topic Re: Customer Service in Community Spirit

Customer Service

precious_bear — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 07:53:35 GMT

Tonight on my way home from work, I stopped off at the local Post Office agency to post some things to a friend about 150km away. As I'd been in BigW earlier in the day, I'd already bought a tough envelope and packaged it up before I got there. Once there, the girl behind the counter took the envelope and measured it on the cardboard thingy which was under the counter (I couldn't see it) and told me it was too big, it would have to go as a parcel. Fair enough, she weighed it and told me it would be just under $7. As I was paying her, I asked her how much too big the envelope was, because it seemed pointless buying those particular ones if the postage was going to be extra. She got the guide out and showed me, seriously, it was probably about 2mm too wide.

However, I get that, it was too wide. So I asked her how much it would have been if the envelope had been a little bit smaller - again, trying to weigh up if it was worth buying those envelopes - I don't post much!! She then tells me it would have been $1.80. Another shopkeeper had come over as she was showing me how much too big it was and said very kindly to me "next time, just fold it over a little bit to make it fit and stick it down". I know this girl from being in the shop a lot and I said (not being rude, just chatting) "I wish I'd been told that before I'd paid this time!" at which the first girl who had served me said "Well, I didn't know, did I?"

I understand she may well have not known, we all learn things bit by bit, but was it really necessary for her to speak to like that? A simple "I'm sorry, I didn't realise" and I would not have given it another thought. I think I'm turning into a grumpy old woman

Rant over!!

Precious

Re: Customer Service

meh_too — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 09:08:38 GMT

Hooray for grumpy old women! I had a crack at a colleague today for being a patronising young pup.

Re: Customer Service

acacia_pycnantha — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 12:10:33 GMT

Talking of Customer Service;

I get annoyed when I walk into the bank and an assistant greets me and asks if they can be of help.

I explain I want to cash a cheque and they direct me to stand in a queue and wait for a teller.

I then (always) reply that if they really wanted to help then they might like to sit behind one of the vacant teller's window's and serve me.

So far, this has never worked and I have had to stand in line looking at empty teller's windows while other, albeit thoroughly greeted and questioned customers queue up behind me.

I have explained that this is frustrating and is not good PR or good customer relations, to say nothing of a profound lack of manners.

Oh, I can hear you asking . . "Which bank?"

I'm thinking of taking my business elsewhere, sometime soon.

Re: Customer Service

youcandoityoucandoityoucandoit — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 12:28:00 GMT

totally get that acacia! really grinds my gears when that happens..

I dont need to be greeted- its a bank, what, do they think I cant see the queue??(and theres almost always a queue) grrr

Put the staff to better use, serve the customer/client whatever!!

Re: Customer Service

**meep** — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 12:34:34 GMT

Customers that join the wrong queues can be really annoying.

Re: Customer Service

poddster — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 12:47:31 GMT

Acording to Basil ALL customers are blardy annoying

Re: Customer Service

**meep** — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 12:55:45 GMT

LOL they can be

Re: Customer Service

everything*that*i*ever*wanted — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 14:33:16 GMT

The "Greeters" are Customer Service Officers and specialise in products. They aren't allowed to act as tellers unless rostered. The ones behind the windows are Customer Service Representatives and specialise in processing.

Yes it seems silly, thank the unions.

It comes down to targets...if the CSO's do the job of a CSR they could be taking away their target potentials, and thereby income / bonuses. And vice versa.

Re: Customer Service

kennedia_nigricans — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 14:46:47 GMT

wife of acaia replying:

we don't care about their inside politics or policies.

if that person can't serve us, don't be there at all cos their current practise is infuriating.

we are customers and we want to be served and not treated as if we were idiots.

as someone said above "we can see the queue" we do NOT need someone to tell us to queue up there while that person stands around doing nothing than stating the obvious.....AAARARRRRGGGHHHHH

common sense? fat chance.

we have seen those greters go behind the teller and serve people. i observed that it happens when the queue gets too long.

they then call in someone else to do th egreeting *rools eyes*

Re: Customer Service

**meep** — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 23:06:13 GMT

the "greeter" doesn't know why you're there. imagine if you joined the long queue only to be told you didnt need to wait or worse, to join a different queue. believe me, the "greeters" are there for a good reason. it would be great if every customer understood the difference between personal transactions, business transactions, opening bank accounts, closing term deposits etc etc, but they don't. They need to be informed of who will be best suited to serve them. I agree though, if you want to avoid that, you should join a smaller bank.

