Where has customer service gone?

I don’t want to give away my age, but I remember a time when the persons who worked in the service industry treated their customers with respect.

They realized that there was a lot of competition and customers could take their business elsewhere if they were dissatisfied. As a result, the friendly rivalry between companies contributed to good customer service.

Times have certainly changed and the companies which would normally have extended themselves to accommodate their customers’ needs are now sinking in the mire of apathy.

The Power of Social Media

Many persons who receive bad customer service usually get upset and leave without writing a formal complaint.  The new trend is to go on social media and recount the experience for everyone to read and add their comment.

These accounts of poor service are well supported and shared over the internet and can go viral in a short time. Most companies have a Facebook page and customers can go directly to the source of their complaint. Since the Facebook page is a link to attracting new customers, any complaints are usually addressed promptly.

If the company is not on social media, they  can still be alerted as if the post is shared and read by enough people then eventually the company will respond.  It helps if the customer posts pictures or videos to go along with the experience.

Bad Customer Service Affects Everyone

Companies who realize that they are getting a reputation for poor customer service are damaging their brand. Even though they may hear of the experience and try to resolve it, if they continue to treat customers poorly then eventually their sales will decrease.

Customers often become used to poor service and begin to think that such service is normal. At one popular supermarket in Kingston, cashiers leisurely cashed while the line snaked around the corner. The managers walked around aimlessly while the customers suffered silently.

Customers need to recognize the power that they have in those situations. If everyone had decided to protest the slow service by leaving then that would have gotten the attention of the managers and workers. The companies who practice poor customer service are counting on the customers who are resigned and so accept that they is nothing they can do to change the situation.

Regardless of individual preferences, customers must in a respectful manner demand good service. If this type of protest becomes a practice we will all enjoy better experiences!

What is your take on the issue?

Let me hear from you!

Teri Ann Renee Paisley

Gleaner online writer

Tags: customer service