WASN’T THE WORSE, just NOT THE BEST
I went to an auto supply store with my daughter earlier this week because, for the second time, my car battery died on me due to the temperature dropping into the negatives and being old. The salesperson who was helping me called another location to check whether they could install the car battery for me. The salesperson called from their cell phone, posing as a customer seeking service for his mother. During the exchange, the salesperson on the other end gave excuse after excuse as to why they could not do the installation for me. After a couple of minutes of overhearing them give excuse after excuse, I told the salesperson to end the call because I would not be going to the location.
To preface this story, it was snowing and cold outside, but not so bad as to warrant not providing the service offered. Overhearing the salesperson at the other location, I grew angry and disappointed. I especially grew angry at the two salespeople at the location I presented to who tried to explain (cover for) why the salesperson would provide so many excuses. I immediately told them both that there is never an excuse for not providing good customer service. I bought the new battery and set off to my neighborhood auto shop for battery installation. Before I left, however, I conveyed that I would be going to the other location to speak directly with the store manager, AGAIN, regarding the incident.
Here’s the thing: on more than one occasion, I have spoken with the store manager about the poor customer service at his store. I cannot be the only customer with negative feedback about the service. I completely understand the reasons the salesperson gave during the phone call, including employees being ill and understaffing. However, when multiple reasons are offered all at once, they come across as excuses. The salesperson who was directly assisting me explained that, at their location, there’s a policy that prevents them from performing installations if only two staff members are present. I completely understood and did not feel lied to when they stated the policy, because it was based on a single rationale, not multiple.
Working in a customer service role is not an easy job, but individuals often make it harder when they refuse to perform their duties. The salesperson at the other location stated they did not want to do the job, which is unacceptable because, as you recall, they were speaking to a customer, not a coworker at another location. Due to the salesperson’s inaction, they have cost their location a customer, the organization a profit, and created a negative image of the organization. The battery was purchased out of necessity at the time, but I will not be doing business with the company in the future.
It is best to always consider how poor service reflects not only on you as a customer service professional but also on your coworkers, supervisors, and the organization as a whole. Is this a practice among the staff? Is this behavior condoned by leadership through silence and inaction? Was this behavior instituted by leadership at just this location or at all locations? Is behavior like this a problem throughout the organization? One salesperson’s poor customer service can signal poor service throughout the organization and be very costly. This is why, as customers, we are bombarded with surveys, robocalls, emails, text messages, and other communications seeking feedback on customer service.
No organization has perfect customer service. There will be hit-or-miss days; not all employees will perform perfectly every day in their roles. As customer service employees, we should always strive to provide the best service we can. As customer service agents, we should be aware of the policies that govern our performance, be knowledgeable about the services we provide, and be attentive to our customers’ needs. We should never ask out loud, “Why can’t they put the battery in themselves?”
While that experience was not the worst customer service I have encountered, it was not the best either. It does not detract from our role as customer service agents in assisting our customers. Then again, if that is the attitude of a customer service entity, it is not the career for them.
By Nick Higgins
