© Gajus
If there’s one thing I secretly enjoy about social media is reading people’s complaints and rants about bad customer service. Many times, the tweets are addressed to the company’s social media page as well so that they know what their customers are complaining to them about. It’s also a heads up to other followers on social media to take note of the bad customer service and to perhaps stay away from said company or brand.
It got me thinking … is there ever a time to tolerate bad customer service?
When I was living in Malaysia, I’d grown to expect mediocre customer service. As long as I got what I wanted on time and in its expected good quality, it didn’t matter to me if the sales staff did not converse with me any more than they had to. It didn’t matter to me if the wait staff didn’t smile at me when I’m at a restaurant because as long as the food was served quickly, efficiently and was delicious, I was a happy camper.
It’s different overseas. Studying in the UK exposed me to proper customer service. Sales staff actually communicated with me in a friendly manner but they didn’t hover over me or stick to me like glue (*ahem* Malaysian SASA *ahem*) when I’m browsing in stores. It’s also different in Australia. Cashiers actually chat with you while they’re ringing up your purchases. Random staff would chat with you to help you out as much as they can without, again, sticking to you like glue. I’ve grown so used to it that it actually feels strange to me when I tried chatting with cashiers in Malaysia and their expressions to me are like “WHY ARE YOU TALKING TO ME?”
So yes, I have come to expect good customer service, at least in Australia and definitely in the retail and service industries. While I don’t expect staff to have to talk to me, at the very least a smile and a “how are you” is a nice gesture and something I’ve come to expect. I do find it very odd and discomforting when girls much younger than I am call me “doll” or “honey” or “sweetheart” but their helpful nature and friendly demeanour makes those overly familiar terms of endearment tolerable. However service is delivered, as long as it’s a good one, then it’s A-okay in my books.
However, if the service is bad, then I’m likely to not visit the establishment again. Bad service is the reason why I don’t buy nor use MAC makeup any more because in the last 10 years, I’ve only experienced good customer service from MAC twice. Twice in 10 years! You’d think that customer service differs from location to location but I’ve even tried the MAC counters in Japan, which is pretty much the Land of Excellent Customer Service and even I was ignored at the Japanese MAC counters. Coincidence? Not bloody likely. Anyway, this post isn’t about MAC so let’s move on. You get the gist. At the end of the day, good customer service is vital in the retail and service industry.
Having said that, there are times when I would actually expect and tolerate bad service and that’s when I go to Chinese restaurants here in Australia. There are plenty of Chinese restaurants with really good food but pretty lousy service and yet there’ll be people actually lining up to get in. I don’t expect good customer service from places like these. As long as the food is good, I’m just there to sit down, eat and leave. As long as the staff isn’t spitting in my food, I’m good. Okay, maybe not to that extend but let’s just say I don’t expect the royal treatment.
Ahem. I’m hopeless. Regular retail – yes, I expect the service to be at least of Australian standards. If you don’t know anything and admit it to me, I’m happy to let it pass. But if you take me for a ride, bear my wrath and I’d rip you to pieces 😛 Chinese restaurants? Well, I tolerate them to a certain level. Pacific House on Toorak Rd, South Yarra? I’d rather starve than eat there. Service was non-existence when I was there with Asian dining mates. But, rock up with a bunch of Aussies, OHMYLORD, they’d kiss my muddy boots if I’d asked them to. I don’t tolerate such double standards so I’d go home and cook Maggi Kari instead 😛
Hahahaha! I’m glad I’ve never gotten shit service at Pacific House. One time I was there with my in laws and their friends. Father in law wanted to treat dinner and asked for lobster. The captain brought him this massive lobster and my father in law couldn’t say no. I reckon the captain must have been think “SUCKER!” on his way to the kitchen! Man, they treated our table like royalty that day.
MAC is a bit of a strange one for me – the service leaves so much to be desired, I buy the bulk of the products I want from them online. But in saying that, when I do want to go in and try something out before I buy it, I’m not too bothered if the staff act like I’m invisible when I go in, because a)I fully expect it when I go in there and b) I actually prefer to be left to my own devices when I’m having a swatch party (I really hate hovering staff. Just let me cover my hand in makeup in peace). If it looks like what I want isn’t in stock, I go straight to the register as if I’m wanting to pay for something, and ask for help there (although I generally still have to wait for 10 minutes for someone to be bothered to come up) (and then because a lot of them have no product knowledge whatsoever, they’ll have never heard of the shade I’m asking for and I’ll have to show them on the MAC website). But if I got this type of service anywhere else, I’d never go back!
