The Customer Service Spectrum
Well, I had two experiences on opposite ends of the customer service spectrum tonight.
Steve and I went to eat at Steak 'n Shake tonight. They were fairly busy so they had the "Please Wait to be Seated" sign out. So, Steve and I stood there and waited. We noted that there were at least four or five empty tables. We saw about four waitresses flying around tending to tables. We saw two busboys clearing tables. We saw about four or five people behind the counter taking care of drive-through and the customers who decided to sit at the counter. Nearly every single one of these people made eye contact with us. Yet, after 8 to 10 minutes of us standing there waiting, not a single one of them had spoken a word to us, much less offered to seat us. We finally got sick of being ignored and left.
On the other hand, Payless ShoeSource gets kudos for shocking me with their excellent customer service. I bought a pair of Suede Basic Skate sneakers back in late May or early June. This is the third time I'd bought this style of sneakers because I really like the look, they're cheap (only $20), and it saves me from having to pick something else. Unfortunately, this particular pair was apparently defective. A few months ago, the sole of the right shoe started separating from the shoe. At first, it was only a small problem, but it kept separating more and more. During the last few weeks, it's been so separated that I could peel it back almost entirely, and it seemed in very near danger of falling off completely. I had resigned myself to having to buy a new pair of shoes, and based on the recommendation of a friend, was planning to look at Zappos.com.
However, it occured to me this afternoon that it wouldn't hurt anything to stop by Payless and show them just how badly the shoes were falling apart to see if maybe they would let me exchange them or get my money back. I honestly didn't think they would; I was expecting that they'd politely inform me that since I no longer had my receipt, I was out of luck. Much to my shock, when I told the saleclerk my story about how long I had them and showed her their condition, she told me that they could be exchanged for the same item, though she had to get her supervisor's permission first. Much to my delight, when the supervisor saw them, she agreed to let them exchange and acknowledged that they were clearly defective. During this time, they were both very agreeable and helpful and they gave me exactly what I thought I deserved: a replacement pair of shoes. The complete opposite of what I expected!
So, kudos to Payless and shame on Steak 'n Shake!
Steve and I went to eat at Steak 'n Shake tonight. They were fairly busy so they had the "Please Wait to be Seated" sign out. So, Steve and I stood there and waited. We noted that there were at least four or five empty tables. We saw about four waitresses flying around tending to tables. We saw two busboys clearing tables. We saw about four or five people behind the counter taking care of drive-through and the customers who decided to sit at the counter. Nearly every single one of these people made eye contact with us. Yet, after 8 to 10 minutes of us standing there waiting, not a single one of them had spoken a word to us, much less offered to seat us. We finally got sick of being ignored and left.
On the other hand, Payless ShoeSource gets kudos for shocking me with their excellent customer service. I bought a pair of Suede Basic Skate sneakers back in late May or early June. This is the third time I'd bought this style of sneakers because I really like the look, they're cheap (only $20), and it saves me from having to pick something else. Unfortunately, this particular pair was apparently defective. A few months ago, the sole of the right shoe started separating from the shoe. At first, it was only a small problem, but it kept separating more and more. During the last few weeks, it's been so separated that I could peel it back almost entirely, and it seemed in very near danger of falling off completely. I had resigned myself to having to buy a new pair of shoes, and based on the recommendation of a friend, was planning to look at Zappos.com.
However, it occured to me this afternoon that it wouldn't hurt anything to stop by Payless and show them just how badly the shoes were falling apart to see if maybe they would let me exchange them or get my money back. I honestly didn't think they would; I was expecting that they'd politely inform me that since I no longer had my receipt, I was out of luck. Much to my shock, when I told the saleclerk my story about how long I had them and showed her their condition, she told me that they could be exchanged for the same item, though she had to get her supervisor's permission first. Much to my delight, when the supervisor saw them, she agreed to let them exchange and acknowledged that they were clearly defective. During this time, they were both very agreeable and helpful and they gave me exactly what I thought I deserved: a replacement pair of shoes. The complete opposite of what I expected!
So, kudos to Payless and shame on Steak 'n Shake!