“A few times I’ve been around that track
So it’s not just gonna happen like that
‘Cause I ain’t no Hollaback Girl
I ain’t no Hollaback Girl”
I came across a meme recently that read:
Uber driver: .......
Me: .......
Uber driver: .......
Me: 5 stars.
And I personally think that this is extremely unfair, so a quick definition that I pulled up for customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees “who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest”. This makes sense to me.
Customer service is a vital part of any business. It is “make or break” (unless you’re a monopoly like GEBE) and is completely dependent on the employees of that business. There are companies created just to train your staff on customer service. People need to know how to make customers feel welcome, wanted and even appreciated. It would make sense that you naturally want to do this – as customers really pay your salary – but you know we’re only human… Lol.
While I grasp this concept and the importance of having good customer service, or even mediocre customer service (because some places on St. Martin ain’t got none), I do not think that my quality of customer service should be based on any one person’s mood or preference.
In the above meme, the passenger rated the Uber driver five stars because the driver said nothing to them the entire drive. I have a sister who feels exactly the same way. The reason I think that it’s unfair is because someone else would rate the same driver one star for being equally silent with them. Some persons’ five star rating is dependent on the driver’s interaction as it is needed to have a “full experience”.
Yes, employees should have the skill to gauge different customers and adjust their techniques accordingly, but there should still be a standard that I’m judged on. It shouldn’t be left up to how the individual customer wants to be treated. At that point, you can get a five star rating on one ride and a one star rating on the next, while upholding the same standards. Customer one could get you a raise and customer two could get you demoted.
I once had a potential client not hire me because (and I paraphrase) she did not like how I responded to her when she called me. She mentioned that there was an issue on my website and my response seemed to lack enthusiasm. I’ve also dealt with persons who thought that I was absolutely professional on the phone and enjoyed my slight New York accent. (NEW YORK, NEW YORK!)
Truth be told, I could have been having an off day, but I know myself well enough to know that I am always professional when I answer my phone (unless it’s Castel and I say “YAW”, or Audra and I say “Mmm”). So it is totally unfair to me as a customer service provider to get a poor grade because the recipient would’ve preferred me to be chipper.
You and I have a standard to uphold as persons who provide customers with service; especially those of us that have our own businesses. However, when we are providing that high grade service, our customer service should not be graded poorly because you have a personal preference.
But of a rant, but you know…
(I do need to work on answering all these messages… Lol)
*Cues Hollaback Girl by Gwen Stefani*
