from the editor 09.2014
AT YOUR DISSERVICE S Felicia S. Levine felicia@bocaratonobserver.com
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T H E B O C A R AT O N O B S E R V E R
o I was at a Super Target the other morning buying coffee creamer before heading to the office. There was one cash register open and oh, about 3,000 people standing in front of me (OK, there were nine, but at 8:30 a.m. when you’re rushing to get to work—nine ...19... 3,000— there’s really no difference). Even more frustrating, the register had a glitch and the line wasn’t moving. As some shoppers grumbled under their breath—one woman just gave up and, with an exasperated sigh, abandoned her full cart—I spotted a manager several feet away and politely asked if she could open another register. A reasonable request, I figured. She walked straight toward me—and then right past me. Rude! I think she smirked, too. Bad customer service makes me want to scream! During and after college I worked in retail and restaurants, and while I was far from a model employee, I tried hard and was never intentionally impolite or inconsiderate. Not everyone does. There are flippant waiters (that’s alright, I didn’t want that beverage I ordered anyway) and dismissive flight attendants (thanks for never bringing the blanket); careless hair stylists (what part of my instruction to “trim the ends” made you think I said “experiment with bangs”?) and distracted store clerks (just keep checking your iPhone there, sweetheart—I’ll wait)…
It’s a wonder any of us can summon the patience to leave home. Agoraphobia, anyone? Actually, you needn’t leave home to experience the angst. Just ask Aaron Spain, the poor sap who made headlines after trying unsuccessfully for a month to have Comcast fix his cable TV, finally deciding to cancel it, and then making the call only to be placed on hold. For three hours. Even after Comcast closed for the day, forelorn Aaron was still holding. Guess he never got the memo explaining that Comcast is only reachable (or so I hear) when there’s a new service to sell or you’ve missed a bill. Not only is bad customer service maddening, it’s also costly—to you, me and businesses in general. According to a Harris Poll conducted on behalf of ClickSoftware, a workforce management company, U.S. industry loses about $108 billion a year, or $900 annually per employee, because of the time these workers spend on hold waiting for customer service responses. People like Aaron, who wasn’t even on the job— but for all we know, is still holding for Comcast.