What do you do - poor quality service(s)?

Parent Cafe
21

<p>We usually don’t go back/change but I haven’t been good about letting the place I left know why. We changed pharmacies after having been 10-12 years with one, because there was one particular pharmacist whom we always seemed to get, who perpetually made mistakes in entering the dosage of H’s medicine. It was always our/Insurance company’s fault, when it wasn’t. We finally had an insurance rep explain to us what the pharmacist was doing and only she could correct it. Head pharmacist was nice and would always correct things, but after more than a year of hassle, we switched. Haven’t had a problem since. </p>

<p>The same with a specialist H had to see. I think they made all the apts. at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m., so everyone showed up at the same. Waits were a minimum of 1 hr., sometimes 3 hrs., with no apology/explanation and just plain rude staff if you questioned them (not even complaining). The worst was the time he realized the staff had all left for lunch and he hadn’t been seen yet. This was the only specialist in town. We decided to drive more than an hour to another doctor, where wait was never more than 15 mn. I said it was no worse to spend an hour driving than waiting and getting more and more annoyed. </p>

<p>If it’s a restaurant, I usually don’t go back unless it’s just a bad server. The thing that will get me out of there faster than anything is when the person I speak to to express my displeasure argues with ME. Even if something was my fault, usually not the case, it is not productive to start arguing that I’m wrong.</p>

22

<p>We went to put favorite Mexican restaurant one night. The waitress took a LONG time to even get to us with the tortilla chips and salsa…and to take our drink orders. Then it took her a long time to get back to take our order. Then she disappeared. We waited and waited. Finally I got up to refill our water glasses. That got the attention of another waiter. I politely explained that we were waiting for our order. This waiter then brought our food. Everyone’s meal was,cold…God knows how long it had been siting. And my husband’s was burned. </p>

<p>I asked to see a manager. He was only somewhat apologetic…asked if my husband wanted another meal…and offered to comp our beverages (keep in mind…we only had one beverage each…no one even inquired about refills).</p>

<p>When the bill came, they at least had the decency to not charge us for DHs meal…or,the two lemonades, one ice tea, and one beer.</p>

<p>I left NO tip…not a dime.</p>

<p>My kids were horrified. I viewed it as a “teachable moment”. The waitstaff who had taken our order disappeared. The cold meal WAS the fault of the waitstaff. The lack of service WAS the fault of,the waitstaff. The burnt meal was not…but if they had served it in a timely fashion, it could have been redone.</p>

<p>We voted with our feet…never returned there again.</p>

23

<p>We have never said anything about bad haircuts but never returned. I now have two I like and trust and only go to them. </p>

<p>For restaurants, we never return if we are unhappy. Sometimes we will go out if our way to explain the rest of the time, just no tip and no return. Fortunately, we have generally been satisfied with our service. </p>

<p>Lately, when I call in for customer service, I have been asking the name and id#s, especially when calling a toll free number. I feel they pay more attention and tend to be more courteous when I have that info. I do try to compliment exemplary service. I tend to have better service with smaller companies than larger ones so far. </p>

<p>When talking with customer service, I admit I try to sweet talk them a bit before making any request and indicate that in the past similar requests were granted (true). It has worked wonders for me.</p>

<p>I am not interested in a return visit to any place where I’ve gotten poor service; refund would be all I’d want. Don’t plan to return to jackinthebox. We got free tacos there by a special offer. Service was slow. We specially requested NO cheese on tacos and waited and waited and waited for the order. Finally got it–with cheese.</p>

