Customer Service

Excuse my language, but what the hell happened to Customer Service. Is it just me, or does it feel like companies just dont care any longer about satisfying the customer shopping experience. With all these efforts to increase productivity, marketing shares and decrease work forces, or better yet ship good jobs overseas, our customer service has gone done the toilet. A big ploop and a flush. From fine dining to retail chains, the customer service is crap. It seems like unless the servant is going to receive a comission or a tip from your patronage, than you are more than likely not going to receive any forms of civil inattention. Saying hello may I help you find something today, is more like a code word for, tell the cashier that my name is such & such so that I can get a piece of your total purchase. Or better yet, sit over there by the bathroom, drink this luke warm faucet water and hope your food comes on time and somewhat warm, and by the way my gratuity is 15 to 20% of your total bill.

I mean come on, is it too much to ask for someone to take pride in what they are doing with their lives these days? Or maybe I am the insensitive jerk that does not care that you are a waiter/ waitress just waiting tables inbetween your calls backs and open calls. I dont care about you, I just want to be served, and a smile would be nice. It never fails, as Americans, we have grown spoiled into thinking that our money somehow warrants a song and dance from the recipient. We feel that there are so many choices from which we can choose from in order to get our needs met, that why should we tolerate low standards.

I pose the question that maybe the service is a reflection of the attitudes in which we portray. Naw, I dont buy that for one minute. I think that people should start learning from other cultures and listen to the methods and techniques used by the most common of persons, on how to live your life with purpose. No matter your position, status, or class in life, you should take advantage of every possibilty to be the absolute best at whatever it is you do.

So with that, I have put together a few tips so that maybe people like myself can experience better service from the places they frequent the most.
- establish a connection with the person who addresses you.
- start by asking them their name, and opinion on whatever you are trying to accomplish for the day.
- get them involved in your decision making process.
- asking them an abundance of questions may be a turn off, however, feel the person out and see if you are able to get more out of them.
- understand their situation, and be courteous, and polite.
- try not to talk at them, but with them. this is hard at times because sometimes you are in a rush, but an excuse me, can most of the time do the trick.

Please suggest some methods and tricks that work for you as well. I am really interested in quality spots that examplify great customer service. I just feel that unless you are dirty rich, and can shop and dine at the most fine of restaurants, then your chances of getting great service is limited.