Customer service seems to be very low on the list of priorities in this recession - when in reality your customers are the ones who will decide if your company succeeds or not.

I live in a relatively small town with a dying high street. The shops blame the supermarkets, the transient lifestyle and generally everyone other than themselves. A few of them give great customer service, but they are in the minority.

Most shopkeepers/staff see you, the customer as an inconvenience. Everything is too much trouble. They don't know their products, they cant answer any questions or give advice. They are exactly the opposite of what they should be.

For too long it's been too easy to run a business, everyone's had loads of money and customers lining up to buy your wares/services. I look forward to more shops on my high street closing, I can tell you now, they will not be the GOOD shops.

Here is an example of a bad shop on my high street. The guy is miserable, unwashed and stinks to high heaven:


melksham high street by d86cfv, on Flickr

He blames his lack of customers on the new Asda and the closure of one of the factories...


If you run a business, buck your ideas up! Stop employing people on minimum wage in customer facing rolls otherwise you will only get the dregs of the work market. Make your customers feel valued and they will come back.


Sorry guys, mini rant required. 

Agreed on all counts.

I once heard a stand up comedian in NYC saying that the only reason that there is good customer service in the US is there's a chance that the customer may have a gun.

It's a worryingly increasing trend here to blame someone/something else for our own shortcomings.

Nail>head.

Our family business has been going since 1983, we pride ourselves on the amount of customers that call us from personal recommendations, I'm a firm believer that treat customers with respect and you'll reap the rewards. I'm not claiming to be Mr. customer service, but just this morning, got a phone call from someone wanting some work done that had been passed on by one of our long standing customers, apparently, they had nothing but praise for us and said that they wouldn't trust anyone but us to do the work. 2006 Mercedes CLS
1991 Retro-style Mini
But really finding it hard to fight the urge for a S/C...

Mind you there are some pretty grim customers out there - rude, unpleasant, unwashed and all looking for something at less than the advertised price. It works both ways - most small business owners deserve respect unless they are (as in the case above) totally turned off to selling. I would hate to have to be confronting the public in today's economic climate. 2018 Mini Countryman Cooper S E All4 PHEV in Melting Silver - it’s whisper quiet in EV and polluter modes

We get our fair share of grim customers, but after all, they're still paying my wages. 2006 Mercedes CLS
1991 Retro-style Mini
But really finding it hard to fight the urge for a S/C...

Doesn't give them the right to be rude though, unless they get poor service, but too many folks today think that being rude gets you everywhere. 2018 Mini Countryman Cooper S E All4 PHEV in Melting Silver - it’s whisper quiet in EV and polluter modes

This is true, although I can honestly say I've only experienced 3 customers like that out of 5000+ that we have. On each occasion, they were only rude over the phone, in person they were ok, and, like I say, I was still taking money off them so didn't mind putting up with them.  2006 Mercedes CLS
1991 Retro-style Mini
But really finding it hard to fight the urge for a S/C...

There are examples of great customer service.

I had a binding rear caliper on my Rangie. I was passing a mechanic that was recommended to me. He took the car in gave me a courtesy car and sorted it that day. The caliper could be freed up so he didn't replace, saving me some money. A couple of months later, I noticed it sticking again. He immediately took the car back, replaced the caliper within hours and wouldn't charge me for the labour.

He has got more business from me and I will recommend him to everyone. Royston Vehicle Services.