Customer service is DEAD.

I've noticed since March, that customer service has been on life support. I'd have to wager that at least on the west coast, it's finally died. More and more establishments have been left to absolutism at the hands of angry twenty somethings. It used to be reflected in tips, now it's either avoidance or acceptence. Money isn't worth what it used to be, access is severely restricted. Is this just a California thing? Seems the grocery store and Amazon are going to be my best friends for the foreseeable future.

 

Might be Ca I think. We went out to eat the other night and heard the waiter ask "How's your Mom and Dad?". Or maybe this was a Southern Thang...

 

Thats encouraging. I think your probably correct. I bounced this off relatives in WA state and they agreed with my sentiment. We really need to move out of this cesspool.

 

It’s our stupid governor running us all down. Everything is forced to close but his winery’s are able to stay open? Wtf kinda crap is that?

 

Excellent Customer Service...

https://www.tundras.com/threads/sos-performance.76867/#post-1960820

 

Dont get me started. It took all the restraint I have to abide by the political restrictions, so I left alot to implication. I don't even recognize the country I live in anymore. Houses targeted for flying our flag, hiding your occupation in fear of tainted food. Teenagers screaming at you to stand "here". People are PAYING to eat in parking lots on plastic chairs uncovered in cold weather while some are allowed Inside based on.....

I need the hills in Tennessee or Kentucky... This is horrible.

 

Good to hear. Maybe we can talk SOS into running things out west... Lol

 

That's part of why I live in Missouri. Flags all over the place, can actually walk into a restaurant to eat, no one's screaming at anyone (and if they did....well....)

 

My wife and I will be leaving the cesspool that is Michigan shortly. TN, MO, KS, AL MS. somewhere. Would rather wyoming but she ain't down.

 

Where are your relatives in Washington? SE Washington has restrictions...but it seems customer service is still good at most places that had it before covid. The places that sucked prior to covid are either closed or will be closing. People are supporting the good businesses over here. And we are so used to having to travel for goods that we will avoid those poor customer service places like the plague.

 

Agreed!

 

Its nice living in Kentucky

 

From seeing the way young people in customer service get treated by older customers, I’d be surprised if they weren’t angry. Everybody wants to shit on the younger generation, but nobody wants to talk about what an asshole your typical 40-plus crowd is nowadays.

 

This has been coming along in CA since way before covid. The youth is generally so jaded and bored of their job that they don't recognize customers as the contributors of their paycheck. The hustle is gone when they get paid regardless of sales or business performance. I do find this less common when I head into mom and pop places, which I prefer to support to begin with.

I'm not even sure who to blame, but I would say a bad marker for this was when they started eating Tide pods and posting videos of it. That takes a special kind of brain and we should have known to lower our expectations.

Thats right, get off my damn lawn before I get the hose out, I told you I'm getting old.

 

I think it goes both ways. You're definitely not wrong; but we (I'm 44) aren't all that way. In fact, short of just being an outright @$$hole, I'll go out of my way to be courteous, as I work customer service in a sense (IT server management) and I KNOW how it feels to be fussed out for no good reason.

 

The water is fine in East TN. Not wanting to get political, but the BS that flies in some states would not fly here. Plus good cost of living and no state taxes.

 

Same here. It takes a lot for me to be anything short of very courteous to someone in customer service. That said, I’ve seen way more people being dickheads to people in customer service than the other way around, and I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anyone younger than 30 doing it. Everyone wants young people to “respect their elders”, but not many bother showing them the same.

They’re dealing with Facebook Debbie all day who’s in a bad mood because her “work from home” business hasn’t made her rich, and her dumbass is on the hook for all the Scentsy and Advocare products she had to buy. She takes it out on the kid who forgot to put extra foam in her latte, or can’t accept her expired coupon. I’d be pretty unmotivated myself.

 

I agree with @War Machine. As someone who is technically a millenial (gah, that makes me feel dirty), I'm obligated to say it's all the baby boomer's fault. I will premptively head off any debate from you oldsters with the standard reply of "Ok, boomer."

 

What do they call tide pods in Canada?

 

Port Orchard...by Bremerton.

 

I'm a Xer... I feel like I'm on another planet

 

Tide pads, eh!

 

Something tells me that these are two sides of the same coin. But which came first (the chicken or the egg)? As a LATE boomer or EARLY Gen-Xer, depending on whose dates you agree for the boundary, I believe it is the fault of the boomers and X-ers, who failed to teach their kids the value of work, to do your best at whatever you do, etc. Then those kids, who were never taught to respect others or to work hard, are judged and criticized (even if only by a dirty look) because they are acting the only way they have ever really been taught. Vicious cycle.

 

I agree with both sides of the respect topic mentioned above, but I view things a little differently. I don't buy into the generational stereotypes. They are all just terms used for marketing to make it easier to say X marketing practices do or do not work with Y group. The truth of it is simpler than all that. People are people. You will find angels and assholes in all walks of life regardless of anything like race, religion, age, gender, etc. I've met plenty of kind and courteous people across the spectrum, and plenty of terrible people from every group and combination too.

 

I've worked retail from the age of 16 to 28 from being a bagger, checker, stocker, backdoor manager, to manager. I'm technically a millennial, but don't identify as one. I'm from the true south in south louisiana. we have some pretty good and genuinely nice people around us. But, I've noticed most things in life from being observant. I would pretty much help anyone that needed it as I know how much it sucks to need it and not get it. the amount of "Karens" and "Kyles" I've dealt with is ridiculous! But I've noticed that most of the time, the reason the workers were crappy was because of the customer they were dealing with. Not always, but most of the time. I still see that to be true when dealing with people now. Customers try to flex that unsaid/undocumented slogan of "The customer is always right!" I can tell you now, that ain't true....AT ALL. Give respect, get respect. Don't be an a$$hole and the world could be better!

 

I’m 44. I don’t even know what generation that is. All I know is that the older generation being disappointed with the younger people is an entirely brand new phenomenon. All youth in the history of mankind has been awesome and respectful and good at their jobs. Older people have never been assholes, ever ever ever.

The entire world was perfect until these little bastards showed up.

 

I HATE that phrase. Such a load of crap. My first job was working at a pizza place and my boss was awesome. She got us all together and said something like - You've all heard "the customer is always right".... bullshit. The customer is not always right, and most times they are wrong. However, they customer IS why. They are why this company exists, they are why we do what we do, and they are why you have a job. Be respectful and polite, but don't be a doormat.

That little speech shaped everything I've done working in customer service, and I was really really good at it. Right up until I worked for a company that would throw the employee under the bus to appease a customer.

Prime example, return policy stated you had 30 days and had to have your receipt. Customer wants to return something after 3 months, I tell them that I cannot do that due to the return policy. Customer wants the manager. Manager comes out apologizes to the customer, gives the refund and a free meal in the restaurant next door for the inconvenience. He explained that corporate had told all management to make sure every customer was happy, so bypass return policy and offer meals to make it happen.

I was utterly demoralized and ceased to care at that point. That company had lost my loyalty by making me a stooge. What is the point of having a company policy if you aren't going to enforce it equally?

 

You would be Gen X, I believe. I'm 36 so it depends on what marketing study you go off of; I am either the on of the very very last of Gen X or one of the first Millennials.

Also, I choked on my beverage. Thank you for the sarcasm. It was delicious.

 

You're a millennial but I won't tell anybody if you don't tell on me. I self identify as generation x even though I'm a few decades off.