Re: Customer Service

lurker17260 — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 23:21:47 GMT

Are the tellers really that specialised these days that they can't do both business and personal transactions? Or do any /all of the things you mention. I genuinely ask, because I haven't been inside a bank branch for years.

Re: Customer Service

**meep** — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 23:31:45 GMT

@lurker17260 wrote:
Are the tellers really that specialised these days that they can't do both business and personal transactions? Or do any /all of the things you mention. I genuinely ask, because I haven't been inside a bank branch for years.

It has more to do with the length of time ie a straight forward transaction would take a lot less time. And then of course you have the more senior staff in charge of more complex services.

Re: Customer Service

**meep** — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 23:35:54 GMT

A bit like having an express lane in a supermarket.

Re: Customer Service

lurker17260 — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 23:38:45 GMT

hhhmmm okay, I understand that. But we don't seem to need "greeters" in the supermarket do we? We manage to sort ourselves into the appropriate lane (mostly )

Re: Customer Service

youcandoityoucandoityoucandoit — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 23:46:02 GMT

Maybe this is not clear to some who have posted..

Its not a case of joining the queue, its being actively approached as I walk into the bank as if I dont know why Im there.

By approaching ALL who enter, they are assuming that ALL need help..another example of treating the general public as if they are stupid..

Im walking in to do business, I can read the signs that clearly define the areas of the bank. I dont need to be stopped and asked what am I doing there..its not a funpark!

If they want to be helpful- have this person be available to those who need help, stand behind the counter with the sign 'Customer Enquiries' (just out of interest I wonder what percentage of people actually NEED help-??)

It seems to me that this is about PR, an example of Banks wanting to be seen to be warm,friendly and approachable..

rant over

Re: Customer Service

**meep** — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 23:47:48 GMT

@lurker17260 wrote:
hhhmmm okay, I understand that. But we don't seem to need "greeters" in the supermarket do we? We manage to sort ourselves into the appropriate lane (mostly )

mostly........maybe lol

not unusual for me either to have ended up in an 11 items or less lane with a full trolley

Re: Customer Service

kengillard — Wed, 18 Sep 2013 00:39:33 GMT

Customer Service or lack of it.

Last Saturday I was at the local pub with a girlfriend who was visiting for the weekend. They were running raffles.....every drink you bought you were given a ticket for the raffle....I missed out on my tickets, and upon asking barmaid how come I was the only one who hadn't been given tickets"

she replied..."you only get tickets when youbuy a drink" I replied, you personally served me 3 drinks...then she grabbed 3 tickets and practically threw them at me. Rude piece of work! Then had the hide to tell my friend ....about 15 years younger than me....that she had a 'rude mother"!!!

I know it seems petty, but it really shook me up.

Re: Customer Service

green.fields — Wed, 18 Sep 2013 01:58:35 GMT

Greeters in banks. I am not an idiot I know whether I need to go to a normal teller or ask for a specialised person. I do not like being accosted by the greeter.

Greeter in shop. One of the supermarkets I go to has a greeter, I hate it. Leave me alone. I'ts one of the big ones yet none of their other branches I go to has them.

Re: Customer Service

cherples — Wed, 18 Sep 2013 03:41:18 GMT

@lurker17260 wrote:
hhhmmm okay, I understand that. But we don't seem to need "greeters" in the supermarket do we? We manage to sort ourselves into the appropriate lane (mostly )

Sometimes we do 😄

I've been to some Coles supermarkets that have greeters to offer baskets on entry and assist to the fastest checkout or self serve pre-exit.

Re: Customer Service

azureline** — Wed, 18 Sep 2013 04:28:03 GMT

I evade the greeter when I use the bank ............. no eye contact. keep walking.