Retail stores and crappy customer service
Yeah, I haven’t blogged for a while and now that I’m taking time to do it, I’ve got a lot cached that I want to say 
A week or so ago, Seth Godin had a couple of really interesting posts about retail stores and customer service. So did Carlee and Rob.
These posts really got me thinking about retail customer service and the things that drive me crazy about it. As Rob pointed out, I REALLY hate it when there are only a couple checkout lanes open and tons of customers lined up waiting to give their money to the store. I especially hate it when, in that situation, I can see several store employees standing around talking or whatever, but usually doing pretty much nothing.
But, what I hate the most is: When I’m standing in line and the clerk takes a phone call! I think Checker Auto and Autozone are the worst offenders here, right up there with them is pretty much any video rental store. I’ve had it happen at Gas Stations, Customer Service booths at grocery stores, Radio Shack, and pretty much any store that puts a Fracking phone by the cash register.
Here’s the basic scenario: You’re standing in line, ready to check out - probably after figuring out how to help yourself and find your stuff without any help from one of the employees. In fact, you probably have had zero help from an employee - especially if you needed it. The checkout clerk is really busy trying to figure out how to subtract $1.20 from $2.00 because they hit the wrong button on their cash register and now they have to figure out your change in their head. After the guy they’re trying to help tells them that it’s $.80 cents, the clerk has to push some buttons on the safe to get another roll of quarters. After that finally clunks out, they beat it on 4 different hard surfaces trying to break the roll open. After they pick up all the change they spilt on the ground, they count it back to the customer - one coin at a time. After which the guy just throws it all in the “Take a penny” bucket in disgust and leaves.
Then the phone rings…. there’s one more person in front of you in line - you’re almost there - and 4 more people behind you in line. Surely the clerk won’t…..
He answers the phone! “Kwik-E mart - where we’re REALLY quick! This is Dave, how can I help you?” (you’re thinking to yourself “Help me by not answering the phone!”) blah blah blah blah …. “just a minute, let me look up the price for you”…… (clerk walks around trying to find something in the store and comes back) “that’s $2.49 plus tax”…… “yes, we have 9 in stock”….. “ok, thanks for calling!” (this entire process takes 2 minutes) (clerk turns back to the customer in front of you) “Sorry about that! (if you’re actually sorry, don’t do it!) Did you find everything ok?” (note that this is 100 times worse in Autozone as they look up 10 parts on a car and give the quotes)
This pisses me off like little else will! I’m in your fracking store ready to buy something and you’re answering the STUPID phone wasting mine and everyone elses time! Get rid of your @#$@ PHONE!
Checkout clerks, customer service clerks, etc have NO business answering the stupid phone in front of waiting customers! This is a completely inappropriate practice of several retail stores. We’re ALREADY in the store! You’ve won our business already! Take care of us! Don’t make us stand there holding our purchases while you wander around helping someone on the phone. If someone needs to deal with customers on the phone - make the managers do it, they’re not helping customers. Seriously, I find this to be one of the rudest practices.
One time I was standing in a line where this happened 3 TIMES! I got so mad I called the store myself and when the clerk answered the phone and said “How may I help you?” I yelled “HELP THE GUY IN FRONT OF ME!!!!”
Just kidding, I didn’t really do that, but I really, really wanted to! (I didn’t know the phone number) Maybe the moral of this post is to program the phone number of the store on your phone before you go!
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Sir, you are quite correct, however Auto Zone requires employees to answer the phone by the third ring, and DO NOT put the phone customer ON HOLD.
This also annoyes the employees, trying to close a sale for the customer standing in front of you, then also required to answer the phone, basically performing two jobs in one, most today call it multi-tasking, I call it overwork.
an experienced (need more) employee will do this very quickly, newer employees can take forever to do this task, also bear in mind the phone customer may be
in the parking lot calling from his/her cell phone.
there is also the problem of phone customers wanting
advice on how to fix their vehicle over the phone.
You may not be aware of just how much FREE LABOR
is provided to customers at Auto Zone, checking their engine trouble codes, installing batteries, headlights, taillights, wiper blades , testing batteries, alternators,
starters in the parking lot with NO set up facility for this.
One store tests, and installs about 150 batteries a week with FREE LABOR, this means you actually handle 300 batteries including the old ones,300 FREE trouble code checks a week, 125 wiper blades installed FREE a week,
50 taillamp bulbs a week, also answer at least a thousand questions a week, it is no longer a Do It Yourself business, it’s a WE DO IT for you business
also absent employees is a problem at most every business today, just look on the street? the thousands of cars holding you up in traffic, why are they not at
work somewhere? also bear in mind when most customers go into a parts retailer, they are Mad walking in the store, because they are having to spend money and do work they really don’t want to do.
most managers start work at 7:00 am and work till 10:30 pm, when have you tried a work shift like this
day in and day out? By the way, also notiice there are
NO Chairs in the store, you are on your feet all day,
Rain or Shine,Hot or Cold, you are out in the parking lot doing FREE LABOR for people just like you, who don’t appreciate what service most customers are
getting day in and day out FREE, Yes there are the exceptions, some stores don’t do dittle for you.
somebody must be doing a fair job of help keeping the cars,trucks, SUV’s on the road today, each and every
vehicle on the road has needed something sooner or later.
Hey how about SELF SERVICE, that’s what all the gas stations have done to you, just ask a clerk to check your oil ? see what kind of answer you get today?
Today you have Internet service, simply order your parts ON LINE they will ship direct to you, with your choice of shipping method?
Yes you may be dealing with a $7.00 an hour clerk, that can’t make change for a dollar? (they may be your neighbors son or daughter?)when is the last time you worked for $7 bucks an hour? or better yet when is the last time you worked for your customers doing LABOR FOR FREE?
Maybe all your coins only have one side to them?
Try looking at the other side of the coin once in a while.
Competition is good for the consumer, it lowers your net cost, offers more choices, more merchandise,
Where does the profit go? to the shareholders, yes you can buy Auto Zone stock on the open market, yes
AZ stock is worth about THREE times plus say what Home Depot stock sells for.
One other thing to possibly keep in mind? the shortest line may not always be the BEST line to be in?
A good pro will have customers gladly, waiting in a longer line for his/her more experienced service.
an old pro once told me, son KISS everything you do.
Keep It Simple Stupid. another old pro also told me:
ask three people the same question? you’ll get three different answers.
Lighten up a little, the lines may get even longer?
Plus how about Bi-Lingual service today? How many places do you phone today where you have to dial a number for each language? some say the Olympic games have no Mexicans today, cause every one that can Run,Jump or Swim is in the States.
Computers today also have spanish on them, so you dial up the spanish screen, and most can’t read their own language, how many of these type customers do you have? yes finger pointing has become a form of communication today, they simply point to the part they want for their car.
My coins have two sides to them, and I try as best I can to see both sides.