Proud of Bad Service

I often think about this when I am out mystery shopping. There are so many people who find customer service to be degrading and they seem to take pride in giving bad service. On a certain level, I understand this. These front line jobs are not the most valued and some managers like to lean on the people they ought to support. But it's too easy to think that this is just a problem in low value jobs.

The problem spreads out into general personality traits. A lot of customer service comes down to communication and respect (including self respect). So people who are kind of nasty service employees can carry this into more professional settings. They are also not good friends. Sometimes I feel worn down by casual insults and poor communication but I also think that this is how some people have learned to bond(?). Some people seem honestly confused that I don't like seeing them much.

I know that mystery shopping has affected my perspective. I also hope that my perspective adds value to the shops. It is easy to jump over the qualitative sections, especially when it's a long day. Everything can start to feel the same. I just don't want to fall into those same bad habits.

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Some people are round pegs in square holes and need to find their niche.

Others are totally useless and always will be.

From a shopper POV it doesn't matter-they hit it or they missed it.

I try to limit my exposure to toxic people. The saying, "If you hang out with garbage, eventually you're gonna stink.", metaphorically and literally...

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/02/2019 04:54PM by Monk-N-Nut.

Best Buy "clerks" which is what they are, walk away...I've had to find help and ask for it. They are not on commission, so for their measly salary could care less....now and then you get an o.k. one. I had to buy a camera there and searched for someone to help me, $150.00 later didn't bring a thank you, shopping at it's worst

Live consciously....

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/02/2019 04:54PM by Irene_L.A..

I've had good, bad, and terrible svc at BB. I was trying to recall the worst ever service, but it escapes me.

Far out there wonderment: It arose after I read another thread about saying 'Thank you' and thought about 'thank you' from two perspectives. There are other perspectives, of course. This will not be for everyone. As mystery shoppers, we are not permitted to say 'thank you' or otherwise praise good service. We are not allowed to do little things to encourage employees to complete our transactions, as we might do when personally shopping. We are required to wait for an employee to say this (or something else that is pleasant). As personal shoppers, we might want to lead the interaction and finish our business quickly, or we might have questions that arise in response to employee answers to previous questions. Are we inadvertently denying positive reinforcements? (We might not be issuing negative consequences, but we might not provide timely feedback that employees can apply to situations that they remember.) Over time, do the employees learn that there is no value in saying thank you or in other aspects of 'good customer service'?

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. - Lao-Tzu

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/02/2019 06:39PM by Shop-et-al.

That’s a good question. Although I don’t know if one mystery shopper can influence employees that much. Or ought to. Even if the place is shopped every single day, that’s 1 out many customers. But once a month isn’t significant.

I think the negative consequences come from “coaching” an employee by prompting them to do what’s expected in their job. So that means someone who is putting in the effort consistently is judged the same as someone who’s only polite when it suits them.

Courtesy and good manners never go out of style. Those of us who are fortunate enough to have learned those concepts are well ahead of those who have not. In addition, courtesy and good manners bring a measure of self-respect to the person who demonstrates those skills. Back in the Stone Age, I was a service representative at The Telephone Company, and it was a privilege to serve customers.

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Proud of Bad Service

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