Customer Service in America is generally so poor in quality that the topic has become an embarrassment for so many businesses. The old adage, “The customer is always right” may not be true but it was a guiding light for employee behavior and response to customer issues. That phrase has been lost along with all semblance of customer-focused service and I think it is time we overhaul our thinking towards this crucial aspect of business.

I have been paying close attention to the way businesses treat their customers for quite some time now. In order to write this post, I started opening my eyes even further to see what I notice with the businesses I frequent. The problems are often simply annoying and not enough to drive me away entirely yet many are simply too much to take. Let’s take a look at some of the general problems we are all encountering and try to come together in the comments section to start a discussion on the subject.

Tell Your Customers When There Is A Problem

Since when do the root of problems remain a secret? There are a number of examples of companies having serious problems that affect their customers yet they fail to alert their customers until it is too late. In the case of MenuFoods, hundreds of beloved pets lost their lives due to a company keeping a serious problem a secret.

Even simple issues need to be brought to the attention of customers that are affected. I’m not a big fan of flying and was recently forced to sit in a terminal for over an hour while I waited to board my plane. When I asked what was causing the delay, I was told that there was an issue with the plane. Of course, this made me very nervous for the next hour. My fears were completely unnecessary as I found out later that the plane simply needed to be cleaned and the next crew hadn’t arrived yet to do the work. A simple announcement to passengers could have mitigated the delayed flight problem. We would have been frustrated that we were waiting but we already knew there was a problem. Once the customer knows, it is time to shed a little light on what the actual issue is.

Press “1″ For Sales, “2″ If You’re Aggravated, “3″ If You Hate This Menu

Automated phone systems may be a great luxury for a business but I haven’t met any consumers that actually enjoy using them. These phone systems herd us to the right department but add time for the consumer. Pressing zero will sometimes bring an operator immediately to the phone but that is starting to be the case in fewer and fewer systems. As a result of this nuisance, sites like GetHuman can provide some help but it really is too bad that this is necessary.

Please Don’t Blatantly Lie To Me

This may be the most offensive problem with customer service that I’m sadly becoming quite used to. Companies routinely lie to our faces either through advertising or when a problem arises. Best Buy was recently caught selling the last Nintendo Wii many times over in the same day. While this upsets me, nothing gets me quite as annoyed as seeing Wendy’s advertise on television that their food is “made fresh.” The word “fresh” means that it was made recently. Perhaps it is semantics, but how can I order a sandwich at midnight (when no other consumer has been near the store in 15 minutes) and have it ready in the 10 seconds it takes me to drive to the window? When it comes to food, I don’t think fifteen minutes is recent–and who knows how long it was sitting there before I arrived.

If You Plan On Selling Something, Please Notify Your Customer Service Personnel

I’m not sure why training has taken a back seat to other aspects of business but certain companies are notoriously bad when it comes to this. Best Buy is all over the Internet for having some of the worst customer service out there and I have a story to illustrate this. I saw a USB HDTV Tuner advertised in a magazine and decided to get one. I took a trip to my local Best Buy and asked someone in that section of the store where I could find one. His response was, “They make them as internal PCI cards but they don’t make them USB.” I explained to him that I had just seen one advertised in a magazine and he enlightened me by laughing at me and then reaffirming, “I think you misread it. They only come as internal cards, sir.” Perhaps this young man hadn’t seen the product on their shelves or Best Buy had not started carrying the item. Either way, I set off to see if I could find one myself. It took a while but not only did I find one but I found three different models to choose from–all USB HDTV Tuners! I took it back to the “customer service” employee and he simply shrugged his shoulders as he began to read the packaging.

Do Not Allow People That Do Not Speak English Out With The Customers

People come from all over and I respect that. I can easily tolerate an accent when I ask someone for help but I cannot tolerate someone not speaking our language at all. This recently happened to me at a Wal Mart garden center when I was trying to checkout. The customer in line in front of me got to the front and asked for a specific type of flower. The woman stood silent, as if she were deaf, and just stared momentarily at the woman before letting out, “No English.” She proceeded to call someone to come address the customer. All the while, myself and the rest of the line waited. This is absolutely unacceptable. If non-native speakers need employment, fine. Please do not put them out with customers. Plenty of jobs exist that do not involve direct communication with consumers.

Give Customers The Attention They Deserve

Have you ever gone into a business only to be ignored by the employees? It has happened to me many times. Employees stay on the phone to finish their personal call before addressing me or stand in the back and continue on with their routine as if I weren’t waiting to be served. They are saying, “My time is more important than yours.” There is a Sweetbay Supermarket here with the worst customer service I have encountered in years. The deli counter prepares subs but good luck trying to get one. The sub area is around 40 feet away from where the meat is sliced. Employees congregate by the meats and turn their backs on customers waiting near the sub area. If you make eye contact, they’ll slowly walk over sometimes. Other times, they go back to cleaning the equipment, talking on the phone or they will simply flee to the back. Despite my complaints or the complaints from other customers that I’ve observed, this problem persists.

