Give some advice to customers

[Johnny Impact]

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.404486-Dear-Customer-it-is-my-pleasure-to-inform-you-A-Venting-Thread#16758872

To this I would like to add: DON'T LIE. You're not as good at it as you think you are. For example, you can order at the last minute. This is an inconvenience we accept as part of our jobs. I will make whatever you want, and smile when I hand it over. Do not, however, say you didn't know we were closing, because I watched you stop at the door, read the sign with our hours, and have a discussion with your boyfriend, before you came in and ordered. Come the end of a shift, I am watching EVERYTHING within fifty feet of our door, because I don't want anyone to come in. The front of the store is plate glass. Trust me, you were seen. A lie, in case no one ever told you, is an insult. An obvious lie is an insult on two levels: one for the lie, and another because you clearly think I'm stupid and unobservant. I am neither.

 

[DuelLadyS]

I work in a craft store, there's a few things to note:

-READ THE AD SIGN. Crafts unfortunately require some odd stocking- items are sorted by type, not brand. Stickers are grouped as animals, family, holiday- but they are not all on sale if the aisle is full of ad signs. Only the brand on the sign is. Save us the trouble of sending someone to double check.

-We aren't a rental store. I'm sorry you bought the wrong glue, or that that color paint didn't look good... but you used half of it. You can't return it. If it's broken, dried out, or otherwise defective, we'll take care of you. Otherwise, it's not our fault- buying the wrong thing sometimes is part of crafting.

-I know the coupon policy is restrictive. Tell corporate so they can change it. I have to follow the rules, you aren't exempt. I'll bend the policy into a pretzel ("why yes, your 3 old can check out by himself and use his own coupon!"). I just won't break the rules. Oh, and please- don't tell me how you could cheat the system, assuming I'll just ok it for you. Technically, you could steal the item get it for free- that doesn't mean I'll let you leave without paying, does it?

 

[Nubrain]

From Working in a video store

Don't:

-Leave returned DVDs on the counter where anyone can grab them up when there is a perfectly good drop box only I can access

-Argue with me that we should have a movie on DVD that hasn't hit the theaters yet (honest to goodness I had someone throw a fit at me that I wouldn't rent the 6th Harry Potter Movie to them when the book had only been out a few weeks)

-Come in minutes before closing for anything short of a return

Do:

-Ask for recommendations

-Ask polity if we have _____ movie after you have looked on the shelves and not found it sometimes things have been returned and not put back on the shelves yet or the cases may be missing and I don't mind checking the computer.

From cell phone customer service:

Don't:

-assume a supervisor can solve every problem there is a very small group of things that an agent can't do that a supervisor can and 9/10 if you're dealing with a tricky situation the answer the agent has come to has come from the supervisor to start with and if it's a basic situation asking someone higher up isn't going to change the answer. as long as the agent you're talking too is trying to help and isn't being rude you probably aren't going to get much from escalating the call.

-call to activate or switch phones from the phone you're planing to activate or switch too or from. just don't, we need a number that's under the battery to do anything I can't tell you how many times I've had someone tell me they are calling me from a land line only to loose them the instant i ask them to look up this number or to power cycle the phone.

-don't be abrasive. this can be hard for some people who have something messed up on their account, something that wasn't done right at the store or their kid ran up $400 in texts on their phone or the last person they talked to was just out of training and didn't tell them the right thing. Being firm or saying that you're very frustrated is fine but if you start swearing or being really hostile even if you've just reached the person who can solve all your problems you are now making it harder for him or her to solve you're problem

Do:

-be patient: If you have a complicated problem it probably can't be fixed in a minute. if you had to wait 50 minutes to reach me it's not because i wasn't answering the phone it's because me and the other reps have been going through call after call with no breaks in between since we started work but there is a que of 100s to get through.

-try the basics: 80% of tech issues can be solved by power cycling. if you do that and your phone is still not working check to see if you bill has been paid. it's usually easy to check online to make sure the bill isn't past due and most system outages will be online there too. if it still doesn't work than give us a call.

