Has anyone seen a drastic decline in customer service these days?

Question

Has anyone seen a drastic decline in customer service these days?

Answer 1

YES. For instance I called Pizza Hut the other day to order, It took them 40minutes to pick up the phone(That was after I hang up after 10 mins. and called back), then when they picked up the guy yawned and said hello thanks for calling pizza hut what ccan I get you? and I said the manager and he said I'm the manager. I told him that I was on hold for 40mins. and he said and I quote "OK, so what ca I get you?" d**n, what a r****d. I wanna beat the c**p out of that rude son of *****. They apply to work there, &act as there job is crappiest job ever. Why did they apply at the 1st place?  The Companies who are hiring should train and imply strict rules about courtesy and proper customer interaction.

Answer 2

Yes, I don't know if people are genarally becoming more self-absorbed and less motivated or if poor training by weak supervisors is to blame.

Answer 3

Yes. Yesterday, for instance, I was trying to buy a digital camera. I asked the guy helping me why the test models didn't work. He said the batteries were all dead, and then walked away to help someone else. I walked away too - out the door. We're talking about a $200-500 purchase - not a candy bar.

Answer 4

Most definately, particularly in the last ten years, and it's really accelerated in the last four years or so.  Initially I blamed companies for hiring telephone service reps based on computer skills rather than product knowledge.  Pretty much all customer service help wanted ads just wanted computer skills, who cares what the people actually did/did not know!  The training employers offered was woefully inadequate, as I found out first hand when I became a mortgage service rep for Nations Bank several years ago.  After 2 weeks of training I went on the phone and not one of the questions I encountered were covered in training.  Since ALL the service reps had no clue, customers' problems snowballed into major ordeals that none of us knew how to handle.  Now I blame all the off-shoring, which hires people from totally different cultures where service is not a high priority and who just don't "get" American expectations.  Face to face customer service is declining too.  Wages for these jobs are so low that the jobs don't attract people with good customer service skills, and employers just fill the positions with "warm bodies" figuring that it's better than nothing, and it's not.  I'd rather have a longer wait and deal with someone who knows what they're doing than a short wait for someone who is going to mess things up.

Answer 5

It depends on the area...I have traveled a bit lately, and San Antonio is about the best I have seen...Memphis is the worst.

Answer 6

Absolutely yes! Drastic.  Store's carry only what will sell a lot and quickly, to make a fast buck (stores used to carry hard to get items to be of service to their customers.  Part of the reason is that everyone seems to be hot on making quick easy money, in a rush,   preoccupied more with entertainment than anything else.

When you call Customer Service, their enthusiasm is usually low, unless they can figure a way to get more money out of you.

Answer 7

YES! Its hard to get a "Thank you" or for someone to actually count my change back to me!

Answer 8

yes. and i think it's due to the rapid number of jobs that are going overseas. this causes people to become frustrated because even though the people answering the calls speak english, there's still a language barrier.

(i speak from experience - verizon outsourced my job in '07)

Answer 9

I had a clerk actually throw my change at me the other day. And don't get me started on having to deal with customer service over the phone, it's a nightmare far worse than anything Stephen King ever wrote. I don't see it improving anytime soon. It's just gotten worse and worse since the 90s.

Answer 10

I provide that service, and we take good care of our customers..spoil them even. 50% in person and 50% on phone.

But whenever I call a company for an issue i may have, i can almost hear them roll their eyes. I had a rep say to me. "Miss ...um um...however you pronounce your name..."

Its so rude.

Answer 11

Yes, but there is also a drastic decline in work ethic which I think is the cause of it.

Answer 12

for sure !! at one time you could phone a company you were using and they would be polite and helpful, i have had the phone put down on me rude comments abruptness and half the time they cannot even understand English making your request for information virtually impossible. i hate it esp when i have manners and patience with them