24

<p>In the past month and a half:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Had to call our contractor three times and leave messages before he finally stopped by to look at the drywall work I wanted done. It then took him over two weeks (about two weeks after my first phone call to him) to get a small patch job done by the time he repaired it, patched it, then painted it. (But I like him, like his work and he’s very reasonable, so I feel stuck). </p></li>
<li><p>Left a message at our attorney’s office that we wanted to schedule an appt. to update our wills. Never heard back from him, so I called him a week and a half later, and he said we were in his pile of phone calls to return. Ugh… a week and a half!</p></li>
<li><p>Left a message for the financial planner at our credit union probably three weeks ago (we’ve never met, but we are in a position to give her some serious business). She finally called back a week ago when I was in the dentist’s chair… I explained this to her and asked her to call me back in a couple of hours. She said she would in between appointments that afternoon. Have not heard back from her since. </p></li>
<li><p>A contractor that a neighbor hired left a huge mess of red-like dirt covering half of the roadway a week ago today - consistency sort of looked like concrete. I knew I would track the red dirt on my tires down the street and into my driveway (we live at the end of a cul-de-sac so it’s the only way out of the neighborhood), so last Tuesday morning I called the village to request help - either have the owners of the house get their landscape contractor back out there to clean it up, or fine them and have the village bring the street sweeper out to clean it up. Had to leave a message; never heard back from anyone, so Wednesday I stopped by the village hall and was now told that person was out sick that day, so someone else took my report, and my phone number to call me back when she made her report; never heard back from her. Today, stopped by village hall again and was told this person was at lunch. Asked to speak to their supervisor, who happened to walk by the room I was in as I asked. Spoke to him and explained the situation, telling him I was VERY unhappy at being ignored, while each time I drove down my street, I was getting this red crud on my tires. He said he was going to leave right then and go drive by the house. I ran some errands and came home and nothing was done. Was outside doing some yard work today and I think I heard someone out there with a hose sprayer, so when I go out tomorrow, I will see if it was taken care of. Grrrr.</p></li>
<li><p>Called a guy who has done some more difficult yard work for us before (stuff I can’t do) about three weeks ago to check on his availability to do some more work for me this fall. A week went by and I never heard back from him. Called him again, and told him if I didn’t hear back from him I would assume that meant he had no availability and I would call someone else. Heard back from him that night; he just started a two-week job, but wanted my business when that was done. He asked me to call him back in two weeks (I should have said, YOU call ME back), which I did this morning. Again, said if he doesn’t call me back ASAP, I will assume his schedule doesn’t allow time to do my work, and I will call someone else. As of this evening, I have not heard back from him.</p></li>
<li><p>Cannot begin to count the number of people at offices at various health care providers and our health insurance who I’ve spoken to over the last month and a half (and have taken COPIOUS notes), who I’ve asked clarification on various claims, who said they would get back to me, then never did. Doesn’t include the number of times I was hung up on when trying to transfer me to someone else ‘who could help me’. I literally have three pages of single-spaced typed notes documenting all these idiots I’ve spoken to, their supervisors, etc. Am in limbo now as I wait to see if the action promised during my last phone call (where I finally got a supervisor’s email address so I could bypass all the peons) actually comes through. That phone call/email was two weeks ago. Guess I will have to call back tomorrow. </p></li>
</ol>

<p>I also need to get our driveway sealed and windows cleaned. I have phone numbers of people I want to use, but am so tired of this phone tag, that I hate to even initiate that first phone call because I know it will involve leaving a message. I just don’t understand why all these people who I’m trying to give business to won’t get back to me. I do think my new M.O. will be to say in my message that I leave, that unless I hear back from them within 48 hours, I will assume they are too busy to take take my business and I will look elsewhere. </p>

<p>If anyone has any suggestions on how to get people to call you back, I’d love to hear it!</p>

25

<p>I am ruthless when I have a REALLY bad experience at a restaurant, especially one that markets itself as high end. I define a “really bad experience” to be one where they refuse to make things right or they give you the “eye roll” when you speak up. Sometimes a simple “let’s see what I can do” is enough to defuse a bad experience. But more and more it seems like they just don’t care. </p>

<p>I refuse to make a scene as I feel I am just going to be viewed as some prima donna looking for special handling. I go home and sit right down at my computer and write a scathing review. I am careful to be truthful about the facts, but I will voice my displeasure where I know it will hit home. I always check online reviews before booking any special occasion restaurant that I am not familiar with. I think most people do the same. I also take the time to write positive reviews when I have had a good experience.</p>

