Why is customer service *so* bad now?

[Anonymous]

For every polite customer, there are several who are rude. An 18-year old I know works at a dry cleaner and was almost assaulted by a customer who blamed him for a stain on his white shirt that couldn't be removed. I think these experiences can harden a person and make them less likely to be friendly and helpfu.

[Anonymous]

I don’t customer service people are rude, but I do find them less helpful. They don’t really care about whether they’re being helpful or th ones that care are not particularly bright - they can only read a script and are not really capable of,problem solving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm convinced it's the low unemployment rate. My job pays $45 an hour and you need to be smart and personable but you don't need an education beyond a high school degree, and we are having trouble getting and keeping people. Even though we have a great work environment.

Retail/customer service jobs pay a lot less and are a lot less rewarding than my job. It's very hard in this climate of low unemployment to keep low-paying customer service roles like that staffed. This means that surly employees who give crappy service don't get fired -- there isn't anyone to replace them with. If there are 100 people who want your job, you need to behave. If no one wants your job, and the job needs to get done, then, well, you don't need to be all that great.

It's interesting because I know a lot of talented polite teenagers looking for jobs and they can't get hired. Maybe it's time to give them a chance again (like Chik-fil-A does.)

[Anonymous]

I have a $35-$45 an hour job for you all, no experience needed. We cannot find workers even for that pay.
Customer service has gone down probably because they simply have no workers. The few workers they find can easily moved on to another low paying job.
We have people without work permit who don't put up with bad treatment or working conditions and move to another job very fast.They think they can do better at the next place and they are right.
1997 when I was illegal, I ended up working in horrific places. Customers were not that bad,but the business owners were. I had no easy way of getting another job even when terrified of going to work.
Many girls like myself were picked up and prostituted out or prostituting themselves as there were no jobs. My boss reminded us all how grateful we should be.
I couldn't even get a job handing out fliers for a business at $7 an hour; they asked for work permit. Things have changed and now businesses can't find workers for simple jobs, not even illegals.
We have youngsters who literally tell me that they work too much(3 shifts in one case) and want work/life balance. Good for them. I didn't even know what the heck that was back in a day (or a break required by law or a minimum wage required by law).
This pandemic made many people financially well off who previously worked in customer service. I'm one of them.
Most of us at my restaurant have Robinhood accounts and trade often. This was not readily available 20-25 years ago. I started trading in Covid because there was nothing else to do but to sit on apps and youtube. I don't have to work as hard as I did before. I actually don't have to work a all.
It's sad that I had to put up with very bad working conditions for years - ended up in ER from work a few times. Now that I have a good place to work, I don't have the energy anymore.
I'm glad that young people don't put up with any of it but I'm also jealous.
I will go in today and work somewhat slow brunch from 10-4, but I'm not happy about it. Twenty years ago my one shift was 12-hours for the pay of about $120-$150, but it was brutal without a break.
My boss holds on to me and my co-worker with all the might he has, because we still outwork the young people. Anyone under 40 seem to have different expectations when it comes to workplace and work.
So, if anyone needs a job, most restaurants are hiring. We are in Georgetown. It is not easy to find workers, because they cannot afford to live in GT. We do get some students, but ofcourse they won't stay for long.
Sorry to get off topic. I have not had a bad customer for a long time. Too many low wage jobs and not enough takers is to blame if you asked me, specially in DC.

[Anonymous]

I think it has to do with everyone thinking they’re equal. To be in customer service you have to grovel a bit, the customer is always right and you go out of your way to make them happy. People don’t want to do that anymore. It was always a fake show I guess.

I think customer service has moved to be like it is in Europe. Where I should be happy my waiter brought my coffee and I shouldn’t ask for sugar or more cream.

[Anonymous]

I’m in a public facing job and my staff has good salaries (125k+). I have to go out of my way to show my employees what they need to do. Anytime they think customers are acting irrationally, they want to not help them. They feel like they’re professionals and don’t need the abuse. I don’t allow them to be abused, but they definitely still have to say lines like “I’m sorry for the misunderstanding” “please let me know if I can arrange a phone call to discuss in detail”. I had to make a handbook about it and we all attended customer service training.