I’m pretty easy to please in terms of customer service (when beauty/clothes shopping anyway) – If I’m acknowledged, left to my own devices, and then able to get help easily if I need it, I’m happy.
Angie recently posted..Makeup Rewind: BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector
If you hate hovering staff, you’re going to absolutely detest SASA beauty stores in Asia. They’re the best (or worst?) at the hovering method. It’s really annoying; they follow you everywhere you go and they recommend things that don’t interest you at all. I’d love to browse the store because they do have interesting Asian brands I haven’t heard before but the staff just turns me off big time that I can only do quick dashes in and out of the store.
Oh my gosh that reminds me exactly of the duty free beauty shop at KL airport. I was SO looking forward to going in there on my way back to Aus and buying up a storm, but the sales assistants just would not leave me alone and I just felt so hassled! I even tried a method of looking around with my mum, and then when mum would stop to look at something and the SA pounced, I would leave mum to it (she’s much more patient than I am with that sort of thing ha), and I’d scoot off to somewhere else in the shop to look around, but I’d get about 5 seconds of peace before another SA zoom up. GAAHH. 🙂
Angie recently posted..Makeup Rewind: Sunday Riley Prismasilk Eye Colours
LOL – See, for me I LOVE the fact that MAC staff ignore me, and more often than not, they don’t – which I hate….I can’t get over the ‘you are a shoplifter, we have you pegged madam’ guilt that I get when Ozzie sales assistants pester me if I need help – Priceline being the very very worst for this (I seriously want to yell every single time I go in ‘WILL YOU JUST BOG OFF AND LEAVE ME ALONE TO BROWSE THE PRETTY THINGS!!!!!’).
But bad customer service in general seems to be a thing more here than the UK – if you phone to complain about something in the UK they apologise and see what they can do to sort it. I think the only attitude I’ve had here in Australia is ‘So what?’ – Literally! So frustrating!
Anyway, I’m learning to just try and be more Aussie and laid back about things and not care so much – its starting to work, after nearly 3 years here now…..just a little more to go lol…
Hilary recently posted..Furnishing your home
OMG I had that exact response with UPS today! Buggers threw my parcel over the gate and onto the floor. I emailed them to complain. Lady called me and told me that it’s okay for drivers to do that as long as they deemed it safe. In that “so what?” tone. Gah, this is the time when I wish we still have old land line phones just so I can literally slam the phone down!
When I went to Debenhams in London with my friend who was after a Bare Minerals product, the sales assistant gave me a sample too even though I was just having a sticky beak. I was so shocked and very happy =)
What about tolerating bad customers hahaha.
Kat Ness recently posted..The Morning of Our Wedding
Now that’s awesome customer service!
You know, I’d love to read the other side of the story where retail staff have to deal with terrible customers. I know there are horrid customers; I’ve seen them in action. >.<
Having worked in retail for over 10 years now, I think I’ve got it down pretty well. Also working for a company who trains you for weeks on end and continually on customer service, I guess now I have high standards.
Myer is the store I experience the worst customer service, probably because most of the counters are staffed by older women than myself. I seem to get a lot of prejudice when it comes to my age! Myer are great with complaints though, I received a large box of samples to compensate the way I was treated. Would I go back? Probably because it’s the largest one near my house, otherwise I wouldn’t go near it again.
Marianne recently posted..Essence Haul
I’ve had pretty lousy customer service at MYER too with, like you said, older women manning counters. The younger ones are friendly (sometimes overly friendly with overly familiar terms of endearment but I can definitely tolerate that) but I’m usually greeted with a sullen look by the older women. Hmm I wonder why.
if you want to talk about bad customer service, come to Dubai. it’s absolutely shocking. most of the time i get absolutely ignored by sales staff, they don’t smile and most have just barged right into me while walking away. it’s so bad to the point that when I do get a partially alright SA or even a somewhat enthusiastic one I’m practically hugging them.
