Customer Service in Alberta - Survey Results

Thanks to all of our subscribers who took the time to complete and pass on our survey. Some people did not feel comfortable with the online survey and choose to call. Some of the statements I include are theirs.

In terms of the results, generally all sectors averaged between “irritating” and “just passable”:
· Civil Service scored 5.8/10
· Retail scored 5.7/10
· Food and Entertainment scored 5.3/10
· Skilled Trades scored 4.2/10
…the top reason for these dismal scores?
44% of those surveyed indicated that Alberta’s “labour shortage” was the primary reason for poor customer service. “Poor training” ranked closely behind, with 38% of respondents citing it as the cause.

It is interesting that “skilled trades” scored the lowest, but while naming companies most participants listed “food and entertainment” and “retail” outlets as the sources of their worst service experiences. While over 76% of Respondents agreed that trades were the most lacking in customer service, only 6% actually mentioned that trades in their recollections of bad service. It begs the question; are trades get a bum wrap?

When respondents indicated where they received good/bad service in Alberta, here were some responses that were shared and some that were inconsistent. I will list those, with the approximate percentage of people who shared that view:

Consistently Good Experiences:

Futureshop (6%)
Starbucks (27%)
Tim Hortons (17%)
Westjet (16%)


Consistently Bad Experiences:

Chapters (11%)
Canadian Tire (37%)
Marks Work Warehouse (17%) (incidental, owned by Canadian Tire)
Tim Hortons (6%)

Here were some excerpts from peoples service stories:

• They're all bad in Alberta. At Costco the day before yesterday, my daughter was struggling with some heavy items (she didn't have a cart). At the cash register, she noticed there was a cart that wasn't being used. She politely asked the cashier if the cart belonged to anyone? The cashier responded "No". My daughter asked if she could use it. The cashier responded "If you didn't bring one into the store with you, you can't have one". My daughter responded "That doesn't make sense". The senior person at the till echoed the sentiments of the cashier. Only in Alberta! Experiences like this are all too common in Alberta. The worst part is that, because people tend to accept this behavior, it seems to be the new "norm". It makes you want to move!

• I no longer go to electronics stores expecting the CSRs (Customer Service Reps) to have any (or accurate) product information. I do all my own research online, then go look at products to see if there is anything about the item or packaging that provides extra information to help me make my decision. It is generally pointless to talk with sales staff at these businesses because either they don't know or they make things up.

• Waited over 45 minutes to pay @ the Marks WW on McLeod and Glenmore.

• A post office lady being rude, and giving a lecture about not her job to ensure letters are sealed properly. this came about after she tried to take mail that i had not yet sealed. she was smiling as she was being negative and when i addressed her negative attitude she did not apologize. i called post office supervisor.

• People who tell you what they think is the answer to your question when they really don't know. Or those that just say they don't know, don't care and you're just a bother being there.

• my best experiences are always at Starbucks. i used to work there, and i know they have a very very very thorough and strong training program and ethic.

Can we change this? What is our role in improvement or things getting worse. Please feel free to post your comments, experiences, etc.

Customer Service

How are we preparing the next generation to treat customers?

I grew up being a boy scout in the early eighties. To raise money for the troop, we used have annual bottle drives. We would walk the communities, in pairs, wringing doorbells, while a parent would follow in a vehicle, which we would load with donated bottles and cans. When asking for donations, even the youngest were taught to always smile and be polite. We wore the uniform of our troop and would diligently explain what the donations would fund. Whether a contribution was offered or not, we kindly thanked the member of our community before leaving.

Over the last few years, my observation is that scouts wringing the doorbells look like more disgusted and resentful at the process than anything. They stare at their feet – offering no explanation for their being there other than a curt “Got any bottles?” Is it a sense of entitlement? Laziness? Fear?

This year, no scout visited at all. Instead we received a notice. It stated that our local boy and girl scouts would be accepting donations, and if we wanted to contribute we were to have our bottles bagged, labelled and on the curb by nine-o-clock Saturday morning.

The kids are no longer required to interact with the community, asking for donations personally. Instead they whizzed through the community – no uniforms – parents doing much of the work. I can appreciate that this affords greater efficiency on a cold Canadian morning, but what is the cost? I think it’s an example of how we are contributing to an ever-lower level of customer service.

All successful relationships are based on empathy and interaction… and those are traits that have to be taught and practiced. How are we expecting these kids to develop the subtleties of interacting with strangers if they are spared the challenge? Why are we rescuing our children from character building experiences such as where they have to initiate a conversation, or make a request from an adult?

It’s no wonder that so many young adults manning tills and taking phone calls today have no idea how to treat a customer. I don’t believe that the youth is to blame… they are traveling the road we have laid out. Unfortunately, we are all poorer for it.

Welcome

Welcome to REVREV.

This blog has been set up to provide a forum to discuss the ins and outs of improving businesses. In the coming weeks I'll post on what's happening in the world from the perspective of a professional that has dedicated himself to making others money. From inefficiencies in business to the wastes of government, I hope to spur discussion over why people seem to be predisposed to making their lives harder and businesses less profitable than they need to be.

I am unapologetic that I will be espousing the virtues of efficient business... as I don't feel it makes one less humane to demand assets are assets. While I appreciate there is an element in our society that believes the pursuit of wealth corrupts... I maintain that it is those with sufficient means who contribute meaningfully - in time, money or spirit. A business that saps you of time, money or spirit will never help you or anyone else.

Thanks for visiting.