around having a chat. I don't actually give a fcuk about my job, it's just a part time thing until I finish college! A lot of people in retail are like this, college students just looking to make a bit of cash who couldn't give a sh!t about making polite conversation about the weather or whatever! That's prob why the service can be a crap!

In all fairness though, if a customer did talk to me, I would always talk back and be friendly I always say hello and how are you too, so I guess you were unlucky!

You poor poor sod

Morzadec

littletiger wrote: »

You poor poor sod

What do you mean by that? I would agree with most of what Novella says. I'm always polite but ultimately I only work for money, don't really enjoy it all that much. Only time I do have a bit of craic is when another worker around my age is in and I can talk to them about stuff we have in common, for the most part. If a customer engages with me I will always respond but it's mostly small-talk/playing a part, i.e. terrible weather isn't blah blah etc...

Also Novella, hate to say it but you might be happy hanging onto your crappy retail job once you finish college the way things are at the minute I'm afraid

Abi

thelordofcheese wrote: »

I've had more than my fair share of members of the public throw all kinds of strops, swear never to come back and to tell all their friends how horrible i was. I've been accused of every kind of -ism in the book and of being part of a grand conspiracy to defraud the elderly. twice.

Im sure some customers do go off the deep-end, but its unfair to tar every one of them with the same brush.

Maybe I need to explain myself a little better. I don't want a conversation about the damn weather, or chat of any sort. I don't know the assistant, and they do not know me. What I do expect however, is to be acknowledged by the assistant and for him / her to say 'that will be €**.**please' before I hand over my money. Putting the change in my hand would be nice, after all I put my money in their hand.


Is that really too much to ask?

Dudess

I work in customer service and my policy is to have an extremely high standard. If people are being ***** I'll stand up for myself without resorting to rudeness, but being rude to any customer at all - even nice ones: I don't get the need for it.

Morzadec

Dudess wrote: »

I work in customer service and my policy is to have an extremely high standard. If people are being ***** I'll stand up for myself without resorting to rudeness, but being rude to any customer at all - even nice ones: I don't get the need for it.

And to be honest the best strategy to deal with rude customers is to turn up the politeness even more. Makes them look like even more of a cock, and annoys them that they didn't get a rise out of you.

But yes agree with you, if you work in retail you need to acknowledge the customer, you need to say please when you tell them how much it is, you need to say thankyou when you give change and you have to place the change in their hands. These are all very basic requirments.

I just sometimes wish that retail workers could have the same sense of righteous indignation when they are treated rudely by a customer, as a customer has when treated rudely by a retail worker.

But alas no, you generally have to smile and take their shit.

Wertz

Abigayle wrote: »

Maybe I need to explain myself a little better. I don't want a conversation about the damn weather, or chat of any sort. I don't know the assistant, and they do not know me. What I do expect however, is to be acknowledged by the assistant and for him / her to say 'that will be €**.**please' before I hand over my money. Putting the change in my hand would be nice, after all I put my money in their hand.

Ditto.

A very simple request that is being obfuscated by arguments from retail staff posting in this thread about not liking their job etc...newsflash about 0.1% of people actually get to do a job they like, and I imagine that 0.001% of those people work in retail.

I don't particulalrly like my job either, but it's what I must do in order to earn money to spend in your store...a little civility in the course of me spending that hard earned is all I realistically expect...