Lack of Good Customer Service-Vent

[mylilnikita]

Hi
First of all let me say I know everyone has their bad days, but the following isn't about bad days, it is about bad and unprofessional service:
I went to our local grocery store and cell phones at the cash register should not be allowed: The young cashier had her cellphone go off as she was ringing up the customer ahead of me, from the side of her conversation it was her DBF. By the time it was me to be rung up, she was still on the phone, telling him to bring her lunch, etc, then she told him the big F word and all the while ringing me up as well as starting to ring up the woman behind me, her stuff she even moved the seperation bar.
So I tell her she needs to get off the phone because she is charging me for stuff that isn't mine. She got off the phone after rolling her eyes at me and called the manager over to void out the certain items and the lady behind me told me that the girl was on the cellphone the whole time. The manager tells the cashier she will talk to her later and I pack most of the things because people are waiting and the girl is just taking her time, doesnt say thank you for shopping or anything.
The same day but later on: I take my dogs to go get their picture taken at a local pet store. I then look at the pictures on the laptop computer and the girl who is showing me has her boyfriend who is overseas at least 3 times text message her while she is waiting on me. So the last time, I say, I am the customer and right at this moment your boyfriend is interfering with you doing your job.
I had a job where I had a Nextel and I would not answer it if I were talking to a guest, the guest had my complete attention and that is how it should be. Thanks for reading my vent.

 

[lisajl]

ITA with you!! I work for a veterinarian and I can't tell you how many times we have been interrupted by cell phones. We are trying to tell the customer something about a product they want, their phone rings and they answer it!

The worst time is when they are in the room with the doctor. Their phone rings right in the middle of the doctors conversation with them. Yes, they answer it, the doctor walks out of the room.
People need to be more considerate.

Lisa

 

[ChristmasElf]

The days of looking like you are someone important because you have a cell phone are over.
We were over at EPCOT watching the concert at the American Gardens Theatre a couple nights ago, some idiot starts gabbing on his cell phone during the concert!
He starts yelling because he cannot hear the caller over the music! This goes on for at least 3 minutes until enough people told him to knock it off and put the stupid phone away. What a clown.

 

[TSR6]

mylilnikita - I totally agree. At places such as a grocery store there is no need to answer a personal cell phone. I always talk to the person behind me in line as loud as I can "Wow.. I can't beleive they can talk on personal phones here?"

dirty looks galore!

 

[Missy1961]

I think we customers need to tell these companies that cellphone use at work should be banned! Let the store managers know how rude it is, let district offices know, let corporate offices know. Back in the olden days (25 years ago) when I worked retail we couldn't even have a friend visit us! (unless they were a customer, of course).

 

[Froggyswife]

That does sound agravating I've never had that happen here in our town I don't think our grocery stores allow them to be used on company time.

 

[fireman17]

I can remember my first job working at a local major retail store. The rules were spelled out for you in the handbook and one policy was no personal phone calls, the operator would even ask the caller if they called for you by name if it was a personal call.
If in fact it was a personal call she would take the callers number and give you the message when you went on break. Management was very strick when it came to this policy because, the customer came first and the store was in business to make money and the customer was the one spending the money.
I believe retail stores need to tell new employees that cell phones should not be allowed on the sales floor at all just for this reason. The minute they pick up the cell phone the salesperson forgets about you.
I don't know about you but I have never had this happen but, if it does the salesperson is in for a very rude awakening by a very extremely upset customer. ME!!!

 

[Pugdog007]

This is precisely why I've banned cellphones in my dept at work. There's nothing worse than a CSR's personal phone ringing in their purse when they are on the phone with a customer! They whine and complain about "my rule" because "other depts don't have to follow it." I don't care... other depts aren't my problem. It's unprofessional and I won't allow it. Granted we're not a store that people walk into, nonetheless we talk to clients on the phone all day. Really seems like a no-brainer to me.

 

[ericamanda01]

That is outragous! I can't believe that any supervisor would allow anyone to have their personal cell phone turned on to accept any personal calls/text messages. The only exception I could see if it were an emergency. I would have been so mad. It would have been just as rude if her BF was standing there. What is with some people!

 

[lovetoscrap]

It's not just personal cell phone calls. I also really hate it when I am in the middle of a transaction at a business and the business phone rings and the CSR asks ME to wait while they answer the phone. HELLO??? I was here first! Would you ask me to wait while you helped the people that walked up behind me?

