Screw that customer, I'm on lunch

nospam@example.com (Mark Jeftovic) — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 15:44:03 -0400

Just a quick observation, I was just out running an errand and I was in a grocery store. As I was cashing out I heard a cashier behind me calling for a "carry out" for a customer. A few moments later, I heard it again. Then she called over to my cashier, "I'm having a hard time getting a carry out".

My cashier turned to a guy over a couple aisles and asked "Nick, can you do a carry out?" and he just shook his head, expressionless, "I'm on lunch" and started walking away, past the customer waiting for a carry out, past that cashier looking for somebody to do it. I here a yell from the back of the store "Tell Nick to do the carry out", and yell back "He's on lunch" to which I heard a retort from the back "How long have you been on lunch anyway?".

I actually don't fault the business itself for this absolutely disgraceful display of employee complacency. It's rampant almost everywhere (except, I am happy to report, in my company) and for the most part gets rewarded rather than penalized in today's business climate.

The customer seemed to accept it all in good humor. I wouldn't have. Being a dour crusty bastard I would have basically gotten my money back and left the store, leaving the goods in the checkout aisle.

But not only was this a slap in the face to the customer, it was an insulting act of disrespect to one's co-workers, and employer. Granted, it's probably some kind of union gig where being lazy, insensitive and devoid of initiative is not only tolerated but probably a requirement; it was yet another moment where I marvel at these blow-off levels of complacency and entitlement that saturates our culture.

I only lament this because I fear these easy breezy days of pink cloud economics are nearing an end.

Screw you, you're just the customer, go to hell

nospam@example.com (Mark Jeftovic) — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 13:10:42 -0400

It was one of the comedians off an old "Women of the Night" tape I used to have, after a particular zinger against an ex quipped "some of these I do just for me". Which probably applies to this entire category which I've just created: How to lose customers. I've had one of those mornings which leaves me simply astounded. How can half the businesses I have interacted with today survive let alone turn a profit?

In the macro objective Vulcan view of things, times must simply be too good right now. Too much easy money sloshing around the economy, people clamoring to buy things they don't need with money they don't have. A sense of entitlement prevails among many businesses, kind of like "Give me your money. Shut up. We're doing you a favor. Now get stuffed".

In today's case the overall winners:

Continue reading "Screw you, you're just the customer, go to hell"

Exile From the Herd - How to lose customers

Screw that customer, I'm on lunch

Screw you, you're just the customer, go to hell