Why is it that people in the service industry cannot seem to do there jobs or put any effort into doing things the right way?
Growing up a worked the counter at my grandparents auto parts store. My grandparents and uncle were very instrumental in grooming my people skills. And it wasn't easy for me, them or the customers I waited on, but I learned a great deal about interacting with the general public. I started that job ...no wait ... that course in my life very early...I was about 10 when I started waiting on customers. Yes... 10 years old...( i hear the words child labor laws come out of your mouth...it wasn't like a was working a 40 hour work week...more like 35 hours). The store was a parts and repair facility, so I would work the parts counter and I would occasionally write up a service ticket. All the while I was learning how to speak to and deal with the general public. I was also learning how to "do the right thing" and / or to "do the job the right way" . By being honest and transparent, by the time I was 15, the customers who were regulars came to see me...not the mechanic (who had a big customer base...he was really good). I had helped build the brand of the business, kept customers coming back and was always promoting the business (remember the good old days of "Howell Day").
By the time I was 18, I was demonstrating the latest engine diagnostic machine at Howell Day using my brand new fuel injected car...a 1984 Chevy Cavalier. And people were coming to the store on a regular schedule to get an oil change (amazing how by putting that silly sticker on the windshield with the next oil change and mileage got people to come back).
So why do I bring all this up? When was the last time you went out to dinner and had great service? Or took you car to an auto repair facility and got the service your car needed without telling the mechanic what to do?
Why is it that companies do not rate their employees based on how they interact with the general public? What's holding companies back from training their employees the right way and grading their performance before they bring them on full time?
Here is a great example ... Ever go to a restaurant and the wait staff comes over and says "Hi guys or What's up guys? " First of all, how about saying this "good morning my name is Dan, I will be your server. Can I start you both off with some drinks or an appetizer ? The use of "guys" has to stop in the service industry...it does not set the tone for the meal, drinks or whatever that I came here for. And I don't thing that women want to be called "guys".
So I drop my new car off at the dealer to get the promised work done. Now I have to say that I'm driving a new Mercedes Benz 2012 R350. Which is the first MB I got back in 2006 when they came out. Very cool car or mini van as I heard one person say yesterday. I had gotten this MB from Mercedes of Freehold, because they were the only dealer that had the options I wanted in the car. I had been buying my MB's from Ray Catena in Edison, but they didn't have the car I wanted and would not cut a deal on a new E Class.
So MB of Freehold calls and says the car is ready. I get there, bring back the loaner car and they get my car. Now I guess that I have been pampered by Ray Catena Service because each time the car was serviced, it was returned to me washed and vacuumed. At MB of Freehold I guess that this is not their policy. My car was dirty. Not vacuumed and the plates were not installed on the front of the car. The reason that the plate was not installed ...they didn't have the bracket that was needed. Now you knew the car was coming in for that, why not insure that the bracket was there? Why do you return the cars dirty? It seemed that they were so concerned about getting me out of the service center and didn't pay attention to the details on why the car was there in the first place.
I can go on and on about not getting the service we deserve when going out to a restaurant or getting gas ... or just talking to a customer service agent on the phone (which if we had more customer service agents that spoke better english would be a plus... I'm not against the people who speak another language ..however if your a business owner and you have people answering the phones that speak english as a second language, please insure that they can speak english clearly so others can understand).
We're droning in poor service and we as a nation need to speak up when the service is bad and get companies to do something other than say "i'm sorry...here's a coupon for 1/2 off your next visit". Do you think by giving me a coupon that's going to make me come back when the service was terrible? I think not...
Growing up a worked the counter at my grandparents auto parts store. My grandparents and uncle were very instrumental in grooming my people skills. And it wasn't easy for me, them or the customers I waited on, but I learned a great deal about interacting with the general public. I started that job ...no wait ... that course in my life very early...I was about 10 when I started waiting on customers. Yes... 10 years old...( i hear the words child labor laws come out of your mouth...it wasn't like a was working a 40 hour work week...more like 35 hours). The store was a parts and repair facility, so I would work the parts counter and I would occasionally write up a service ticket. All the while I was learning how to speak to and deal with the general public. I was also learning how to "do the right thing" and / or to "do the job the right way" . By being honest and transparent, by the time I was 15, the customers who were regulars came to see me...not the mechanic (who had a big customer base...he was really good). I had helped build the brand of the business, kept customers coming back and was always promoting the business (remember the good old days of "Howell Day").
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| My Cavalier was just like this one. |
So why do I bring all this up? When was the last time you went out to dinner and had great service? Or took you car to an auto repair facility and got the service your car needed without telling the mechanic what to do?
Why is it that companies do not rate their employees based on how they interact with the general public? What's holding companies back from training their employees the right way and grading their performance before they bring them on full time?
Here is a great example ... Ever go to a restaurant and the wait staff comes over and says "Hi guys or What's up guys? " First of all, how about saying this "good morning my name is Dan, I will be your server. Can I start you both off with some drinks or an appetizer ? The use of "guys" has to stop in the service industry...it does not set the tone for the meal, drinks or whatever that I came here for. And I don't thing that women want to be called "guys".
So I drop my new car off at the dealer to get the promised work done. Now I have to say that I'm driving a new Mercedes Benz 2012 R350. Which is the first MB I got back in 2006 when they came out. Very cool car or mini van as I heard one person say yesterday. I had gotten this MB from Mercedes of Freehold, because they were the only dealer that had the options I wanted in the car. I had been buying my MB's from Ray Catena in Edison, but they didn't have the car I wanted and would not cut a deal on a new E Class.
So MB of Freehold calls and says the car is ready. I get there, bring back the loaner car and they get my car. Now I guess that I have been pampered by Ray Catena Service because each time the car was serviced, it was returned to me washed and vacuumed. At MB of Freehold I guess that this is not their policy. My car was dirty. Not vacuumed and the plates were not installed on the front of the car. The reason that the plate was not installed ...they didn't have the bracket that was needed. Now you knew the car was coming in for that, why not insure that the bracket was there? Why do you return the cars dirty? It seemed that they were so concerned about getting me out of the service center and didn't pay attention to the details on why the car was there in the first place.
I can go on and on about not getting the service we deserve when going out to a restaurant or getting gas ... or just talking to a customer service agent on the phone (which if we had more customer service agents that spoke better english would be a plus... I'm not against the people who speak another language ..however if your a business owner and you have people answering the phones that speak english as a second language, please insure that they can speak english clearly so others can understand).
We're droning in poor service and we as a nation need to speak up when the service is bad and get companies to do something other than say "i'm sorry...here's a coupon for 1/2 off your next visit". Do you think by giving me a coupon that's going to make me come back when the service was terrible? I think not...
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