How important is customer service?
Discussion
Corner shop I've used for years, 5 minutes walk, changed hands. Taken over by an Indian family who've turned it into a Londis franchise. They've expanded the size of the shop, brought in new product lines and started opening at 6am rather 8am. Opening suits me perfectly as I'm an early man and we often run out of basics so often in there just after 6. Plus we both smoke so that's regular business for a shop. Plus this time of year nice bit of exercise and ony walk I get.
Only issue is the staff are just this side of rude. Every time they're on their phone talking in their own language. Ask anything or just say good morning and they just stare blankly. Not even a please/thank you. You can see them thinking don't talk just tap your card and let me get back to my phone call. Really annoys me.
Said to the Mrs they don't deserve our business but the next nearest place is a drive. She says don't worry they're handy and they sell the stuff we need. Obviously she has the same experience when she goes in.
What would you think in that scenario?
Only issue is the staff are just this side of rude. Every time they're on their phone talking in their own language. Ask anything or just say good morning and they just stare blankly. Not even a please/thank you. You can see them thinking don't talk just tap your card and let me get back to my phone call. Really annoys me.
Said to the Mrs they don't deserve our business but the next nearest place is a drive. She says don't worry they're handy and they sell the stuff we need. Obviously she has the same experience when she goes in.
What would you think in that scenario?
I worked at a small it house for years, ring us we get on things straight away or at least get the ball rolling
Got purchased by large America outfit
Ring us now, its confusion, denial, pisssing about anything other than helping
It s no surprise our customers are slowly dropping off one by one
Got purchased by large America outfit
Ring us now, its confusion, denial, pisssing about anything other than helping
It s no surprise our customers are slowly dropping off one by one
jonsp said:
What would you think in that scenario?
Find the owner of the store and tell him exactly what you wrote. If he's a good business man, he'll know that good service might get one good referral and bad service will get a hundred negative referrals. The staff won't give a s
t but the owner might. If he doesnt, then you're right, he does not deserve your business. Customer service is only important from the businesses perspective if there is strong competition. If a poorly treated customer doesn’t have an alternative it won’t affect their bottom line.
I’ve had more than my share of experience with useless trades but they don’t care because there is always another punter and return business means nothing to them.
I’ve had more than my share of experience with useless trades but they don’t care because there is always another punter and return business means nothing to them.
I think in this situation, their location and convenience is more important than their customer service skills.
You'll be the one to lose it you took your custom elsewhere.
I get what you mean though, drives me mad and I'll often fill in surveys (how did we do emails etc) stating exactly what was good or bad with the interaction.
Londis are owned by Booker who are owned by Tesco, so even though this shop is a franchise, they'll still have brand standards to follow, including cleanliness, customer service, product availability etc.
I'd be tempted to drop Londis a note and let them know it's a st show - might force a visit from the area manager and up their standards..
You'll be the one to lose it you took your custom elsewhere.
I get what you mean though, drives me mad and I'll often fill in surveys (how did we do emails etc) stating exactly what was good or bad with the interaction.
Londis are owned by Booker who are owned by Tesco, so even though this shop is a franchise, they'll still have brand standards to follow, including cleanliness, customer service, product availability etc.
I'd be tempted to drop Londis a note and let them know it's a s
t show - might force a visit from the area manager and up their standards..give up smoking and walk to the other shop (instead of driving) you'll both feel and be considerably better in a few months. financially the money you save could treat you and the mrs to a weekend away or whatever once or twice a month. ...
luckily where I used to live the corner shop owner was pleasant enough smiling and chatty. there was a Tesco express five mins walk too.
Customer service matters to me. There's a gun shop I use for my shooting supplies who are not local, but do delivery to your doorstep via the lads from the shop driving the length and breadth of the country. Every time I've interacted with them, they've been excellent. Happy to chat on the phone to talk through purchase options and give advice, if you call and can't speak to a particular person you're after, they will ring you back almost always on the same day.
They have a YouTube channel with is actually objective and they're not afraid to say when they don't like something, unlike other reviewers who would never, ever say a bad word about something they had in stock.
To me, that level of service and respect for the customer is worth rewarding with my custom. If I could get something slightly cheaper or faster, I'd still go with my preferred shop because I know that if anything went wrong with my purchase, I wouldn't be left up the creek.
They have a YouTube channel with is actually objective and they're not afraid to say when they don't like something, unlike other reviewers who would never, ever say a bad word about something they had in stock.
To me, that level of service and respect for the customer is worth rewarding with my custom. If I could get something slightly cheaper or faster, I'd still go with my preferred shop because I know that if anything went wrong with my purchase, I wouldn't be left up the creek.
bobtail4x4 said:
is it possible they dont actually speak english that well?
