tiptop Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 Is it just me, or do others feel that customer service is shocking on the Island? I'm just back from England and staff in shops were bending over backwards to try and help. Are the poor service levels back home just due to lack of competition? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terse Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 I don't see how that helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiptop Posted September 16, 2009 Author Share Posted September 16, 2009 I don't see how that helps. LOL!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onchan1 Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 Are the poor service levels back home just due to lack of competition? The competition comes from internet shopping - shop / business owners seem to try their best to ignore this fact until their business is not viable any more and then they have a good whinge about people not shopping locally... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grant Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 I really think poor customer service is in the minority on the Island, and is no more or less than you find in the UK. I wonder if it's really just provoked by attitudes. If you walk into a shop, look down your nose at the assistant, issue a directive with no please and no smile, the chances are, you won't get the highest level of service. Walk in a shop, say "good morning", make eye contact, smile, and say "may I have X" or "Please could I have X" you are quite likely to receive service with a smile. Not really a hard concept to grasp. I don't work in a shop, I have in the past and some customers really do act very superior and up themselves. Just a little thought for people who find this problem repeatedly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempus Fugit Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 I think the problem arises because people have got used to talking a trolly or basket into a shop, searching for what they want, picking it off a shelf or peg and depositing it in their trolly/basket, taking it to the checkout, and get a shock when they actually come face to face with a real person ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tugger Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 If we're going to generalise, I think you typically get shit customer service from young staff, and good customer service from older staff. One rather ridiculous example: I went to the Terrace chippy recently and was completely ignored by the sulky teenage girls there and eventually an already-busy bloke in his thirties or forties had to come and ask me what I wanted, while the lazy bitches stood around examining each other's acne. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Tatlock Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 You generally get back what you put in to any 'relationship', whether it's with a shopkeep or not...though with shopkeeps on £4.70 to £6 an hour usually, expect a few tiffs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thargoid Killer Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 Are the poor service levels back home just due to lack of competition? The competition comes from internet shopping - shop / business owners seem to try their best to ignore this fact until their business is not viable any more and then they have a good whinge about people not shopping locally... +1 Customer service on the Island is shit, and businesses better buck up if they're going to compete with the internet. I walked into certain camera store once to buy/haggle for a zoom lense for my DSLR. After talking and 'connecting' with the sales person I asked if they did price comparison. "Yes" he said So I pulled out the printed page from Amazon showing the same lense £40 cheaper "oh, we only do price comparison for local prices" Well, my PC is pretty local - I turn it on, get on the internet and hey presto - it's at my door ( Free ) in a couple of days time. He was totally uninterested, and didn't understand at all the concept of bartering either. Call me un-patriotic, but I'd rather save money and buy off the net than get ripped off and suffer rubbish customer service, especially as times are hard. 'The Customer is King' 'The Customer is always right' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cacti Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 Are the poor service levels back home just due to lack of competition? The competition comes from internet shopping - shop / business owners seem to try their best to ignore this fact until their business is not viable any more and then they have a good whinge about people not shopping locally... +1 Customer service on the Island is shit, and businesses better buck up if they're going to compete with the internet. I walked into certain camera store once to buy/haggle for a zoom lense for my DSLR. After talking and 'connecting' with the sales person I asked if they did price comparison. "Yes" he said So I pulled out the printed page from Amazon showing the same lense £40 cheaper "oh, we only do price comparison for local prices" Well, my PC is pretty local - I turn it on, get on the internet and hey presto - it's at my door ( Free ) in a couple of days time. He was totally uninterested, and didn't understand at all the concept of bartering either. Call me un-patriotic, but I'd rather save money and buy off the net than get ripped off and suffer rubbish customer service, especially as times are hard. 'The Customer is King' 'The Customer is always right' Well put. When you consider all the bollocks thats on application forms asking how well you are with people, it really does show how much people lie to get these jobs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevster Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 I walked into certain camera store once to buy/haggle for a zoom lense for my DSLR. After talking and 'connecting' with the sales person I asked if they did price comparison."Yes" he said So I pulled out the printed page from Amazon showing the same lense £40 cheaper "oh, we only do price comparison for local prices" Well, my PC is pretty local - I turn it on, get on the internet and hey presto - it's at my door ( Free ) in a couple of days time. He was totally uninterested, and didn't understand at all the concept of bartering either. Call me un-patriotic, but I'd rather save money and buy off the net than get ripped off and suffer rubbish customer service, especially as times are hard. 'The Customer is King' 'The Customer is always right' You pay for what you get - instant delivery from the shop - or wait a few days and save a few quid. I've always found a certain camera store (Jessops, in my case) very good on customer service - but then I'm always polite to people who are serving in any shop. PS: It's spelt 'lens' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pontius Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 My experience has been generally good here at home - better than much of 'across'. That said, last week my old banger of a car finally packed up and I need a replacement 'pronto'. I visited 12 local car dealers over two days, ready for an on-the-spot cash deal. Of those 12 dealers, only 2 bothered to get off their poncy swivel chairs and actually ask me if I needed assistance or information (well done, Betteridges and Eurocars). The rest just ignored me. One very prominent dealer in high-end motors had TWO wazzocks sitting on poncy chairs who ignored me even when I opened the door of a display car, and a third wazzock who calmly walked right past me as I looked at another. Clearly, the IoM second-hand car market doesn't need customers! I'm now looking on t'Internet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
La_Dolce_Vita Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 Well put. When you consider all the bollocks thats on application forms asking how well you are with people, it really does show how much people lie to get these jobs. But it ridiculous to expect people to fill in large applications forms for a customer service assistant role that pays around £5.50-£6. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grant Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 Well put. When you consider all the bollocks thats on application forms asking how well you are with people, it really does show how much people lie to get these jobs. But it ridiculous to expect people to fill in large applications forms for a customer service assistant role that pays around £5.50-£6. Why? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
La_Dolce_Vita Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 I don't see why a CV and cover letter will not suffice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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