Has anyone noticed how customer service is at an all-time low, people really don’t give a shit anymore.
Big corporations acquire and merge to eliminate competition, and with less choices prices go up and customer service tanks, they don’t have to care anymore, where will you go? So the savings are made there. Have you ever tried to deal with a cable company or AT&T recently? They have made not giving a fuck an art-form.
When you do try to call customer support you are invariably routed offshore to a foreign call center talking to a barely understandable Pakistani, who is reading like a parrot from a standard script with the phone in one hand while he milks his goat with the other. The fact the company is providing support seems to be enough to meet some moral or legal obligation, the quality or effectiveness of the support is irrelevant.
We are all being slowly dumbed down and reprogrammed to accept less with the onslaught of the cheap low quality dogshit from China. We happily trade quality and support for a dirt-cheap price. As the saying goes “you get what you pay for” but given the lack of choice this is somewhat unfair.
It’s not only the phone support for computers and electronic gizmos, cable and telephone companies, banks, medical etc. its also local providers.
Even my Gardener screws me over, they don’t give a shit either. First couple of visits are wonderful, but rapidly reduced to the standard “mow and blow” (cutting the grass and using a blower to blow all the shit from my yard into my neighbors, who invariably bitches and moans) God forbid you complain, and you get attitude, or are blamed for all the things you are mentioning and asked for extra. We have been through so many gardeners its not funny. I can only conclude that this seems to be the norm. It appears we should be content with the fact they bothered to show up at all, doing any actual work is a bonus and we should be grateful.
Here in the USA we are still blessed (for the most part) with exceptional service in restaurants from the waiter or waitress, mainly because they rely on tips for income and that’s at the discretion of the customer. This model works well for all involved. Restaurant owner can employ plenty of staff on minimal wage, employees determine their income with the service they provide, customer benefits from all of the above.
You experience a stark contrast in Europe where “tipping” is not so common. Less staff, service generally sucks, you get little attention, and when you do it’s often laced with attitude.
Europeans hate the USA, (well not hate, its more intimidated) because of all the tipping needed. When people come to visit from the UK, I get a constant barrage of panicked questions “help, do I tip this person, how much do I tip them” all in a mildly annoyed tone with endless reminders “well, this is ridiculous, we don’t need to tip like this in England” jeeeez they don’t get it, it’s a good thing not a bad thing. They neglect to consider, mention or appreciate the exceptional value and good-mannered service they have received compared crap the get back home.
I have my own business, my company manufactures and sells high tech gear, business to business. Our gear is [by choice] designed and manufactured in Europe (not China) and as such it costs more than my competition, which is invariably coming from China even if the company pretends to be western or is based in the West. They have all sold their soul (and all their intellectual property) to the devil as they outsourced everything to lower costs.
I have managed to carve out a niche out by offering old school excellent before and after sales support. I am glad to say there is still a market for companies who deliver quality, reliable product with unmatched support.
Rudge