Outsourcing And Letting Quality Diminish

Dell used to offer fantastic customer support a number of years ago. In fact, I would often refer people to the company simply because of the customer service should they need help. Not anymore. I actually go out of my way to tell people to consider other options due to the quality of customer support I’ve received through their call center in India. I have nothing against Indian people but I do have a problem dealing with customer support when I cannot understand them. Aside from the accent, I am tired of hearing someone read a script to me when I’m on the phone. If my Internet connection is unavailable, clearing my cache in Internet Explorer and deleting my history will not help me. Even though we know that, it is one of the first things customers are told if they call with any sort of Internet problem. It’s in the script so the customer is treated to Act I of this horrendous play.

Don’t Punish Me For The Actions Of A Few

We all know that some people are simply the lowest of the low and will steal. However, those people are incredibly few in number. Despite this fact, we’re all punished every day at Wal Mart through the security at the door. If you buy something from electronics, it is highly unlikely that you will make it from the register to your car without having to be temporarily detained. Not only do the employees attempt to check your receipt when the alarm goes off but they waste even more of your time because they write down what set off the alarm in a little binder. From now on, I continue walking. If they want to check my receipt, they can do it as I load my car.

Don’t Make Customers Angrier By Over-Agreeing!

I definitely do not want to be argued with if I need to make a complaint to customer service. I want the employee to agree that there is a problem and then make it right. What I’m tired of seeing is the customer service representative over-agreeing and further upsetting me by illustrating that the problem is known and goes unresolved. To illustrate, I had a Jeep Cherokee that was four years old. I opened the driver’s side door and it simply fell a couple of inches due to a door hinge weld breaking. When I took it in for repair I became awfully upset. “We’ve been seeing quite a few of these lately,” I was told. I asked if there was a recall and was told no.

I’ve also brought problems to the attention of customer service at various places and heard, “Wow, that’s awful.” Yes, I know it is awful. Instead of over-agreeing, recognize that there is a problem and instantly suggest a solution. Sometimes the answer is simple–”I need to speak with my manager to find out how I can solve your problem.”

Every Business Should Have Clean Restrooms

How simple is this? Clean the restrooms. This is the most serious issue when we’re looking at customer service within a restaurant because if the restroom is filthy, what does the kitchen look like? This problem does carry over to every business though because it is such an easy way for a business to show that they care about their customers. If necessary, businesses should make the checking of restroom cleanliness a responsibility for one delegate. Of course, it may be a mess for the next customer if I go in and destroy a bathroom in between routine checks. However, the checks should not occur at the end of the day only. Businesses–show your customers you care about them by keeping a neat and presentable bathroom. This one is too easy to overlook.

Consistency Is A Key To Success

The best customer is the return customer. There are a number of reasons people come back to the same business but one of the most commonly cited reasons is consistency. Customers like to know that they will get the same product or service regardless of location or time. One example of where I’ve run into trouble arises at a local restaurant here that makes a fantastic chicken parmesan pizza. The only problem is that almost every time I order it, the pizza is different. Sometimes it has sliced tomatoes while other times it doesn’t. Sometimes it has ricotta cheese and sometimes it has marinara. When I called once to ask why it was completely different than the time before I was told that “it depends on who makes it.” The lack of consistency will drive customers away if the changes are too drastic and unexpected.

Remain Open During The Hours On Your Sign

Here’s another example of bad customer service that results from pure laziness. Have you ever tugged on the front door of a business and found it locked despite being there during normal business hours? That business made a valued customer waste a good bit of time through their own laziness. I had this problem very recently when buying a used car. The bank that provided the loan said that I needed to have the sellers bring the title to the bank for them to provide the check. The bank told me that they were open until 6pm on Fridays which left me enough time to meet the sellers after I got out of work. I drove up to the bank and arrived at 5:40pm; great! 20 minutes to spare! The loan officer greeted me at the door and told me they wouldn’t be able to help me that day because the bank closes in 20 minutes and the process takes 30. I was absolutely floored by the lack of customer service. After at least 10 minutes of arguing with the manager, they reluctantly agreed to finish my transaction. If the signs says you’re open for business then it is your obligation to do your job.

Time For You To Chime In

What drives you crazy? Where have you seen businesses drop the ball on customer service? Do you have a job in the customer service field and want to add your insight? The comment section is your place to shine!