Customer Service

I have seen a number of posts recently complaining about Customer Service – whether it be Childcareisfun fight with Thomas Cook, Nickie72 with Asda or BlogByBaby with EE.

My dilemma does pale into insignificance when you read their stories, however it was enough to really upset me yesterday.

Now, I come from a Customer Service background and I understand that it can be an absolute thankless task at times. There are the genuine customers that you really want to help and then there are those that just want to see what they can get out of you! 

Sales I am not so famaliar with – that’s hubby’s domain, but it still requires great customer service.

Yesterday we got word from our plumber that he could start work on our bathroom next week. That is great, but trying to organise getting everything we needed proved more of a challenge.

The bathroom company were fab and have bent over backwards to ensure we get what we need in time, but my other task was tile shopping.

I had fallen in love with a look in the Topps Tiles Magazine, however when I saw it “in the flesh” I decided that it wasn’t what I wanted, so went back to the drawing board.

Now, tile shopping whilst heavily pregnant with a toddler in tow isn’t an ideal situation at the best of times, but you have to get in with it.  I have to say that Eliza was on her best behaviour – unfamiliar surroundings and complete strangers around mean’t she did not leave my side, which was a bonus!

My first port of call was Tile Giant, where I was cheerily greeted by an assistant by the name of Bryan. He let me look around at my leisure, take pictures on my phone of things I liked and was on hand when I needed to ask questions.  In fact he was so helpful that I thought everyone would be like that.

Next stop was Topps Tiles and things couldn’t have been more different.  I felt all eyes on me as I walked in, which made me feel really uncomfortable.  I was then, for want of a better word, stalked around the showroom by a female assistant who proceeded to give me the hard sell on everything I even glanced at – not good practice!  

I decided on one more shop – a local independent whom I had heard on the grapevine that wasn’t “doing very well”.  The showroom was empty when I went in, so I got to have a good look around before I was approached by a salesman.  I couldn’t see what I wanted, so I asked if they had anything like my pictures.  I was pointed to some mosaic tiles and once again ignored.  

Another couple came in and I was surprised at how quickly he jumped to their aid.  He was fawning over them and bending over backwards to help, yet ignoring me.  The final comment from his mouth to me was – “We are closing in 10 minutes” to which I made the decision to leave.

I may not be the perfect customer, but I am a serious customer looking to buy – don’t judge a book by its cover!!

I am off to see Bryan at Tile Giant today, to try my haggling skills – they have won my custom – wish me luck!


MummyBarrow

7 thoughts on “Customer Service”

  1. Amazing what a good bit of customer service can do isn’t it? If only these people knew or understood…no wonder that particular shop is doing very well!

    Reply
  2. aaahhhhh judgemental sales assistants seriously piss me off.

    I want to go all Pretty Woman on them. How dare they treat potential customers differently? Well done on voting with your feet.

    You might want to call them and ask to speak to the manager and let him know that you tried to be a customer but had no option but to take your “potential thousands of pounds worth of business, plus ever recommending you to friends and colleagues” elsewhere

    Reply
  3. Well they certainly know how to lose a sale dont they and in this day and age surely that is disastrous!More fool them!

    Reply
  4. Not surprised the third company is struggling! It’s hard because as someone who has recently worked in retail, we get given scripts that we are supposed to use, and can get official warnings if caught out by mystery shoppers, but even so the hard sell of number 2 sounds above and beyond that. It is true that we will usually go for the nice person, even if it costs us a fre pound More! X

    Reply
  5. Poor customer service is SO annoying. I know it isn’t easy working with and serving the public, but if you are in sales, or similar, then really, you need to be thinking that each customer who walks through the door should be treated like they are spending a fortune, spoken nicely to, helped, etc, regardless, if you want to grow a business, or keep a reputation! Some companies are good at this, or even excellent but I have to say, Topps Tiles were crap when we looked there, for tiles for our kitchen, so I am not surprised!

    Reply
  6. PC World is top of my list of rubbish customer service at the mo. I was in customer service too. Makes it more annoying when companies just don’t seem to have any!

    Reply

Leave a Comment