American Customer Service Sucks!

This past Friday, I was at a Target in Richfield, Minnesota, returning something. The clerk had just asked me "Is there anything wrong with it?" and I started to say (note: I started to say) that no, there was nothing wrong, but before I could even get my mouth fully open and engaged, her co-worker came up to her and started talking about her own customer's issue. I just shut my mouth. My clerk handed me my money and thanked me and turned back to her co-worker. I was flabbergasted.

Three issues here: First - do not interrupt your co-worker when she is actively engaged in a conversation with a customer. Second - if your co-worker interrupts you while you are listening to or talking with a customer, tell your co-worker "Hold on, I'll be with you in a minute, I'm assisting someone here" and turn back to your customer. Third - hell, I don't even know anymore. It just boggles my mind.*

OK, then Sunday ... Sunday. My husband and I are at a Sam's Club in Bloomington, Minnesota, and he's putting gasoline into my car. I am talking to him through the open window. I have my head out of the window, it's obvious we're talking. The Sam's Club employee monitoring the area walks up to my husband and starts talking about the weather, wants to know if he needs anything, how's he doing.... And I say, RUDELY, NO, we don't need anything, we're talking here. NOPE, we're good. Kthnxbye. GAH. I don't have to tell you the issue here. Or do I? Just ask, I'll tell you. WAIT, interrupt me first, and then I'll tell you.

And finally, the trifecta -is three a holy number? Monday. Yesterday. There is man with a toolbelt working on a door lock at a local business I am going to enter. I wait until the door is apparently able to be used and do so - as I'm talking through the door I nod and speak to the gentleman - "Hey, nice weather to be working outdoors, good to see this mall has maintenance on hand" and I smile. He. completely. ignores. me. Completely. COMPLETELY. Granted, he's not an employee of the business I was going in to. He's not providing me a service. But he's in the business of fixing things for the people who own the building that contains the business that provides me a service, and due to his non-response, I think whoever he works for is a total jerk and I wouldn't do business with them if my life depended on it. SERIOUSLY. Lesson here: You are the face of your company, no matter if you are the sweeper of the crap in the basement in the building that contains the store. YOU represent. SERIOUSLY. And this man was old enough to know better. GAH!

That's it for today. Thanks for reading.

*I got it! THIRD - pay attention to your surroundings. Do NOT walk up to somebody and just start wagging that tongue - check to make sure whoever you're talking to isn't already talking to somebody else. Especially when you're working BEHIND THE CUSTOMER SERVICE DESK OF A BUSY RETURNS AREA. Get your head out of your arse.