Name: Linda
Saturday, September 02, 2006
Service?
Is it just us or have any of you noticed how nearly impossible it is to get good service these days? It seems no matter where we go it’s the same thing. I’ve gone into Home Depot and actually seen the salesman hide from me after I asked him to find whatever it was my husband sent me there for. Trying to take care of things by phone is just as bad. How I hate those ridiculous menus. By the time they run down the list, I can’t remember the first options they gave me – so it’s back to square one.
We are fortunate that my husband is a handy person. I hear horror tales from people about repair men. The one thing he can’t work on is the car (he can actually build hot rods from scratch, but these new cars with all their computers are a whole different thing). Not too long ago he took the car in for its regular maintenance checkup and nearly got taken for ninety one dollars. They wanted to replace a filter, which he decided to do himself. The filter cost less than twenty dollars, and he accomplished this major automotive feat in under five minutes. He said it took him longer to get the stuff out of the glove box than to do the actual work.
A few years ago my husband had an experience in a major hardware store (which probably should remain nameless) that typified this whole “lack of service” thing perfectly. He went in to buy a piece for the fireplace he and my son were building.
He couldn’t find the piece on the shelf and went to find a salesman. After much walking up and down aisles he found one (a salesman that is). He asked if they had the piece he was looking for and cooperatively followed the salesman all the way back to the place he had been looking.
Salesman: “Hmmm….if we had them, they would be right here. Let’s go check the computer.”
More walking and following to the front of the store.
Salesman: “The computer shows we have two.”
Husband: “Well there aren’t any there. Could they be somewhere else?”
Salesman: “No. If we had them, that’s where they’d be.”
Husband: “We really do need that part. Could you order one for me?”
Salesman: “Oh no sir; I'm sorry; I can’t order any more until we sell the two we show on the computer."
Husband: silence……
We have laughed over that story so many times. I think it’s probably the only way to stay sane. You just can’t seem to get good service these days.
Blessings,
Linda
We are fortunate that my husband is a handy person. I hear horror tales from people about repair men. The one thing he can’t work on is the car (he can actually build hot rods from scratch, but these new cars with all their computers are a whole different thing). Not too long ago he took the car in for its regular maintenance checkup and nearly got taken for ninety one dollars. They wanted to replace a filter, which he decided to do himself. The filter cost less than twenty dollars, and he accomplished this major automotive feat in under five minutes. He said it took him longer to get the stuff out of the glove box than to do the actual work.
A few years ago my husband had an experience in a major hardware store (which probably should remain nameless) that typified this whole “lack of service” thing perfectly. He went in to buy a piece for the fireplace he and my son were building.
He couldn’t find the piece on the shelf and went to find a salesman. After much walking up and down aisles he found one (a salesman that is). He asked if they had the piece he was looking for and cooperatively followed the salesman all the way back to the place he had been looking.
Salesman: “Hmmm….if we had them, they would be right here. Let’s go check the computer.”
More walking and following to the front of the store.
Salesman: “The computer shows we have two.”
Husband: “Well there aren’t any there. Could they be somewhere else?”
Salesman: “No. If we had them, that’s where they’d be.”
Husband: “We really do need that part. Could you order one for me?”
Salesman: “Oh no sir; I'm sorry; I can’t order any more until we sell the two we show on the computer."
Husband: silence……
We have laughed over that story so many times. I think it’s probably the only way to stay sane. You just can’t seem to get good service these days.
Blessings,
Linda
5 Comments:
I relate so unbelievably! I think that's why I bend over backwards to give good care to the students I work with.
I know what you mean about the grandkids - stuff doesn't bother me with them nearly as much as it did with my own. That's a good thing! Too bad we can't have the youth and the patience at the same time!
You really have to wonder, don't you, if they can even hear themselves when they something like that.
Happens all the time.
"Back in the day" In the 1980's it was just something that we had to do. We gave good service. I was a manager at McDonald's. All of the people that worked under me gave good service. Not because of anything I did. They just were happy to have jobs. I opened the store and worked with a lot of middle age women. That might have been the difference.
Linda, It is so very frustrating when dealing with people who can't seem to make a decision without the aid of a machine. I've actually had a clerk or two, not be able to determine how much change back I should receive because she cleared the register too quickly...it is shocking.
That does you a lot of good...the C says we have it...well, where is it? What happened to the customer is always right. :)
How's it going with the blog book...learned anything new?
Linda, From one cross eyed person to another, I believe this is just one place a lot of bloggers use to organize their sidebars. I just thought you might like a look. I am looking too. :)
http://www.blogrolling.com/
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