-know that you can ask for a supervisor like i said above that should never be a first solution I've had people demand to speak to supervisor and refuse to talk to me only to find out they only wanted to pay their bill something that I or the automated system could have easily helped with. there are some things only a supervisor can do generally if your dealing with a plan that is 10+ years old a rep can't fix it if something goes wrong if you're dealing with billed charges that are legitimately wrong that are more than $200 a rep can't deal with that or if you're dealing with something that has legitimately bounced you back and forth between several departments and that couldn't be resolved. not just something you were transferred for once each department has some new guys or idiots that will transfer without understanding the problem. I know I've had transfers from other departments to "confirm the customer's balance was Zero" and "Because the customer was getting too angry." thankfully in both cases i was able to help the customer but they could have handled it in the other department. However I also once had a reasonable customer trying to solve a problems for months that actually fell right between 3 departments. as I was a team lead at the time I had the abilities of a supervisor and was able to talk with thous other 2 departments and get the problem solved which is something a normal rep would not be able to do.

praise the good. most people are quick to offer complaints when an agent does poorly but you should be just as quick to offer praise. It's called a comp or complement call and most people don't realize they can do it but if you have someone who really helps you than you really should do this. it can help a big deal in promotions and raises but most agents are forbidden to tell a customer about them unless they ask. some customers may not do this as they think they need to speak to a supervisor to give the comp and many times you do but often it's a team lead or a runner that takes that and passes the information on to the supervisor and trust me when someone sees you want a comp call taken they don't mind at all even if they were about to go on break.

 

[infohippie]

Don't be a dick

5) The universe doesn't revolve around you.

I think pretty much every bit of advice boils down to these two things. Don't be a dick, and remember the universe does not revolve around you.

Oh god I just realized I'm the soup Nazi. Oh well, NO MEAT FOR YOU!

I always sympathised with the Soup Nazi. He had obviously just had enough of the general public being clueless assholes. And Seinfeld and his friends were assholes, you can't deny that.

 

[MeChaNiZ3D]

I'm a kitchenhand at a nursing home at the moment, and my advice to old people in nursing homes is be very specific and very picky in what you eat, and don't be afraid to complain violently and often. The kitchen staff will hate you for it, but if you ask for only bacon and eggs for every meal, that is what you'll get (albeit probably shitty ones, I don't buy the ingredients) - or if you're happy with more variety, at least narrow down what you want. I took home a bit of leftover cauliflower bake once, and it was the most disgusting thing I've ever had, mainly owing to the fact they put in a bunch of flour and other filling crap and ended up with half cake. I feel sick thinking about it and I'm glad I'm not the one responsible for making it.

I suppose the real advice would be quit while you're ahead, that's what I'd do if I was getting dementia. Nursing homes. Not even once.

 

[leviathanmisha]

I'm a busser in my school's cafeteria, and not one of those fancy ones that get an awesome tub to carry around. Nope! I get to carry everything by hand or on dirty trays that I've picked up because people are either too lazy or too rushed to take them up to the tray line.

So here's a few things I want to point out for the college crowd.

1. I am not paid extra to clean up after you. Yes, I carry a towel around so that I can wipe down tables and whatnot, but when you leave trays and plates and garbage all over your table, that's extra work for me. And if I'm busy with something else and don't notice them mess that you and your friends left behind, I get yelled at for it. And there is nothing more humiliating than being yelled at in front of 2000+ other college kids.

2. Don't mock or harass the bussers in your cafeteria. That is wrong and horrible and if you ever do this, I hope you step on a lego. Trust me, most of those people who are working that job wish that they weren't and I can't tell you the number of times I've had someone question my mental capability because I'm a busser. So just never do this.

3. Don't get mad at a busser if they pass a task off to someone else. It happens. If the busser you talk to about cleaning up a spill or something is busy, they will mostly likely pass it off to a person who is more capable of doing it at that moment. I get that cleaning up spills is part of my job, but is so is wiping down tables, sorting silverware, stocking the condiment islands, and basically being the cafeteria's *****. Seriously. Everyone in my school cafeteria is above me and they never fail to remind me.

4. Cafeteria's are notoriously short-staffed. I go to a school of about 20000 students, but at lunch, we'll have two bussers max. SO BE PATIENT! These people are working as fast as they can without injuring themselves and if you push them any harder, they might just snap. Really, I've cried at the sight of plastic forks and knives after a particularly brutal day at work.

The moral of this is: PATIENCE!

You need it if you're going to survive any form of schooling above high school or the equivalent of.

 

[Callate]

Words almost every person in customer service would actually like to hear:

"Hello, I know this is not your fault, but can you help me with...?"

 

[chozo_hybrid]

If you're buying just a chocolate bar or a bag of lollies (or something else small etc.), and you want a bag for them, I will say no. Arguing the point will not help you. People have pockets, bags etc and always ask for a bloody bag when they buy one or two little items, then you hear them complain other times they're in about how wasteful super markets are.

2) Don't whine at the staff about prices. Those are set by corporate office weasels, not the in-store wageserfs.

