Customer Service - A Lost Art

We all have had the experience of walking into a store or business and....there you stand. No one really approaches you to ask if you need any assistance. You are left to wander the jungle of aisles and within an hour or so, I doubt you would be noticed if you raised a white flag. The cashiers are way too busy making plans for "after work," and the stockers are sitting on the boxes having a chat.

It's not only in person, you can get ignored by phone, fax, mail, and e-mail. There are just so many ways to make you feel insig- nificant and bothersome. The only time you might get someone's attention is when you get a telemarketing monotone speech and you make the statement that you are on the "Do Not Call" list. You get immediate attention - they hang up.

In bygone era days, the customer was always right, and the workers were told to jump to attention when a customer entered the estab- lishment and to make themselves available for any assistance or to answer questions. In modern times, and with so much seasonal help, like summer jobs and Christmas fill-in jobs, the younger generation just sees their job as an extension of their social life. A bit harsh - not really. Just go to a bank and your young teller is carrying on a conversation with the person next to them, and you can only hope that they get your business right - and miracle - they usually do. Maybe they have some sort of mechanism built-in their minds so they not only multi-task but multi-converse - sometimes to you but mostly to everyone around them.

Try another way of getting attention in a store - return something or ask for a price. Besides getting the inevitable "tsk" sound from the person behind the counter, and the hand on the hip with the blank stare - no, you didn't just drop out of the sky and decide to enter. If you wait long enough, many times you just grab that package and mutter "just forget it" . Price checks usually have some person run up to the register, is shown the item, and then they leave down another aisle, sometimes never to be seen again - yet no one worries about their disappearance. Only you - because you are still standing there taking in all the glares of the consumers behind you wondering what you are doing.

If you frequent fast-food restaurants, there are usually ten young people behind the counter - all wearing their uniforms in different ways of disarray. You tell them what you would like, they start punching on that computer, they then call the manager, who is in the process of holding a bag ready for fries, and she/he looks at you, and then starts punching on the computer. Soon, the cashier tells you what your order equals - but forgot to ask you if you want it to go. You mention that either way is fine - but it is not. You must make a choice. There is an "inside" tax and a "take out" tax. No matter that they are the same amount usually, but you must make a quick decision. Your order arrives and even though you are standing right there, they look a bit past you and call out a number. You look at your receipt just to make sure it is you and you try to hand the ticket in. They are still searching the crowd - you must just be a faceless body waving some type of white paper in the air. Try going through the drive-up and be asked if you want it to go - no, you just thought you would get your order, find a parking spot, and go inside. Well, everyone does have choices. right?

While this all may seem a bit off the deep end, you must be under the age of 21, and are currently enjoying your three-month vacation. You do wish you were somewhere else - really anywhere else - but that darn car insurance has to be paid and that is your "ticket" to car-freedom. Just wait until the older generation starts a protest and we take over video stores and CD shops, as well as all those "cool" places to hang out. We will sit and discuss our latest aches and pains, stare at you because we really don't understand the twelve holes in your ear lobes - not that we are cirticizing - just friendly notice. Things will change - and then the tables will turn. Ah, just the thought of it - life will then be so good. ©Arleen M. Kaptur July, 2007

Arleen M. Kaptur has written many books and articles on everyday living and finding peace and joy in all we do.

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