Customer Service

[bUU]

I don;t expect everyone to speak the Queen's English...

Actually, most Indian customer service agents do speak the Queen's English. That's typically the source of the confusion in working with them: It is we Americans who do not! :)

 

I do agree with you that the technical knowledge isn't "always" there. My only point was that from my experience it is there a greater proporition of the time as compared to when I interact with US-based technical staff, or at least it is becoming the case more and more often, representing the source of the threat I alluded to earlier.

[RaffinOrganGrinders]

Forgive the rant but I woke up armed for bear this morning.

 

Go Bears! :D

[Spender Nui]

I wholeheartedly agree that customer service in general (not only cruiselines) has become very poor. I personally would rather get the satisfaction or information I am after than a lip service "thank you". Let's face it we've become accustomed to, and for the most part accept, medicore service.

 

 

I do not totally agree when it is said the first line person does not have the authority to grant what is requested.

 

 

This does not pertain to cruiseline (in particular) but more to retail.

 

My pet peeve:

 

I go to any/every/whatever retail outlet. I select what items I wish to buy. I go to the cash register. I pay the cashier the sum requested. AND THEN I WAIT TO HEAR THANK YOU. I am so sick and tired of these rude, arrogant, unpleasant cashiers who positively REFUSE to say thank you to a customer. I have looked them in the eye and said "You're Welcome"....it being obvious at that point I expect to hear a Thank You. They will stare me down. I will ask for them to say, Thank you. They will refuse. They certainly have the ability to extend 'customer service' to include saying Thank you to a customer.

 

I actually had one of them challenge me by saying....You don't like it; go complain to my boss. It shocks me their arrogance. She then continued to add......They need me here more than they need you. They have trouble hiring enough cashiers. So, if you leave, they don't care.

 

She doesn't quite understand if all the "me's " that visit that store no longer come, they won't need any workers at all. But IMO all the stores are equally bad in this respect, so what choice is there. One must go to one of those lousy stores in order to buy what we need.

[HeatherInFlorida]

It may take awhile, but I have to say for the most part I get excellent customer service. It does take time sometimes to get to the right person, but once there I'm usually very happy with the service given. In the case of HAL, I've called them a few times over the past couple of months and have never had anything but really nice, helpful people. Whether or not the information they're giving me is always correct, I cannot say. But they're always polite and I can hear the smile in their voices.

 

I will say that I do live by the motto that "you catch more bees with honey":D . Works for me.

 

However! There are exceptions out there and I certainly run into them! Reading Sail's post made me remember how many times I stupidly thank the Toll Booth guy after I pay the toll. Sometimes I'm just plain screwey;) .

[Tricia724]

I actually had one of them challenge me by saying....You don't like it; go complain to my boss. It shocks me their arrogance. She then continued to add......They need me here more than they need you. They have trouble hiring enough cashiers. So, if you leave, they don't care.

 

She doesn't quite understand if all the "me's " that visit that store no longer come, they won't need any workers at all.

 

You really hit the nail on the head....many people who work with customers DON'T understand their part in the big picture.

 

Our local grocery chain installed self-service check-out lines a couple of years ago. I saw it as a means to eliminate jobs locally...and since our area is not a particularly prosperous one...I chose to stand in line and wait for a check out person, thinking that in a small way I was protesting automation and lack of personal service.

 

One day I was in line behind one other customer, and the checker (early 20s female) was screwing up royally...all the while ignoring the customer and talking to another checker in the next lane. When it came my turn, instead of greeting me pleasantly or apologizing about the delay, she informed me rather sharply that I wouldn't have had to wait if I had used the self-check line. I looked her in the eye and told her the reason I didn't use it was to save her job. She said: "Oh, they already told us those self-check lines are just to help move customers along and won't affect our jobs." I said: "If everybody checks themselves out, why will they need you?" She just looked at me like I was a space alien. So.....now I almost always go to the self-check line. Why should I inconvenience myself for someone like that? I have to say, I'm a lot faster and a better grocery packer, too!

 

They just don't get it.