“Unbelievable!” This is a word that my angry mouth expels whenever I become a victim of terrible customer service, and I realize that this is a frequent occurrence since my arrival to El Paso more than a year ago from Los Angeles. I know that L.A. is a big city and the common conception is that big city folks are rude; however, in my experiences, I rarely encountered this, and I know why. There are so many businesses vying for your attention and money that they must constantly be courteous, friendly and helpful.
In one occurrence, I went to a utility office to collect some items. The middle-aged woman was engaged in a phone conversation with someone it appeared she knew. As I approached her, I expected her to acknowledge my presence and give me a signal of her intent to attend to me shortly.
However, after five minutes, nothing happened. By the time she got off of the phone 10 minutes later, my blood was boiling. No apology, no smile from her end, just a stare signaling me to initiate the conversation! Finally, she gave me the five items, which were delicate, and I tried to maintain my poise, but it disappeared as I accidently dropped them on the floor. First, she should have put the items in a bag before handing it to me, instead of having me juggle them in my arms. Second, it would have been nice if she showed concern when I dropped them by saying ‘I’m sorry,’ or ‘let me replace those, in case they cracked.’ She had fault in this drop, but, instead, retorted in a sarcastic way, ‘okay,’ as if I was immature. If there was an award for the employee who gives the worst customer service, I would give her two.
In another incident, I went to a restaurant where it is required to pay the cashier before getting the food. As I stood before the unattended counter. Finally this young lady scurried to the counter and without greeting me or apologizing for the five-minute wait, she asked ‘how many.’ “One,” I replied, trying to keep my composure.
I do recognize those that give excellent service. Whenever I walk in a certain banking institution, I am immediately greeted by a host and asked if I need help filling out any statements.
As I wait, I am offered something to drink. This is what customer service is all about.
By
Anoushka Valodya/Editor