The Death of Customer Service

Over the past 12 months I have had the opportunity to travel to multiple states for pleasure and for work. From staying in hotels, to renting cars, to eating out, to flying, to just buying gas; I've noticed a troubling trend- the era of good customer service seems to be dying.

On a trip last fall my family and I stopped at McDonalds to eat.  A teenager asked me for my order and as I was getting ready to speak he picks up his cell phone, while standing in front of me, and starts texting.  I looked at him and said "I'm in the middle of ordering, do you mind putting your phone down?" Shortly thereafter, while at the chiropractor, the scheduler was taking my payment and scheduling my next visit- all the while texting every time her hands were free.  She didn't even look at me as we spoke during the transaction.  Texting is only part of the struggle- it seems like everywhere I go the food is tasting worse, the service is taking longer and the help is just plain rude.  I recently rented a car at Denver International Airport.  I waited in line for almost an hour to get my car, along with 75 other people.  The car was filthy and the lot attendant that I mentioned it to was rude.  When I advised him that after waiting in line for an hour (and now being potentially late to my appointment) my day was not going well he said "I’m glad I could help".  

Sadly, I could go on and on sharing story after story of awful customer experiences I've had in the past 12 months.  Yes, it seems to me that good customer service is on the way out.  However, there's good news for anyone who feels that they can muster up the slightest attempt at caring about their customers... the moment you, your business or your staff shows a glimmer of such service your client or customer will be so surprised that they may actually tell everyone they know.  They will be elated that someone actually cares about them and their business.  It's even likely that they will be so pleased at this rare event that they would pay a little more for whatever service you are offering. 

Case in point- We have a gas station out here called "Quick Trip".  It is the most amazing gas station/service station I have ever visited.  It's always clean, the staff is always friendly, and their food selection is always hot, fresh and even looks edible.  They never have a line of more than 2 people waiting to check out because they run 1, 2 or even 3 registers at a time- if that's what it takes to get people in and out.  Their service is so good that anytime I walk into another gas station I find myself asking "whey the heck did I not go to QT?"  I've tweeted out many times #bringQTtoNorthPhoenix- which typically happens while I'm waiting in a long line at one of those other gas stations.  The best part of this amazing gas station is that the gas, food and drinks aren't any more expensive than those other guys.  

I have told any person that will listen that QT is the best gas station on earth- and may have even argued with friends who don't have a QT where they live, as they try to sell me on their favorite gas station. 

So what's my point?  The world of good customer service experiences is so small and so rare that when a person, a company or a concept actually consistently delivers on such a principal- those of us who experience this rarity tell everyone we know and we become loyal- very loyal.  As a result of bad experiences I will only fly Southwest Airlines, I will only rent from Enterprise Rental Car, I would pay $5 more for a meal to eat at Chick-Fil-A and I would drive an extra 10 miles to gas up at QT. 

So think about it?  Analyze your current business model and what you are offering to your customers.  Is your product, whatever that product is, worth bragging about?  Have you even considered this question?  If not, you may have joined the ranks of the "Customer Service is Dead" companies.  However, if you can honestly say that you always try to go above and beyond for your clients than congratulations because your business is rare and rare things are valuable!