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.
