Let's be honest - in most situations these days, (not all, but more so than not), customer service sucks. For centuries (I could be wrong about that) businesses operated on the foundation of a concept that "the customer is always right", a simple work ethic that one does whatever necessary to ensure customer happiness and satisfaction. Thus, the customer is likely to be loyal and return.
Oh, but in today's service climate the ubiquitous business principle seems to be that, someone is just stupid. Could be the customer. Could be the customer service representative. Could be both. But, there is rampant stupidity.
Well it could be ignorance. Or, I suppose, it could be cultural and language speedbumps. I think "stupid" is a satisfactory catch-all term. You know what I mean.
Oh, but in today's service climate the ubiquitous business principle seems to be that, someone is just stupid. Could be the customer. Could be the customer service representative. Could be both. But, there is rampant stupidity.
Well it could be ignorance. Or, I suppose, it could be cultural and language speedbumps. I think "stupid" is a satisfactory catch-all term. You know what I mean.
A few years back we had made vacation plans and as I am ever the planner, I booked our hotel rooms well in advance and all things were in order. But just before leaving we made the decision to tweak our schedule, planning a side trip to view the elusive Giant Mountain Squid. (I could be wrong about that)
So I called my travel booking company who states, "our goal is your complete satisfaction." I asked them about moving some hotel dates around. Again, ever the planner, I had already spoken with the hotel staff who said the changes were no problem. The booking company, on the other hand............
Not being from Carjackistan, and my being from Mississippi, clear communication was like expecting people to use their car's turn signals. It really is too bad she didn't speak southern. I can easily make the Redneck to English translation.
I inquired of Skytzoxppeutonel (I think that was her name) if we could make some changes and she replied "No. We cannot do that." Oddly enough, THAT I could understand clearly - as though it was the one phrase in English she employed 762 times a day, improving her English skills each time. As any reasonable person would do I asked why this was not possible. Me, being a simple person, my request seemed easy enough. But, I'm stupid. Her response, will forever dwell in the vaults and archives of customer service history.
She clarified the snag in the plan saying "the problem is, you made your reservation.............. in the past."
................................DERP
Yes. That is verbatim what she said. Clearly I must not understand the reservation process and how the space/time continuum operates in overnight lodging. E= Holiday Inn Express. Hearing it one time was awful enough but then, no matter what I asked or said, you guessed it, same response.
Yes. That is verbatim what she said. Clearly I must not understand the reservation process and how the space/time continuum operates in overnight lodging. E= Holiday Inn Express. Hearing it one time was awful enough but then, no matter what I asked or said, you guessed it, same response.
"The problem is, you made your reservation in the past."
Following the explosion of the back half of my brain, all I could say was, "So, you're saying I could call from the future and make a reservation?"
OF COURSE, she said yes, THAT, I could do.
"The problem is, you made your reservation in the past." Skytzoxppeutonel and I need to have a conversation about customer service. I'll call her from last week.
