Old man rant on poor customer service

[gtaus]

So I go into my local auto parts store. I can't find the item I want. I walk up to the counter. I patiently wait for the young man to finish his conversation with his fellow employee so I can ask a question. He finally notices that I am waiting at his register, so he asks what I want. I tell him that I am looking for a split charger, also called a voltage sensitive relay.

He looks at me like I have a third eye in the middle of my forehead. What's that? He asks. So I tell his that it used to charge an auxiliary battery, like in a camper, so that you don't drain your main starting battery. He had no clue what I was talking about, but heard battery charger, so he pointed to a far wall and told me that if they had any it would be on that back wall. Then he starts talking to his fellow employee again like I was not there.

I'm thinking to myself, I don't know much about auto mechanics, but I obviously know more than this recent high school graduate. Also, I would think that if a customer asks you for an item that you don't know about, you might want to try to discover for yourself if you either have it in the store or if you can get it online from your warehouse. God forbid that you walk with the customer and look with him yourself to see if you carry the item in your store. You might accidently learn more about the inventory you sell and maybe be better able to help the next customer. Or, failing to find the item in the store, you might take the next step and look it up on your online parts database to see if you could order one.

I don't know what has happened to us, but there was a time that customer service was valued. I try to buy things locally to support our local businesses, but interactions like this make me wonder why I even bother. Of course, I was able to find the item on Amazon, and I guess I'll just order it from them, again, but it would have been nice to support the local business - if they had made the least effort to support me.

There's my rant. Thanks for reading.

 

[sdm111]

So I go into my local auto parts store. I can't find the item I want. I walk up to the counter. I patiently wait for the young man to finish his conversation with his fellow employee so I can ask a question. He finally notices that I am waiting at his register, so he asks what I want. I tell him that I am looking for a split charger, also called a voltage sensitive relay.

He looks at me like I have a third eye in the middle of my forehead. What's that? He asks. So I tell his that it used to charge an auxiliary battery, like in a camper, so that you don't drain your main starting battery. He had no clue what I was talking about, but heard battery charger, so he pointed to a far wall and told me that if they had any it would be on that back wall. Then he starts talking to his fellow employee again like I was not there.

I'm thinking to myself, I don't know much about auto mechanics, but I obviously know more than this recent high school graduate. Also, I would think that if a customer asks you for an item that you don't know about, you might want to try to discover for yourself if you either have it in the store or if you can get it online from your warehouse. God forbid that you walk with the customer and look with him yourself to see if you carry the item in your store. You might accidently learn more about the inventory you sell and maybe be better able to help the next customer. Or, failing to find the item in the store, you might take the next step and look it up on your online parts database to see if you could order one.

I don't know what has happened to us, but there was a time that customer service was valued. I try to buy things locally to support our local businesses, but interactions like this make me wonder why I even bother. Of course, I was able to find the item on Amazon, and I guess I'll just order it from them, again, but it would have been nice to support the local business - if they had made the least effort to support me.

There's my rant. Thanks for reading.

That's pretty much anyone under 30 these days
Best to find the "old" guy working or go in with a pt#

 

[gtaus]

Best to find the "old" guy working or go in with pt#

Yep, at my local Fleet store, I always go to the "old" guys there and I know them by name. They know what the store sells, what can be ordered, and most importantly, might suggest a substitute that I had not thought of getting.

 

[Ruby Rogue]

...

...I went in to a hardware store looking for a mini-hammer for a tight space and the old guy immediately directed me to the only pink hammer they had in the store (and it wasn't even mini).

 

[cheepteach]

I feel your pain--customer service in chain stores is sorely lacking. The sales help in our Walmart spend their energy avoiding customers! "not my department"

 

[MildlyOffensiveChicken]

Most large employers went to a model of compartmentalized tasks. Few employees understand more than the step before them, their step and maybe the one after.

You now have maybe 2 good or experienced techs at a car dealership along with a dozen parts replacers.

Improved software has also lowered the standard for retail, including auto parts. One had to have some knowledge to navigate the old parts databases written in DOS or COBOL. Now it is drop downs and can be searched in easier ways. I’m a C- mechanic, but the parts counter often turns the screen towards me as I walk them through what I need.

