Customer Service - an obituary

Writing an obituary for customer service may seem a bit drastic to some. But the practice of treating customers with respect appears to be dying.

Recently a friend of mine went shopping for a bra, and being a larger lady like myself she went to a store that specialises in plus size lingerie. She was treated appalingly by the staff. One even had the gall to ask if she intended to lose weight.

While shopping for suits for our wedding my husband went into a reputable suit hire store. He was ignored by staff for over an hour. Once he finally got someone's attention he was measured, then told he "should have gone on Weight Watchers a year ago".

In a recent news article it was reported that a restaurant owner in Darwin told diners to keep their legs closed, and were told they had saggy tits and floppy c***s. The most disturbing part being the number of people in the readers comments cheering him on.

These sorts of stories are becoming all too common. While not all people face this sort of treatment, many are faced with indifferent, apathetic staff who are impolite and simply don't care.

I've worked many customer service roles in my time, ranging from waiting tables, call centre work, reception and staffing events. And at each of these roles I have been taught and trained to uphold a high level of customer service. It's not a complicated concept. You say please and thank you. You smile. When a person gets upset you keep your cool. And you do whatever is within your power to please the customer. Why? So they'll come back. So they'll tell their friends about that lovely waitress or receptionist that went above and beyond for them. You do it to keep your business afloat.

The thing to keep in mind also is that good customer service is essentially free. You have to staff your call centre and pay those staff wages. But for those staff to be courteous to their customers costs no extra. But it can mean the difference between selling a product and losing a customer. It can mean the difference between keeping a customer in the long term, or losing them after only one purchase.

Yet so many businesses today seem unable to grasp this concept, and continue to allow staff to be rude.

What upsets me most is the lack of customer service I have received at major tourism destinations, in particular the Blue Mountains and Noosa. Both utterly beautiful places, but both treat their tourists like they don't matter. The Blue Mountains is the place where I grew up, and I know just how many jobs depend on tourism for their livelihood. It saddens me to think that tourism rates could drop simply because a few shopkeepers didn't bother to smile at their customers.

All that said, the mantra of "the customer is always right" is a false one. The customer has rights, there can be no question. But the staff have procedures and protocols to follow. Some customers are just horrible - they will say and do anything to get their way. There are times when staff have to use a heavy hand so they don't get taken for a ride. I've been played more than once by a customer, and it is not a nice position to be in. However, it is possible to be heavy handed while smiling.

It's on that note that I urge anyone reading to speak up. When you feel you have received bad customer service, complain to someone. Write a letter to management, review a restaurant online, tell your friends the staff at that store were rude. If you are paying money, stand up for your rights.