People just don’t grow up kowtowing to others anymore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t customer service people are rude, but I do find them less helpful. They don’t really care about whether they’re being helpful or th ones that care are not particularly bright - they can only read a script and are not really capable of,problem solving.

Same. I feel like a lot of them are high because that’s the dull look the eyes I get when I ask a question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m in a public facing job and my staff has good salaries (125k+). I have to go out of my way to show my employees what they need to do. Anytime they think customers are acting irrationally, they want to not help them. They feel like they’re professionals and don’t need the abuse. I don’t allow them to be abused, but they definitely still have to say lines like “I’m sorry for the misunderstanding” “please let me know if I can arrange a phone call to discuss in detail”. I had to make a handbook about it and we all attended customer service training.

People just don’t grow up kowtowing to others anymore.

.

This is a good thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t customer service people are rude, but I do find them less helpful. They don’t really care about whether they’re being helpful or th ones that care are not particularly bright - they can only read a script and are not really capable of,problem solving.

Same. I feel like a lot of them are high because that’s the dull look the eyes I get when I ask a question.

Yep.
I was on night shift at a hospital and some of the Gen Z staff were blatantly vaping THC while on the clock. not only a gross violation of code of conduct but also dangerous to patient care! When I told the manager she just put her head in her hands and said "You know how hard it is to find people to work nights." And that was the end of it. (I ended up quitting.)
Take a look at the jobs forum. People are talking about hundreds of applicants for these great, high-paying, work from home jobs. When I took my job they said I was the first applicant in three months for night shift, and this is a decent paying healthcare job. Retail is even worse. When you are waiting around for THREE MONTHS to fill a position, you don't care how worthless they are as an employee. There is no one to replace them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For every polite customer, there are several who are rude. An 18-year old I know works at a dry cleaner and was almost assaulted by a customer who blamed him for a stain on his white shirt that couldn't be removed. I think these experiences can harden a person and make them less likely to be friendly and helpfu.

.

I think this is a huge part of it, too. Yes customer service has gotten a lot worse. But so have the customers. People are behaving badly all over the place — and when you have to deal with the general public all day, yeah that’s gotta be hard.

This makes me think of my sister-in-law. It’s always embarrassing to go to a restaurant with her because she treats the server so poorly. It’s like it is her one chance to lord it over someone and act superior. It’s awful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve only had that problem with people abroad who answer the phone (my cell phone company, insurance, etc).

You are a liar and a troll. Customer Service people who are abroad are far more helpful than Americans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Every time these threads crop up, I suspect it's mostly the author who is the problem. I hardly ever encounter poor customer service, but then I'm always someone who makes eye contact with the waitress/cashier/customer rep, treats them like a human being and mind my manners.

You generally receive what you put in.

People who write such posts get up on the wrong side of the bed, go about with surly faces, and then proceed to notice every negative interaction they have.

Says the skinny blonde white woman.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The current crop of youngsters has been told corporate America is evil, Boomers and Gen X are keeping them down, they shouldn't have to work hard, everyone is entitled to a good life and healthcare, and hard work is for suckers.

You reap what you sow.

Good summation of what young people believe.

Thanks for this. I was trying to express this sentiment on the political forum about how ridiculous it is to expect GenZ to save democracy (on top of this).

[Anonymous]

I wish this forum had profile pictures because I can 100% tell you the difference between the people who get amazing customer service because they are "nice and polite" and the ones who get treated like crap even though they are also nice and polite.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t customer service people are rude, but I do find them less helpful. They don’t really care about whether they’re being helpful or th ones that care are not particularly bright - they can only read a script and are not really capable of,problem solving.

Same. I feel like a lot of them are high because that’s the dull look the eyes I get when I ask a question.

Everyone in a restaurant that is under the age of 30 is high.