Wednesday, September 24, 2008

good customer service IS hard to find...

I'm a people person.

I don't necessarily have good eye contact all the time.

I like it when my cashier greets me, makes small talk, acknowledges that I've just dropped a wad of money at the store that pays their check. AND says good bye, thank you for shopping here...blah blah blah.

I was in Meijer the other night. I had all FIVE of my kids with me. I sent the boys out to the car with Molly and Levi. (they are responsible and aware. usually)

I chose Cristina's lane. Big mistake. I've chosen Cristina's lane before and vowed to avoid it like the plague. I gave her another chance. Thought maybe the first time she was having a bad day, whatever.

I walked into her lane, said HI, finished emptying my cart, pulled up to the debit machine and proceeded to get quite aggravated because she hadn't said ANYTHING, and had only sighed to herself that being on lane 15 that night WAS TOO MUCH for her. I mean, heck, does she not have a JOB?

By half way thru this torture, putting my bags into the cart (with Mel's help) my shock grew. Then this older dude walks up behind me, plops his 2 items down, and she, very loudly and almost amiably, says to him, "Ohh, I'm not done yet!!". She still hasn't said anything to me and barely made any eye contact. (ooo, I'm steamy annoyed). Finishes my order, DOESN'T even tell me my total, which, may I tell you was over 100 bucks...could I get some decent customer service for this fee, PLEASE???

When I finished up my part and got ready to push out of lane 15, she sighs very mousily "thank you"
not even loud enough to hear.

I think I had smoke coming out of my ears...I calmly walked over to guest services. Be our Guest. Be our Guest. Put our service to the test...yup, that's what I was gonna do.

After Gertie at the desk got done selling the dude in front of me every lottery ticket EVER, I walked up to her and told her, while pointing to the different front line managers, main store managers pictures hanging up on the wall, that I didn't see any of them present but I felt it necessary to point out the complete lack of courtesy given to me by Cristina...

Granted, I murmur. We all do in our own ways. I was very calm and decent, not ranting and raving at all, and I just feel like they would want to know that their employees are giving their company a bad name. I had just started shopping at Meijer again after not going there often because back in the spring, was dealt with very nastily by a little blonde bimbo cashier there....so I made sure to tell front desk Gertie that I would probably not be back and while I know that doesn't hurt a company as big and global as Meijer, it sure makes me feel better. I did do the survey that is on every receipt for Meijer...and got to give my 2 cents there as well!

I will tell all my friends about this too...that's why I'm boring you with this...demand good customer service...is Meijer not an American company? I think they still are (I will have to ask Charmaine about this).

I guess I will stay a Target girl. they just don't have as good of a selection and their produce is non-existent and too highly priced.

Oook. Thank you for letting me rant and rave. I will try to dig up some pix to make up for this befuddled mess.

5 comments:

Tory said...

wow, you really were upset to remember to blog about it. sorry about your customer service...it really is nonexistent these days, yet things are supposed to be "better". (try going through the self-serve line, and they have to ring it all up again themselves becauase of some oddity...or, you but everything on the conveyor after which they tell you it's not working, and YOU will have to move it forward?!) anyway, hope the therapy worked wonders.

love ya, t

wv: uqbzti

Nicky said...

About three months ago, I was in Meijer and this checkout chick said, "I can't wait to get the bleepedy bleep out of here." I got her fired. Thank you very much.

wv: wvobs (word verification obstetrics)

Anonymous said...

You know my thoughts on rude people (remember: goodwill, approx 1 year ago???) I'm so proud of you that you went and told guest services. Being underpaid and in a crappy relationship and working in a thankless job are still not excuses to be rude. Ya feel me? cant wait for starbucky's tonight. I hope you're still in. xoxo

Heather said...

You know, I have had similar experiences at Meijer, myself! When I make myself go there, I check myself out at the "do it yourself lanes" - I just don't feel like dealing w/ rude people, I'll just do it myself!
I hate to say it at the risk of sounding like an old fart, but...what the hay...I swear it's a new generation of "young people" w/ this sense of entitlement. And I'm not clumping them all together, as your children exhibit exemplary courteous behavior. I want to say to these ungrateful little twits, "Honey, you aren't owed anything by this world. You gotta' earn your way through this society. And life's just not fair for any of us. Deal with it!"
Ooh, I'm all fired up, now. I'm going to go write a letter to my local politician!

Laurie and company said...

Let's all join Heather and write letters to our local politicians.

The thing about Cristina, the notorious Meijer employee, is that she was older than me...granted, she was kinda frumpy, whatever, so what? you are a flippin' face of Meijer, their representative, and if you are on the check out lane, you should be friendly. So she can't even blame her crappiness on youth...she has no excuse. From now on, if I have to go in there, I will be sure to use their self-serve check outs...ahhh. they must think it's ok to allow bad attitudes because heck, if you don't like it, go to the self-serve.

sorry that I like some human contact now and then, ya know?

Heather, you and I should start picketing. ok, maybe not. I'm still quite non-confrontational.

Last year at this time, Beck, our kids and I were all at a Goodwill store, shopping for Harvest Party costume ideas. We were in line and this old gal starts cutting in front of me. Um, hi? But I was going to let her. Beck was observing from the sidelines and I hear this "NOOOO, you can't DOOO that!!" and the old gal and I gasped and looked to our right...only to see my sister, standing there, standing up for me!! The lady and Beck shared some "warm" words and she scuttled to the back of the line. Her reasoning for cutting in front of me? She only had 2 or 3 items...so that was ok.

oy vey.

I guess if we can't handle it, we should all stay home.

I expect people to be weird.

but when an employee acts the way this chick did, i will not stand by and let that happen.

I could go on but my day is waiting for me. funny that this burns me up so badly.

have a great Thursday, folks.