I had someone punch me because they thought I was lying about the price of something even though it was up on screen(it was a wine bottle), it's not like I get commission for working at a super market so why would I raise prices. Apparently $1.20 that he thought it was cheaper by was worth giving me a bleeding nose over.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.404486-Dear-Customer-it-is-my-pleasure-to-inform-you-A-Venting-Thread#16758872

Just so you know, I read that. Man you can make a good text wall XD

 

[Lonewolfm16]

I work in a movie theater so here goes.

Don't get angry at me because the movie you want to see is sold out.

Every movie theater is this expensive and has been for at least a decade. I'm not saying the prices are fair I'm just saying don't go or don't buy food if it bothers you because everyone knows it's expensive. My hourly wage is less than the price of a medium popcorn and coke, just leave me alone about it.

TURN YOUR FUCKING PHONE OFF!

If you need to use the bathroom then go, don't just pee into your cup and leave it under the seat.

If you do have sex in their, please take the condom with you.

Your kid is your responsibility. Act like it. If he's being a shit, stop him.

You know those shoes with little lights that flash? Yeah don't let your kids wear those to the fucking theater.

Don't just come up and ask me for "two tickets" then proceed to list all the food and drinks you want because I'm not taking any of it down. I'm waiting patiently until I can ask you what film it is you want to see because stupid shouldn't be encouraged.

All that being said please ask me about any deals or what's the best value because I don't work on commission I care more about you not getting gouged than I do how much the company earns. Also tickets are expensive and I see everything for free so yeah, feel free to ask for opinions and recommendations.

...I am really thankful that in my career at a movie-theatre I have yet to deal with either people having sex in the theatre or peeing in a cup. Some of my coworkers have horror stories, but nothing quite THAT bad.

 

[Something Amyss]

Getting angry almost never helps things.

I know that we're all human and eventually we all hit breaking points, but from both a customer and a customer service perspective, I can definitely tell you that it'll go smoother if you don't go in guns a-blazin'.

 

[Lucane]

I work in a movie theater so here goes.

Don't get angry at me because the movie you want to see is sold out.

Every movie theater is this expensive and has been for at least a decade. I'm not saying the prices are fair I'm just saying don't go or don't buy food if it bothers you because everyone knows it's expensive. My hourly wage is less than the price of a medium popcorn and coke, just leave me alone about it.

TURN YOUR FUCKING PHONE OFF!

If you need to use the bathroom then go, don't just pee into your cup and leave it under the seat.

If you do have sex in their, please take the condom with you.

Your kid is your responsibility. Act like it. If he's being a shit, stop him.

You know those shoes with little lights that flash? Yeah don't let your kids wear those to the fucking theater.

Don't just come up and ask me for "two tickets" then proceed to list all the food and drinks you want because I'm not taking any of it down. I'm waiting patiently until I can ask you what film it is you want to see because stupid shouldn't be encouraged.

All that being said please ask me about any deals or what's the best value because I don't work on commission I care more about you not getting gouged than I do how much the company earns. Also tickets are expensive and I see everything for free so yeah, feel free to ask for opinions and recommendations.

I guess I've been fortunate not to have (or at least knew I was) having to deal with the "cup" issue but the number of infants diapers being left inside the theatres is appalling to me that they'd change it in the dark in public like that and leave it behind because they'd rather not miss part of the film , have you had issues with people and having to wait in holdout lines/waiting areas while the theatres being cleaned because I don't get why waiting in line (sometimes not believing I know what I'm talking about when I say what part of the line is the front or not)is so alien to them all of a sudden if they just had to do so to get tickets, food, traffic, and just about anything else ever.

 

[EeveeElectro]

Take a whole 30 seconds to read the signs. Read the prices and the ingredients. Read the sign of what you want and ask for it. If you point and grunt "that!" you'll get a sweet smile off me and a request for you to repeat yourself with what you want. If we have to repeat this process several times, so be it. If you can't read due to ignorance, you probably shouldn't be leaving the house alone.

If you don't like the price/deals/furniture/packaging/food don't even bother screaming at me for it. Write or email the company with your suggestions on how to improve because I don't make the rules.

Think really hard before asking something. Why would there be alcohol in our pasties that we serve to children? Why did you prise the door open to look around and see everything is cleaned put away to ask if we're still open? Why would we leave food out for weeks at a time to sell? Surely environmental health would shut us down.

 

[Glongpre]

My biggest problem with people is that they can be idiots. Just try not to be an idiot, thank you.

