Customer Service

I kept meaning to write about this but yesterday's event triggered me to write about it again. I know it's the full moon tonite. But in the past couple of weeks I have been either too damn sensitive, or customer service has taken the road the dinosaurs have, because I've had shitty experiences.

I had talked about my experience at the lovely local Department of Family and Children services or whatever place that is about applying for food stamps. She was oh so happy to see me (NOT) oh so helpful (NOT REALLY).

I had gone to Walmart last week and the cashier did not speak to me ONCE. NOT a fucking hello, not even to tell me what my amount was. She was either on the phone or flapping her fat lips to a coworker. WTF is that business? I dont' want to carry on a conversation or be their best friend (um HELL no) but I do expect some kind of courtesy. Apparently I expect WAY too much from others. Hell I'm there to buy shit from that store. You all should be thankful I don't go somewhere else. Oh wait I know they don't give a shit. Well maybe Sam will. Because I donjt' think I'm shopping there agian. I will do without or pay a bit extra. It isn't just this one time, it's almost all the time when I go into Walmart. Hell I'll drive across town to Target if I have to.

I have been trying to get my haircut and began trying to get an appointment last week. I have been to one salon but was trying to find some place a bit less expensive. So I called one I was referred to. First they put me on hold forever. Then when I called back after being on eternal hold, she had an attitude (I didn't say a word about being on hold, but maybe she was having a bad day, but I certainly don't let my bad day show through when I'm talking to a customer). So I hung up. Next time I left a message. The voice mail said they return all calls within the hour. No call that day. I did try another place. That guy told me he didn't have time to do a consult with me but someone else in his salon would be able to. That kind of just irritated me. "I am pretty booked so I don't have time to do a consult, but one of my other stylists might." Um I told him to forget it.

Now maybe i'm being too sensitive about this. I have been under some stress lately. I have been on the verge of tears lately (and no it's not that time). The other salon did call me back and gave me an appointment. Then they called the next day to change it. I specifically told the first lady I had to have late afternoon. But they wanted to know if I could come in a little earlier. I had to work that day and don't know what time I will leave work so I wanted it as late in the day as possible. She asks me if I can move it to 10am. Um hello? Did she not fucking hear a word I said? NO I can't do 10 AM! She said she would keep my appointment at 3:30. Apparently "Charles" had something to do? Well I told her if that time was not good, to call me back and I would cancel it and reschedule. So she calls me later. Tells me that I would need to reschedule. Fine. I would have to call back because I was in a meeting (I had no intentions of calling back, I was going to go to the salon I had been to before). Well I get a call SAturday at 3:30 pm (that was my appointment time before they called to cancel). "This is s0-and-so from ______ ____ Salon, you have an appointment at 3:30 and I wanted to see if you were still coming." Needless to say I was irritated. I called her back and told her some girl (I should have gotten her name) called me to cancel it, that they wanted to move it but I couldn't so we canceled it. Then the stylist gets on the phone. I told him the whole conversation the day before. Not sure if he just didn't remember or he didn't know, but I was like, "I'm not coming in." So he apologizes and said he would make time for me whenever I wanted next week. I am hesitant to get my hair cut there now, but I did reschedule. I am just irritated with the whole thing. Do they even WANT my business (I know it's not personal since they don't know me but Im tired of getting attitude and the runaround lately). So we'll see.

Does ANYONE care about the customer anymore? Whether it's a new one or a recurring one. Have we sunk so low that all we care about is the bottom line, the buck, just getting our share, just taking care of ourselves? Or am I paying for something I did? I know I can be selfish but I do try to think about others, actually probable too much.

Maybe I'm just too sensitive