26

<p>I think one of the reasons there is such bad service is that in effect almost every business is doing it now, and I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that we live in a time when everyone is trying to shave every dollar they can off costs, and they figure (rightfully) that it won’t be much better elsewhere, so they figure there is no downside to it.</p>

<p>Stores higher minimum wage workers and don’t train them, and quite frankly management sees customer service as costing them. Years ago, I remember going into a Walmart outside Harrisburg, PA (this was about 20 years ago, long before they spread into my neck of the woods) and I was impressed, they had people in all the departments, who seemed to know what they are doing, today Walmart and customer service are a joke, they pay very little, they don’t have enough people, and going to WalMart is like any other cut rate store out there. Employees react to their management, and Walmart and other stores have made clear that employees are not exactly cherished and customers, well, customers will take anything to save 10c (and sadly, people do).</p>

<p>Contractors have always been problematic, it is why people cherish good ones. I need my chimney rebuilt and my front steps redone, talking about 30 grand worth of work, and getting people out to do estimates was painful, gave me all this crap, how busy they were, etc, then were overbidding the job horribly (before someone asks, know GC’s, I told them what these guys were quoting, they were shocked). I found a young kid with his own business, and it was amazing, kid did an incredible job, because he was hungry. A lot of tradesmen these days figure they are in the catbird seat, and to a certain extent they are, because who has time to track down contractors? If both people work, who takes off time to wait until they finally show up?</p>

<p>You call customer service for big stores, and chances are it is answered by someone in Mumbai or Puna reading from a script, and telling you they understand and sympathize when they don’t know anything. They aren’t going to care, they are working for some company the work is outsourced to, and they are just answering the phone. I think what I hate the most is when you have a major problem, like I did with the home depot, and they offer you a gift certificate for some nominal amount (I once got offered, no kidding, 5 bucks when the thing I was talking about was a 5000 dollar item)…that isn’t an answer, it is a bribe, and I would rather have an answer, a solution. </p>

<p>Face it, we are in a world where those running these companies and businesses have got the attitude like customers don’t matter, that in effect they see themselves running things and everyone should be grateful they allow us to use their service, and it reflects on the employee attitudes, too. I once went into a computer store of a now (happily) defunct chain, I was buying a new computer, and the employees basically ignored me, they were young kids playing games on the computers or flirting with each other, and i got angry (this was back when computers were not as cheap as today, talking a 2000 dollar laptop). I found the store manager, and told him he lost the sale, and he shrugged and said “what do you want me to do?”. Everything has been brought down to the level of a fast food restaurant, due to greed and indifference, and the customers pay for it with no service. </p>

<p>The Home Depot originally put chains like Rickel and Channel out of business, and also supposedly great local hardware stores (sorry, but most of the people owning those stores were just as arrogant as what we talk about today), because not only prices, but they had people working there who knew how to do things, you would see retired plumbers and electricians and carpenters working there, could ask questions and get a straight answers. The corporate efficiency experts decided they were going to cut costs, and when I walk into my local home depot I am lucky if the guy speaks English well enough to tell me a)there is no such thing what I want or b)I don’t know anything, I just work here. </p>

<p>What really saddens me is the myth about how small businesses are hungry, love their customers, etc, and I find it just to be that, a myth. I try to shop small stores when I can, but I find that many of the same problems in these stores, and I have talked to the owner about bad service, etc, and what they usually do is complain about their staff, when the real problem is probably them.I have given owners suggestions on the little things that make for good customer service, because I like the idea of small businesses, and they look at me like I was talking in Swahili or something, because they moan how chain stores or the internet will put them out of business, when they are causing their own demise by treating their customers like garbage. </p>

<p>There are gems out there, and what I do is try places, if it doesn’t work, I try someplace else. I generally won’t complain unless I have liked a place and then it disappointed me, then I will leave a note or tell them why I was disappointed. </p>