Shamim de Varax recently posted..Review: Mor Cosmetics Lip Macaron in Blood Orange
Yikes that bad?? I thought it’d be good since there are a lot of people there willing to spend! (or is that just a bad stereotype I need to get out of my head?)
What a coincidence that you brought up this topic as I’ve had some bad encounters this week. Malaysian customer service – they depend on how your “overall” look is. Have you watched Pretty Woman, in the scene where she went for shopping for her transformation and went back to the store which ignored her? Yes, I get them most of the time especially at Sephora & MAC. And Sephora are very selective in informing updates to their customers, even though you’re a member.
However, with the existence of social media it does help to highlight the issue when originally they will completely ignore you.
But my worse experience, definitely will be from courier service, ABX Express. The horror of having their customer rep saying “If you can wait for a week, why can’t you wait for another week?”. Whereas they failed to inform they were coming earlier and purposely delayed re-sending so that customers pick themselves at their warehouse in Subang Airport!
Let me tell you a funny story. When I was living in Malaysia, each time I go to MAC, I always end up coming out feeling smaller and crappier than before I went in because that’s exactly how the staff will treat you if you go in there not “made up”. So one time I went into MAC (this was the year after I moved to Australia), and I asked for the MAC 150 brush in a super put-on American accent that I couldn’t even think I could do and you know what? I had the BEST customer service from them ever. And the funniest thing is, the sales assistant who served me starting speaking in this horrible “angmoh” accent just because I had one on. I came out of the store, caught up with my mum and seriously almost pissed myself laughing. That’s how superficial those people are. 😛
Having worked years managing pubs, I have given customer service a lot! And sometimes, it wasn’t very good I admit (bad days, very busy service…not always customer’s fault!). It shouldn’t happen I know. That’s why now I am a bit more lenient. If it is a shop, I’ll probably go again as a second chance. Restaurant-wise, I’ll see how the evening pans out.
I have to say that service in Australia is second to none! They could teach French sales assistants a thing or two! By the way, how were you treated service-wise during your trip to Paris?
Most if not all of the customer service I had in Paris was good. I did get a few rather arrogant ones but even so, the overall service was good. I didn’t feel like I wanted to smack anyone at all. 😛
To be honest, the answer to your question is No. There is never a time to tolerate bad customer service. Indifference isn’t bad customer service to me per se, but rudeness is. So if its a retail situation and I’m ignored, I don’t usually care unless I do need the help. If I’m in a hurry, I leave anyway. If it’s a restaurant, I’ve had my poor experiences in many places in the world, but one of the worst is the Lorong Selamat CKT lady who should be banned for the most abysmal service in the world. Oh and coffee shops where they are rude I don’t go back either. Generally for me, I don’t tolerate anything that I’d deem to be bad customer service to me. But generally, if I’m not treated rudely I’m not fussed. Sometimes, when I’m treated too well, I get suspicious that I’m going to get my throat cut! 😛
Paris B recently posted..Save & Splurge: Daiso Dupes for the Brush Egg and Sigma Brush Glove
Hahahahaha it’s the case of damned if you do, damned if you don’t! Asian makan places are the only places I’d tolerate bad customer service. I think I’ve come to an age where I no longer think it’s okay to have someone treat you badly especially when I’m the one who’s forking out the money. Back then, I just sucked it up. Now, well, I try not to. 😛
I don’t tolerate bad customer service .. if I get ignored (Mac, Palm Desert store) then I won’t go back .. you can’t have my money and I hope your store closes .. so there .. lol.
Monica.
MonicaP recently posted..Inspired by Camo
Hahahah I know right? How is it that I’m the one forking out the money AND the one on the receiving end of poor customer service? That logic does not compute! 😛
I think a lot of the time it depends on my mood, and what service is being provided to me. Most of the time I’m pretty easy-going with customer service, but if something is truly AWFUL I try to say something – to prevent it from happening to someone else in the future.
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Yeah that’s how I feel too. I’d say something if I can prevent the bad service from happening to another person. These days, with social media, we now know what to avoid. 🙂