Automation has removed a lot of human steps in any process. Look at commercial egg operations. Some are fully automated with a few people watching. It’s hard to develop a vocation when it’s push button.

Good or bad, we live very different lives
Than anyone before us. Some data suggests because we have too much plenty, Too many resources, are too safe...IQs are dropping, spatial reasoning is declining and so on.

Folks under 40 are much more likely to be under socialized than previous generations. Computers, cell phones, social media. Lack of car culture, under 18 dance halls, and other face to face unstructured social environments leads to behaviors that are often (wrongly) diagnosed as autism (IMO).

The most annoying one is playing music or movies or FaceTiming without headphones at the airport or other area people are mashed together.

 

[gtaus]

old guy immediately directed me to the only pink hammer they had in the store (and it wasn't even mini).

That's too bad. What we considered "normal" years ago I am sure might be considered sexist by many today. I try to be aware of the changing times myself. At least the old guy did not tell you to send your husband over and he would sell him a real hammer. But a pink hammer, that's just wonderful.

 

[gtaus]

I feel your pain--customer service in chain stores is sorely lacking. The sales help in our Walmart spend their energy avoiding customers! "not my department"

I rarely go into our local Walmart anymore. You have to check out your own items now, or wait in a 30 minute long line where they only have 1 or 2 lanes with a real checkout person available. The WalMart employees mainly stock the shelves, not so much for customer service.

 

[gtaus]

Most large employers went to a model of compartmentalized tasks. Few employees understand more than the step before them, their step and maybe the one after.

You now have maybe 2 good or experienced techs at a car dealership along with a dozen parts replacers.

Improved software has also lowered the standard for retail, including auto parts. One had to have some knowledge to navigate the old parts databases written in DOS or COBOL. Now it is drop downs and can be searched in easier ways. I’m a C- mechanic, but the parts counter often turns the screen towards me as I walk them through what I need.

Automation has removed a lot of human steps in any process. Look at commercial egg operations. Some are fully automated with a few people watching. It’s hard to develop a vocation when it’s push button.

Good or bad, we live very different lives
Than anyone before us. Some data suggests because we have too much plenty, Too many resources, are too safe...IQs are dropping, spatial reasoning is declining and so on.

Folks under 40 are much more likely to be under socialized than previous generations. Computers, cell phones, social media. Lack of car culture, under 18 dance halls, and other face to face unstructured social environments leads to behaviors that are often (wrongly) diagnosed as autism (IMO).

The most annoying one is playing music or movies or FaceTiming without headphones at the airport or other area people are mashed together.

Yep, lots of truth there. Each one could be a separate rant when you think about it. I'm trying not to be too negative, but I was upset that customer service has declined so much over the years. Maybe it's the new normal. I just remember when things were better, IMHO.

But I'm an old guy....probably yelling at kids on the lawn soon. Hope not.

 

[DukesDucks]

I have had that experience of, "Oh Sweetie. Why don't you go home and send your husband back". I do all my own renos, including electrical and plumbing, and was asking for advice on a GFCI plug.
Got a shirt for Christmas that reads, "Go ahead. Under estimate me. That will be fun." Can't wait to wear it if I ever go back to that store.
I agree with some of what has been said but I also believe there is a general lack of incentive and problem solving in customer service.
I bought 4 gallons of paint that was mis-tinted. Took it back to the store to get it lightened. Two clerks, one about 30 and the other about 50, spent several hours solving the problem. First issue was that there wasn't enough room in the cans to add sufficient white. They were stumped until I suggested they remove some paint. Had to even suggest that they could measure how much they took out so it would be the same for each can. That done, they were concerned that each can would not be identical to the other. When I suggested putting all the cans in a 5 gallon pail for mixing, they looked at each other, then at me, as if I was a miracle worker. Yikes.
I do believe that we do not compliment good service enough. Same store, 20ish clerk left to oversee flooring department. He couldn't answer some of my questions which I believe is on the supervisor for lack of training. He was very helpful in picking tiling and determining how much I needed. When the supervisor returned, I made a point of complimenting this young man on his service.