Today's service is a disservice to us all

Customer service is everywhere these days…news headlines, company missions, corporate boardrooms, sales philosophies, store signs and policies, and, my favorite, infomericals. Unfortunately, the one place I am seeing less and less of customer service is at the point of sale. Oddly, one would think that might be the greatest area of focus. However, from mini marts to department stores to specialty shops, the growing trend of employees who could care less what the customer wants or needs is growing rapidly. I used to think it was just because most businesses opted for part-time teen-age associates in order to alleviate high payrolls and to avoid incurring the cost of benefits. But, I'm not so sure anymore, as I've seen my share of poor service experiences involving adults of all ages, races and creed.

So what's the problem here, America? It doesn't appear to be an impossible problem to rectify. It's common courtesy in a workplace format. And, if we can't figure out that simple equation by ourselves, there must be at least a thousand experts out there who can help us see the light. At least it would appear that way given how often I see a new perspective on the topic turn up in the local bookstore. In fact, during one recent visit to Borders, I made a point to peruse the Business section where I came across such titles as Indispensable: How To Become The Company That Your Customers Can't Live Without, Super Service: Seven Keys to Delivering Great Customer Service...Even When You Don't Feel Like It!...Even When They Don't Deserve It!, Coaching Knock Your Socks Off Service, and Hug Your Customers: The Proven Way to Personalize Sales and Achieve Astounding Results (although that last one would be a little awkward should a store employee elect to apply it on me). Unfortunately, the people writing these books, as well as the managers reading them, forgot to pass the knowledge on to their sales staff. If they did, I wouldn't have some 17-yr.-old kid roll his eyes at me because I've apparently inconvenienced him by asking which aisle the Cocoa Puffs are in, therefore taking him away from his daily ritual of doing nothing.

So are we just lazy? Has our culture become so automated that the mere idea of assisting someone else seems ridiculous despite the fact that one may be getting paid to do just that? I have no idea. What I do know is, we, as customers, are just as much to blame because we take it. Nine times out of ten I bet a person who gets bad service from a store either shrugs it off and moves on with his life OR states "I will never go back there again". The latter of which is usually forgotten the next time he is in dire need of diapers for the little one, and, despite his previous encounter, the local Kmart is not only close but the least expensive in terms of price (and, no, for the record, I do not have anything against Kmart and its service…or lack of). Maybe we need to push the envelope on poor service and report these incidents. Perhaps call the employee out face-to-face or via a tete-a -tete with his manager (in which we, of course, adamantly express our displeasure with the service provided). At least you can return home knowing that you exhausted all means in your power to set the situation right. And, if that isn't consolation enough, I guess take comfort in the fact that you won't have as much pride swallowing to do when the time comes for you to return to the store for those diapers.