What would you say is the biggest problem with customer service today?

[Doctor Amadeus]

What would you say is the biggest problem with customer service today?

Lack of Problem solving skills and accountability.

2nd is Automation

3rd is Incompetents Nice but unable to be effective.

4th Language or cultural barriers, I don't mind getting a call center in another country, but when accents or language is so off I can't understand or they can't understand me, yeah very frustrating.

Have you ever complained or gotten someone fired for poor customer service?

Not that I know of, but the only time I ever complained is if I figured the problem was unintentional otherwise if it's bad, I would complain then lead. Used to work in customer service and hated when customers would hold that shit over someones head.

If I am going to leave, I am not going to bother saying why unless I have already tried, when I am fed up I am out.

[Cizr]

What would you say is the biggest problem with customer service today?


Understaffed workers and way too many people in higher positions

Have you ever complained or gotten someone fired for poor customer service?


Yes, post delivery persons here like to put note into your mailbox saying that you were not at home when they were delivering items to your home and to pick them up at post office even when you are clearly home. When it happened a second time in one week I had enough and complained.

[TheramoreIsTheBomb]

All of the above.

[Poopymonster]

As a manager in the service industry...

People who've never been in the trenches dictating behavior from on high.
Requirements from corporate. As an example "We need X coupons redeemed per week". Unneeded pressure on your workers.
Turning a simple sales transaction into a barrage of questions. "Would you like to add X? Are you a member with us? No? *Must tell them details of membership* Would you like to join? Can I get your email to send you messages about upcoming events?"
Customer Entitlement. You are a customer, not god. Don't expect me and my crew to worship you because you came into our business. You're just walking money to us.
Oh you name drop the store manager? Pssst, she hates you. You are not always right.

From being a customer?
Lack of training. As long as everything goes exactly by the book, everything is fine. Humans are involved. It's going to go wrong. Don't train people to only deal a perfect customer. Humans are involved for Cher's sake.
Automation. Self check out is nice, because I hate people, but if I wanted to ring things through I'd work there.
Sick workers. They know they are sick. Their bosses understaff, so they come in sick. They call out, they get fired.

When I have complained, I highlight what I feel was wrong with the situation, not put all the blame on the wage slave. To my knowledge I haven't gotten anyone fired. Granted I rarely complain because I don't like people or interacting with them, so I keep my interactions with them to a minimum.

[Fenzha]

I would say mostly the customers.

But i have been someone who has manned the tills.

[Adam Jensen]

The entitled customers, especially the fucking Karens out there.

[Dezerte]

Underpaid and understaffed. And not given enough tools and power to solve problems for customers.

[Cosmic Janitor]

Where do you even start with this?
No matter what angle I try, I always end up with a different underlying reason. The closest universal reason is probably greed and complete disregard for everyone else.

[d00mGuArD]

In terms of phone service the biggest problem is the language. It is unacceptable to have phone services with staff that can't speak english! This was super bad especially in the UK! One would expect people that work phone services in UK to know... english...

In retail service, things usually go smooth. It is not rocket science. But still many people that are terrible at their job. Probably because they don't care.

[Ghostpanther]

Lack of respect of others. Too many times, they simply do not give a shit.

[Ihavewaffles]

According to our lord n savior, Sgt Ducky, it's mostly the customers at fault.

[Tenlo]

Not caring enough about the customer to fix their problems. Typical I don’t give a shit about you attitude.

In my experience it the I don't give a shit attitude is directly related to how the customer themselves acts.
When I was doing cashier/stocker jobs the customer who said 'Excuse me,hello,hey can you help me find X" got as best service as I could give while the person who whistled, snapped, or literally just stared at me while pointing at something got subpar (I just want you gone) service.
There are bad cashier's out there of but if someone gets consistently subpar service it's probably them. Not talking to you specifically friendo!

[Vanyali]

Not caring enough about the customer to fix their problems. Typical I don’t give a shit about you attitude.

Most of the "i don't give a shit" stems from two things:

1) trying to do about ten things in ten minutes, all of which take thirty minutes minimum to complete, with an insecure boss breathing down your neck about customer service

2) burnout from the above.

I'm pretty sure I give out that vibe (and actually had someone ask me if it was really alright to bother me because i looked "stressed") some days because I am a manager who also solo works floral freight... during the day only. Which equates to me doing roughly 200 boxes of freight a week with customers in the store, breaking and remaking fixtures, and breaking and remaking them again because it wasn't "done right" despite the SM overseeing what I was doing and okaying it. So when someone comes up and asks me for "that thing you put in a basket, it's for decoration" and won't tell me anything else... i truly do not give a shit, and i'm sure that is visible.


Know what you want, know how to describe what you want, and realize that retail sucks because of corporate refusing to acknowledge reality, so the workers really don't care about you other than getting you out and away from them. And that the more anyone is rude the less help they'll get. I straight-up tune out people on the phone screaming because they got charged .10 more until I get a turn to talk.

[Lochton]

What would you say is the biggest problem with customer service today?

Lack of Problem solving skills and accountability.

2nd is Automation

3rd is Incompetents Nice but unable to be effective.

4th Language or cultural barriers, I don't mind getting a call center in another country, but when accents or language is so off I can't understand or they can't understand me, yeah very frustrating.

Have you ever complained or gotten someone fired for poor customer service?

Not that I know of, but the only time I ever complained is if I figured the problem was unintentional otherwise if it's bad, I would complain then lead. Used to work in customer service and hated when customers would hold that shit over someones head.

If I am going to leave, I am not going to bother saying why unless I have already tried, when I am fed up I am out.

Ugh... I'm stuck at two things..

Too much automation, or too many shithead customers who believe they are the better than you.