Dan the Early Retired Man: What’s Happened to Customer Service?
My cousin Dan from Minnesota, who retired from the U.S. Postal Service this year at age 53, offers his thoughts on today’s astonishing lack of good customer service:
I took my son’s car into the dealership for repair of one of the tire-pressure sensors. (Background: All new cars are required to have sensors in the tires to tell you how much air pressure is in your tires. Some cars just tell you your tire is low on air, some cars like my son’s, will tell you exactly how much air is in each tire. To register your tires to the car’s computer, you have to bleed air from the tires in a pre-determined sequence.) One hour and $170 later, I drove home only to find three of the car’s tires were low on air. It started to annoy me and finally I had to call the shop. I asked for the service manager, told him what work I had done today, and asked, “Why should I have to put air in my tires after just spending 170 bucks?” He agreed. I continued: “I know exactly what happened. After the replacement of the sensor, your mechanic bled the tires to register the sensors to the computer and didn’t bother to pump them back up. This is half-assed service!” The manager said he would get back to me.
An hour later the phone rang. The service manager said that the mechanic admitted that he had “dropped the ball.” For my trouble, the dealership was sending me a certificate for a free oil change, car wash and detailing. The manager apologized again and thanked me for bringing this to his attention. [Ed.: This was a very decent resolution to the problem.]
Our generation may be the last to experience what quality service should be. I still remember going to the Texaco station in my mother’s 1955 Buick, where the attendant would pump the gas, check the oil and clean the windshield, no tip expected.
Our kids have grown up with self-service check-in at the airport and self-service checkout at the grocery store. The travel agency is gone and advice for your plumbing problem comes from a 16-year-old kid instead of the owner of the local hardware store. The ATM and direct deposit have destroyed the relationship with your bank teller and even the occasional thank you from the toll collector has been eliminated by “Fast Pass.”
Boomers, I say it’s not too late to change this trend but we have to start now. Here are some suggestions: When you get bad service at a restaurant, lower the tip and write on the receipt “Poor service.” If a meal is not cooked properly, send it back! If there’s always a line at your drugstore due to inadequate staff, move your prescriptions up the street. Bad experience at the big box store? Write to the CEO and I mean WRITE, with a real stamp and don’t include your email address so they have to WRITE you back.
We have to show the next generation that quality service is expected every time and anything less will mean loss of our business. Let’s unite for quality service!
[I totally agree with my cousin.]
September 14th, 2009 at 11:46 am
Might I also add my complete and total agreement!
September 14th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
I had to take my car to be serviced last week and when I called for an appointment, they told me it would take 2 hrs.
When I brought my car in at 7:00am, I asked them if there was an outlet where I could plug in my laptop because I had homework. They said no there wasn’t, however, they told that I could use one of the empty offices (there were a number of them) and the office would be quieter to work than out in the waiting room.
At ten of nine they came and told me that my car was ready, they were just washing and vacuuming it now.
September 14th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
Diana, it’s great when you can still find good service. I tend to think it would be easier to find in towns rather than in big cities. But it really varies.
September 14th, 2009 at 2:09 pm
My personal (and casual) observation is that the worse the job market, the better the quality of service. I am surprised at your cousin Dan’s experience. I am also surprised they had to bleed and refill to synch with the computer. My car (and my wife’s) have that tire pressure sensor thing. All mine requires is that the tires be filled to whatever level one wishes (I bring mine up 3 pounds over recommendation) and the reset button be hit on the dash. My wife’s, like Dan’s son’s, shows actual pressure levels. I suspect I will opt out of replacing the sensor if one goes if it will cost that much and require that procedure. I can keep an eye on the tire pressure myself.
But I think you are right, Rhea, better service is often to be easier found in small towns rather than in big cities.
September 15th, 2009 at 5:28 am
Remember when someone would come out of a small corner gas station, check your tires, and put air in for free rather than having to put money in a machine and do it yourself? Technically speaking, tire sensors have taken something relatively simple and made people absolutely dependent on someone else.
September 15th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
I think the best way to get good service is to go to small, local businesses (if you can find them in a big city!). Those business owners know they have to work extra hard to earn your loyalty as a customer, because they can’t always compete price-wise with big box stores. The relationship I have with the people at our paint store is meaningful, since they know me and what I need. That means FAR more to me than saving a few bucks at Home Depot.
Agreed–bring back service!
September 15th, 2009 at 12:25 pm
Chroma, I do this as much as possible in my neighborhood of Jamaica Plain (Boston). I shop locally and pay a bit more, but I value the experience of the relationships with the hardware store guys, the restaurant folks, the bookstore owner, etc.
September 15th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
GREAT POST! I am reminded of one George Carlin’s New Rules for 2008:
New Rule #7: I’m not the cashier! By the time I look up from sliding my card, entering my PIN number, pressing ‘Enter,’ verifying the amount, deciding no, I don’t want cash back, and pressing ‘Enter’ again, the kid who is supposed to be ringing me up is standing there eating my Almond Joy!
Rest in peace & laughter, George!!!
September 21st, 2009 at 9:20 am
I completely agree that we need to speak up whenever we receive poor customer service. And the true measure of customer service isn’t perfection; after all humans make mistakes. The real measure is what they do to remedy the situation.
In your story the manager didn’t try to justify the error. He apologized and tried to make it right by fessing up and giving a free service as compensation.
What I find really appalling is when you point out poor service and the owner or manager tries to justify what happened or argue with you. It’s at that point that you begin to understand where it all started – at the top.