Tonights rant will cover the entitled world of customer service. After more than..uhhh, lets just say a lot of years of customer service and satisfaction being part of my job, I am begining to think I've taken the wrong approach. You see, I always thought the goal was to keep the customer happy. It appears I am delusional!
Maybe you have all been aware of this and just not told me..(How rude of you :-) I know we have all experienced the fast food, or retail teenage employee who is just starting out and thinks they should be president of the company. We all know that reality train is coming, but this is different..
This previous Saturday I thought I would take my truck in for an oil change and to have my tires rotated and balanced, after all my truck gets the gas mileage of an 18 wheeler and every little bit helps, but that's a whole other rant.
I brought the truck to Pep Boys who I've dealt with for many years, and who have always given me decent service...but alas, the storm clouds were coming and I should have noticed this on my previous visit when I saw new faces and they weren't quite organized.
Whatever changes had been made months ago, finally germinated into a finally tuned Keystone Kop operation (I am not explaining the keystone kops). Relax, I am getting there. As I said I took the truck in on Saturday at 8AM. Usually this is a good time because I am out by no later than 9:30, but not today!
I should've know something was up when I detected a vacant stare in the counter-man. There were a line of customers at the counter and many of them appeared to have the same appointment, as you know this is not a good sign. When I finally got to the counter and explained what I wanted the counter-man looked at me like I was insane and told me he couldn't get me in until noon..I should have just cut my losses and called it a day, but not me, I need to get hit with a stick, so I agreed to come back. WHAT A MISTAKE!
What followed was a display of non-existant organizational and communication skills that would have amused cro-magnon man. I returned at noon, upon which the counter-man I had talked to earlier took my keys and told me he would get me right in..Oh nay, this was not to be!
Upon giving up my keys I noticed that there was only one other customer in the waiting area, and this made me feel confident..another mistake. I had some work to do so I sat down and started working..
Fast forward to 1:30 PM and I hear a customer complaining that their car is not done, which brings me back to reality. I notice the time and decide to check on my trucks progress. OH BOY!
I walk to the counter and glance outside, I see my truck parked there and I assume it's done! I'll bet you know how assume translates, and it applies in this case!! I asked the counter-man if my truck is done and with a straight face he tells me THEY HAVE NOT EVEN BROUGHT IT IN YET! My eyes went wide and I thought my head was going to explode.
I proceeded to ask how he could've told me 12PM, and when I came back that he would get me right in and my truck still be sitting there at 1:30PM?? He told me that he had to leave and they put someone in ahead of me. I asked if they had me on the schedule for noon, and when he took my keys why he didn't "take me right in" He had no answer. He assured me that I would be next..
Well, my frame of mind was not conducive to being "next", and at this point my "donkey ears" would not fit under my hat! So I not politely (in many ways) asked for my keys and left!
At what point did companies stop teaching the basic skill sets of their business? You cannot tell me that companies are retaining their long term customers by hiring less expensive and brain-dead employees as customer service reps. Do these HR idiots not realize that these people are the face of your company?? I would be embarrased. I guess we'll see Pep Boys for sale before long because when I explained this to my brother in Philly, he recounted a similar experience.
Well time to find another service company. Hopefully the next one will know how to use a schedule as opposed to chiseling on a rock!
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