Well obviously. Asked for a word with the owner a couple of times and they give this blank look like I'm speaking a foreign languageOwner is clearly a good businessman on one 1 level. He's invested in expanding the shop, bringing in new lines and expanding the opening hours. The shops always immaculate and perfectly stocked. So he's got a strong proposition in his catchment area.
Bu if somebody gives me their hard earned I could at least raise a smile or a word.
I wouldn’t say poor customer services, but a lack of any pleasantries can be rather nice.
In HK, you purchased something, the vendor would invariably bark the price; that’s it, no please, no thank you, just the price, short of telling you to FO, they couldn’t be any more rude, but everything gets done nice and quick.
Compare that to a small café in the UK, where you’ll always receive a long winded welcome.
“Hiyah, how are you today”
“Fine, thank you”
“Weathers nice today, isn’t it”
“Yes”
“Bit warmer than yesterday”
“Yes”
“Not as warm as last year though”
“Sorry, may I have a Latte and a sausage roll.”
“Would you like that hot or cold”
“The Latte or the sausage roll?”
If you’re already sat enjoying some refreshments, you have to listen to this crap many times over.
Pleasantries are overvalued, being ignored in favour of a mobile phone, the service should be subject to 50 lashes.
In HK, you purchased something, the vendor would invariably bark the price; that’s it, no please, no thank you, just the price, short of telling you to FO, they couldn’t be any more rude, but everything gets done nice and quick.
Compare that to a small café in the UK, where you’ll always receive a long winded welcome.
“Hiyah, how are you today”
“Fine, thank you”
“Weathers nice today, isn’t it”
“Yes”
“Bit warmer than yesterday”
“Yes”
“Not as warm as last year though”
“Sorry, may I have a Latte and a sausage roll.”
“Would you like that hot or cold”
“The Latte or the sausage roll?”
If you’re already sat enjoying some refreshments, you have to listen to this crap many times over.
Pleasantries are overvalued, being ignored in favour of a mobile phone, the service should be subject to 50 lashes.
Customer service and basic courtesy are a must for me, without customers you don't have a job, i'd not visit that shop again under the present circs as a matter of course.
This lack of courtesy is a major reason why the high street has died (aided and abetted by councils who made it increasingly difficult for the solvent shopper ie motorist to visit), its not Amazons fault shop owners and the staff they employed lack the wit required in too many cases got the relationship between supplier and customer arse about face.
Oh we want you to spend £500 but if you need a pee, no staff only, thats fine you'll never worry about me darkening your doorstep again.
In motoring world you only have to look at Toyota, not only do they treat the customer as the most important person in the company but as a mere car transporter driver (no longer) Toyota dealers always welcomed us on friendly terms and there was always a coffee on tap, the other makes often treated you like something they stepped in, guess which maker was looked after best.
OP revise your shopping so you don't run out of things, have some stock at home, ok we might be unusual but apart from obvious fresh produce we could manage quite well for several months without visiting any of the several supermarkets we use, its not prepping as such its stocking up on goods at bargain bulk prices when available, the savings more than cover the extra feeezer capacity costs.
This lack of courtesy is a major reason why the high street has died (aided and abetted by councils who made it increasingly difficult for the solvent shopper ie motorist to visit), its not Amazons fault shop owners and the staff they employed lack the wit required in too many cases got the relationship between supplier and customer arse about face.
Oh we want you to spend £500 but if you need a pee, no staff only, thats fine you'll never worry about me darkening your doorstep again.
In motoring world you only have to look at Toyota, not only do they treat the customer as the most important person in the company but as a mere car transporter driver (no longer) Toyota dealers always welcomed us on friendly terms and there was always a coffee on tap, the other makes often treated you like something they stepped in, guess which maker was looked after best.
OP revise your shopping so you don't run out of things, have some stock at home, ok we might be unusual but apart from obvious fresh produce we could manage quite well for several months without visiting any of the several supermarkets we use, its not prepping as such its stocking up on goods at bargain bulk prices when available, the savings more than cover the extra feeezer capacity costs.
You either take your money elsewhere or put up with it. What do you want at 6am a 30 minute conversation?
Price decides these situations for me, they will probably creep the prices up without you noticing.
On a side note about ciggies, I was amazed that in K Mart in the states it was 5USD for 20 !!!!
Price decides these situations for me, they will probably creep the prices up without you noticing.
On a side note about ciggies, I was amazed that in K Mart in the states it was 5USD for 20 !!!!
Exactly the same has happened in our little paper shop / sub Post Office. It used to be busy, now there’s rarely anyone in there. Indian music playing at a level well above background is off-putting and out of place.
OTOH the convenience store has been taken over by another Indian family and is staffed by young lads who are always very pleasant.
OTOH the convenience store has been taken over by another Indian family and is staffed by young lads who are always very pleasant.
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