 

[LordBongo]

Do not order a "coffee". 75% of the 100 or so drinks we do contain coffee. Narrow it down for me a bit or I'm going to suggest the most expensive thing we do.

I don't understand this... it's a coffee shop. I've only been to Starbucks maybe three times in my life (I love their Chai Lattes), but is it really impossible to just order a regular ol' cup of coffee there?

 

[sir neillios]

7)Don't do this, ever:

The amount of times I want to strangle people who say that. Half of them are older people too, I mean come on, you must remember a time when barcodes didn't exist?

To people in the store I work in particular, if you want an ice-cream, and you're standing at the freezer looking at the flavours, shift your eyes a few millimeters to the left and read the nice bold size 100 font laminated sheet stuck to the glass that reads "please pay for your ice-cream first" and then make your way over to me, order and pay me, without looking in your wallet while holding a cone, or getting mad at me because I don't come serve you while other customers are queuing at the actual till.

Okay what else....

You are not entitled to any of the change in my till, I will give you the largest denominators possible, not 19 pound coins for that twenty note you used to buy a bag of crisps, I need those.

Oh and by the way, having an item wrongly marked on the shelf and more expensive at the till is not false advertising.

 

[Isalan]

Do not order a "coffee". 75% of the 100 or so drinks we do contain coffee. Narrow it down for me a bit or I'm going to suggest the most expensive thing we do.

I don't understand this... it's a coffee shop. I've only been to Starbucks maybe three times in my life (I love their Chai Lattes), but is it really impossible to just order a regular ol' cup of coffee there?

Totally. Essentially, your options are filter coffee, or "drip" coffee, which is standard coffee run through a paper filter and comes in a variety of flavours depending on where you are. Failing that an Americano is pretty much straight coffee, being a mix of espresso and boiling water.

Kudos on liking Chai btw, that stuff is an acquired taste.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

Oh and by the way, having an item wrongly marked on the shelf and more expensive at the till is not false advertising.

If something is marked a certain price on the shelf your store should honor that price. If the store fucked up that's not the customer's fault or the customer's problem, and they shouldn't have to pay extra because of it. That's the kind of mistake that shouldn't be acceptable in retail stores.

 

[RaikuFA]

Don't stay in the shop after the time the shop is supposed to close. In most places they can't really ask you to leave and don't get paid any extra for staying late and for you wasting their time.

This, a thousand times, this. I've lost count of how many times I've wanted to strangle a group of entitled customers because they thought their time was infinitely more important than mine or my co-workers. If the store closed 15 minutes ago, fucking leave, come back tomorrow, I don't care. Don't just take your time, like we're all operating on your personal schedule.

I should probably point out that I work in retail, a clothing store to be more specific. And if it's Black Friday, don't start bitching at me because I'm handling your clothes too fast at checkout, and "rushing you". I'm not gonna feel bad, so don't yell at me for being "too rough" with the huge stack of clothes you just paid 75 cents for, you cheap asshole. Do I really have to remind you that there are about a hundred fucking people behind you!

That's how I came to hate old Jamaican ladies.

Have we worked together? Cause I have the exact same issue at my store. These jamacian ladies come in acting like they're king shit, bringing their hellspawn who destroy everything. Abuse the coupons like it's nobodys buisness and just downright take stuff from other peoples carts.

When did a customers rights trump basic human rights?

 

[VondeVon]

If you need to use the bathroom then go, don't just pee into your cup and leave it under the seat.

People do that?! Oh gross. How often does that happen?

 

[MorganL4]

I would say that customers should actually take a few minutes to search for what they are looking for before asking where something is.

The store where I work has an Electrical/Lighting department. One day I watched a guy walk in the front door, and right passed the Lighting department that is insanely bright and around twenty feet from the door, and walk right up to me and ask where the Lighting department was.

Also it is insane how many people stand right in front of what they are looking for then grab me as I'm passing buy and ask if I know where that said item is.

I work at a Staples.

A couple years ago I had a guy walk in the store (which has a big sign on it saying "STAPLES") Walk to the very last isle in the store, past all our signage and everything... Pick up a Staples brand product that was clearly labeled as such, look at me (a guy wearing a shirt that says "Staples") look back at the product, then back at me and ask with a completely straight face "Am I in Office Max?" I did everything I could to not facepalm and fall over laughing at the guy, and simply said "No, this is Staples." He said "Oh." put the product back and walked out of the store.

So yeah.... I want customers to not be stupid, and try paying attention every once in a while, because I know they use cars to get from place to place, and if I have to share the road with them then I am scared.