Customer service not any help
I worked in the retail business as a customer-service representative off
and on for the last 15 years and have always argued that it was not the
service that was suffering.
Customers don't realize that frivolous lawsuits, unrealistic customer
demands and basic theft were forcing customer service against the wall.
Mark Blackburn
How could business profit if it was losing money? But this week's events
have hit me square in the face and showed me how wrong I was.
When I headed to the University Bookstore to buy some film, I was greeted,
or in this case not greeted, by a young lady behind the counter because
she was too busy on the phone with an obviously personal call.
After a few moments of waiting and listening to this girl make her weekend
plans I interrupted her and asked for 400-speed color film.
I received the exasperated sigh and with the phone tucked up on her
shoulder the young lady handed me 64-speed slide film.
When I pointed out her error she reached back to the shelf again and
got a little closer to the 400-speed black-and-white film and went back
to the phone.
She still had not said a word to me and though I had a few choice words
for her, I held my temper and asked one more time for the right film.
This time she got to the color film but only as far as 100 speed. When
I once again pointed out her error, she put the phone down, placed her
hands on her hips and finally spoke to me by saying, "Well just point to
it will you."
Then, when I went into the Target store on Bellflower Street and dropped
off some film to be transferred to computer disk.
After waiting a week I went back to pick it up only to discover the
work was not done.
Although my phone number was on the envelope, no one had called to say
there was a problem.
The note in the envelope asked me to separate the various rolls of film
and insisted that I had to order reprints to get the transfer.
I already had the original prints, but did as I was asked, ordered 3x5
prints and sent out the film again.
Another week passed and when I went to get my order I was greeted by
close to a $200 bill for four rolls of film. Three rolls were on disk and
I was given and charged for 4x6 prints.
The fourth roll, which I had asked to be placed on photo compact disc,
only had reprints and a note saying reprints could not be placed on CD.
So now I had reprints I did not want and a huge bill.
When I asked what the problem was with getting what I ordered, the two
people behind the counter said if there was a problem I could send the
film back a third time and wait another week. When I asked to speak with
a manager I was told there was none.
What? A multi-billion dollar company like Target has no manager on duty?
As a former Target Guest Relations supervisor, I knew that was not true,
so I asked again.
A Target manager on duty finally came over after about 10 minutes, and
after listening to my tale, explained that she could not do anything for
me.
When a business allows another company to operate inside its walls,
it takes the responsibility of that company's actions as their own.
If the entity gives bad service or overcharges someone, then the main
business as a whole will suffer.
However, I do want to get what I ask for, within reason. I don't want
to be ignored by someone too busy making her Friday night date and I don't
want to be charged an arm-and-a-leg for something I did not even want.
And when mistakes happen, as they will in any business, I want someone
to "make it right" as Target promises in its posted policy.
People today are rude. They cut you off the road, go the wrong way in
the parking lot to steal your parking space, push ahead of you in line
and never seem to be able to understand the phrase "six items or less."
As a money-driven society, we, the consumers, have the ability to affect
the pocketbooks of businesses that treat us badly.
If we tell two friends not to shop there, they tell two friends, so
on and so on. Before long we have a boycott.
The business changes or goes under. Do we have the courage to do that?
Can we agree not to accept rudeness from business and drive that extra
five miles to be treated better?
Mark Blackburn is the photo editor of the Daily Forty-Niner and a
criminal justice major at Cal State Long Beach. |
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