One day, several years ago I was at a major discount store and was in line to return something and the cashier at the return desk kept leaving the customer she was helping to answer the constantly ringing phone. Didn't even ask them to "please hold" but would transfer them, call on the PA for them, or look stuff up on the computer. The lady in front of me got so disgusted she left her items on the counter and walked out (she was also the only cashier that morning). I finally was helped (interrupted by the phone 3x!) and when she was done I asked for the manager. I very firmly let him know he had lost a customer and we were all very angry at the store "priorities". I made sure he understood that I didn't blame the cashier, because it seemed that it was store policy that the phone HAD to be answered to the detriment of all else. I let him know that he needed to find someone else to answer the phone, or just let it ring. The customer standing in the store is the one spending money and deserves your full attention!

Don't know if anything changed--I never shopped there again!

 

[MissMinnie]

I know in some businesses they make the employees answer the phones no matter what. I have worked for some of them. The problem is that if the phone keeps ringing and ringing, the managers get ticked off that the calls are not being answered, but the customers are getting angry. Usually the problem stems from "cost cutting" and not having enough people to both answer phones and help the customers. In a store that has heavy phone call volume and customers, you would think that another body would be important, even part time during the busiest part. I have walked out of stores because of cell phone convos going on by the cashiers and their friends. I find complaining only works some of the time. In some stores they don't care.

 

[MoniqueU]

I think it's a generational thing. I would not think anything more of someone getting a cell call then someone getting a landline call, which often happens in stores, like from a different dept. It's how they handle it I suppose.
I did walk out on one shoe store a long time ago because this guy would not stop talking on the land line phone and I needed help, so I went to nordstroms and paid slightly more for the shoes. Now we are on to cell phones. Not all calls bug me, some would I guess but not as many as bother other people.

 

[MoniqueU]

That is outragous! I can't believe that any supervisor would allow anyone to have their personal cell phone turned on to accept any personal calls/text messages. The only exception I could see if it were an emergency. I would have been so mad. It would have been just as rude if her BF was standing there. What is with some people!

My husband is pretty much the big boss, the owners are his bosses. I call my husband on his cell at work whenever I see fit. And he works with the public. I could call his office phone but they tape the calls for quality assurance. I really don't want my personal call to my husband recorded. So I will call his cell whenever I want. If he is busy he won't answer me and will call me back when he can. All his friends and work aquaintences call him on his cell too. They call him on home on his day off as well, his phone is ringing non stop.
That's just the way we do it here and there is no way things are likely to change. Do I sometimes get sick of the work calls at 11 oclock at night? Yes I do but thats just the way he has to be available in his position, Other people might have nice simple office jobs, or work in a hospital or in a teaching enviornment but not all jobs or work enviornments are the same. People shouldn't assume they are.

 

[Planogirl]

Sometimes you run into the other extreme.

My current workplace doesn't allow any calls not even emergency calls. So I have my cell phone in my pocket with vibrate on. DS has full instructions to call me if he has an emergency and I will visit an out of the way restroom to call him back.

I agree that regular cell phone or any phone use should be strictly controlled at the workplace. However when they won't even allow me to receive true emergency calls then I have to be creative.

 

[safetymom]

People behind the counter shouldn't be talking on their cell when waiting on customers. But I also feel the customer shouldn't be on their cell when checking out. If you need to take a call then step aside, deal with the matter, then get in line.

 

[LindsayDunn228]

This is precisely why I've banned cellphones in my dept at work.

Good for you!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Marseeya]

I'm lucky that I've never encountered that! Wow, I'd be steamed.

When I was working retail, there were two of us in a small store with occasional part-time help through the week (10-20 hours). If the phone rang and we were waiting on someone, we'd let it ring or would pick it up and ask them to hold. Our policy was "customer first," but the district manager used to get so mad at us because he didn't appreciate being put on hold. Of all people who should understand! But we defied him on that every time.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

On the employee side they should not be doing this.

On the guest side--I'm sorry--but you don't know the importance of their call--while it may be rude...it could also be a very important moment that does take priority over the transaction. They should excuse themselves if able to (but if it is mid order--sometimes the clerk cannot avoid it without management anyway).

You can tell the difference usually--but to say in general it should not be allowed--in this day and age having cell phone prevents us being slaves to our home while waiting for that important phone call.

The clerk--NO EXCUSE! If it is a true emergency a call to the store will be sufficient and a manager or supervisor I am sure would convey the message as the have done pre-cell phones. (i.e death or an accident or illness of a family member).