<p>Funniest story about something like that, I once went to an Italian restaurant with my dad, that prided itself on making home made fresh pasta. My dad was Italian, came here when he was small, so he knew from Pasta. The food was horrible, the pasta was not cooked right, the sauce was pretty bad…anyway, my dad left a note at the table, giving feedback. We were walking out to our car, and this guy we found out was the manager, came running over and got in my dad’s face, was practically cursing at him, telling him what the (various 4 and 5 letter words) did he know about pasta, fresh pasta is not like cooking it out of a box, etc…the guy was really out of control, and I wondered if I was going to have to knock the guy flat on his butt to protect my dad, but my dad said “I grew up on homemade pasta, my mother made her own for many, many years, so I know the difference, and your problem is your chefs don’t know what they are doing, fresh pasta has to be cooked differently, and they don’t know”…my dad gave him feedback and he was ready to slug my dad <em>shrug</em></p>

27

<p>There are two people you should never tick off: 1) Your dentist and 2) your stylist. If you make a big fuss about a bad haircut, how do you think your next haircut is going to go? And after all, a poorly-done blowout isn’t the end of the world; just let it go and find someone else.</p>

28

<p>I have two HAPPY stories to share. I wanted to buy a specific printer from a large company. I thought I’d try buying directly from them and called their sales line, toll free. Got straight through. Told the guy what I wanted and asked about shipping to HI. He said it was usually $200 but to give him a minute and he’d try to cut it down. He got back on the line promptly and said he was authorized to reduce shipping to $50, since it was the end of the month.</p>

<p>I asked whether I could get a deal if I bought more ink with the printer. He said he could give me a 10% discount and free shipping for everything. Best of all, he told me how to get free servicing in the printer for the life of the machine, by buying all supplies for that printer from them. Then he offered to buy back unused supplies from my broken printer, get me a $84.50 rebate from being a prior customer and get me a refund of my excise tax on this and another recent purchase I made from them (over $70 tax refund)! I was blown away by his helpfulness!</p>

<p>I also had to work with our local tax office to get my certificate of tax exemp status, to get the excise tax refund. It took a 45+ minute wait on hold before I spoke with someone. She told me her name and the form I needed to complete to get the certificate I needed. I faxed the form and she called back and gave me her direct line and told me we had to correct the form and re-sign and re-fax and pay $1 cash or check AFTER she prepared a bill. I faxed the revised form and then drove over to pay $1 cash and get a receipt. She wasn’t in, but she called me today and faxed and sent me a hard copy for the hand delivered $1!</p>

<p>Yes, it was maddening dealing with the tax department, but it could have been worse and she did seem like a fairly nice (rule-bound) person. </p>

<p>I guess I will have to write a great review for the exemplary customer service of the printer company! It was a pleasure to work with them!</p>

29

<p>Lots of bad restaurant stories here. I also have quite a few, but one above reminded me of the time that our waiter walked out in the middle of our meal. When we never got served, we asked another waiter to check on it for us, and then we were told that the other waiter had just left. No one had told the manager. Clearly a case of the front end not seeing what is going on in the back. I can’t remember if they gave us something off that night, but it is a local place that everyone goes to, and we still go there. </p>

<p>On another note though, last year when most of the people in our town had no power for a long time due to Hurricane Sandy, the two shopping centers on the main street were restored early on, since they were near the police station (which is a priority for power). There are two supermarkets, and a few restaurants, and a couple of coffee shops in those shopping centers. Most of the business comes from our town, as this is not a major highway type thing where people come from all over. It kind of surprised us that none of these businesses left hot coffee in the town sponsored warming center for the people who were in the dark and without heat. It would have been a great gesture, and free advertising. Sometimes there were 50 to 100 people there who would have noticed. We ate out in the restaurants and they also did not seem concerned with going the extra distance to appreciate the customers.They had many more than they usually have. A great opportunity to do something small that I think would have been remembered. I guess we have to be glad that they did not price gouge. I don’t think it would have cost them so much to have given out coffee or tea and it would have been remembered nicely. I know I did read stories here or there of people helping their neighbors in other places, but I did not see that locally.</p>

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<p>I also wouldn’t tick off my wait person before I got my food.</p>

31

<p>Haha, true enough!</p>