Customer Service with a smile, please

I went to "Crack in the Box" fast food restaurant in NC. They gave me the rcpt with an online survey and a reward if I did it. So as I sat there alone with an iPad eating I did it. Borrowing any neighbors wifi (as they don't provide it like McD and others).

1. The first question asked me if there was someone there to greet me
2. Next they wanted to know if they seemed understaffed at the time of my visit

...then the usual food quality, did I get what i ordered, did I have any problems, etc
I thought the first two really stood out from other surveys I have seen recently. I stayed at two diff hotel chains, wherein they greeted me as I walked in the door each and every time. I was impressed.
Monday I was at a big resort at a nearby lake here, and when I walked in after 4 hours driving, and had two other people meeting me there, we walked in together...the front desk person was seated. I could not help but think of Anthony Melchiorri (Hotel Impossible) who asks them what the heck they are doing sitting down like that! GET UP!
And so...we walked in, she glanced up for a split second in the air, and then back down again and said "Can I help you?"
My pet peeve, obv if I am standing in front of you I am requesting assistance. So the Anthony Melchiorri preferred method would be to greet the guest and say "How can I help you?" with a smile.
I asked where such and such was, she stared at her monitor (maybe working, maybe playing a kan-dy kr-sh who knows) and pointed to the hallway never making eye contact and said "Go down there and you will see the elevator, take it to B." and so we walked away.
It left me feeling shunned. I have to admit. Surprised and shunned, as the co-ordinator I spoke to prev was so energetic and lovely. My first impression was now toast.
Not writing this as a complaint but a reminder that our first impression is very important, we are in the customer service/hospitality industry. We have one second to make that contact count. With our eyes and with our smiles, and by all means get the heck up off your duff!

Joey Bloggs said:

...they greeted me as I walked in the door each and every time. I was impressed.

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I recently stayed at a big city downtown hotel and it was the same. The doormen seemed excited to see me each time I came back to the hotel. The desk staff smiled and greeted me every time I walked by, both on arrival and each time I came down the elevator to head out for the day. I learned to expect it, and I often smiled and said hi to them before they did it to me, like we were friends!
They seemed genuine. But it's sounding like it's the new thing making the rounds at hotel management seminars. Smile and give a natural, sincere-seeming greeting.
I don't care that it's not spontaneous. I like it!
It's like when they tell you to smile when talking with a customer on the phone. The customer cannot see the smile, but the very act of smiling, even if it's fake, causes you to have a friendlier tone to your voice, and that the customer CAN sense.

Arks said:

Joey Bloggs said:

...they greeted me as I walked in the door each and every time. I was impressed.

Click to expand...

I recently stayed at a big city downtown hotel and it was the same. The doormen seemed excited to see me each time I came back to the hotel. The desk staff smiled and greeted me every time I walked by, both on arrival and each time I came down the elevator to head out for the day. I learned to expect it, and I often smiled and said hi to them before they did it to me, like we were friends!
They seemed genuine. But it's sounding like it's the new thing making the rounds at hotel management seminars. Smile and give a natural, sincere-seeming greeting.
I don't care that it's not spontaneous. I like it!
It's like when they tell you to smile when talking with a customer on the phone. The customer cannot see the smile, but the very act of smiling, even if it's fake, causes you to have a friendlier tone to your voice, and that the customer CAN sense..

Click to expand...

Arks said:

It's like when they tell you to smile when talking with a customer on the phone. The customer cannot see the smile, but the very act of smiling, even if it's fake, causes you to have a friendlier tone to your voice, and that the customer CAN sense.

Click to expand...

There is a song I really like by called Something that we do. It is about love, I know I am chasing rabbit trails here...but it is about an ACTION. Not a feeling. It is a verb. I think customer service the same, it doesn't matter how we feel, we just do it. We are friendly, we smile.
I have answered the phone lately, much to my demise.
Another marketing caller who asked to speak to the owner and I asked him to speak to their owner. I could hear his teeth gritting over the phone, as he clenched them and tried to explain to me why HE needed to speak to MY OWNER, not the other way round.
Later on last night, took another - they are calling on non 888 or 800 #'s now, and when we said we don't make any deals over the phone, he simply went CLICK and hung up on us.
Yes agreed, we can hear the friendly in your voice! Or not...

Arks said:

Joey Bloggs said:

...they greeted me as I walked in the door each and every time. I was impressed.

Click to expand...

I recently stayed at a big city downtown hotel and it was the same. The doormen seemed excited to see me each time I came back to the hotel. The desk staff smiled and greeted me every time I walked by, both on arrival and each time I came down the elevator to head out for the day. I learned to expect it, and I often smiled and said hi to them before they did it to me, like we were friends!
They seemed genuine. But it's sounding like it's the new thing making the rounds at hotel management seminars. Smile and give a natural, sincere-seeming greeting.
I don't care that it's not spontaneous. I like it!
It's like when they tell you to smile when talking with a customer on the phone. The customer cannot see the smile, but the very act of smiling, even if it's fake, causes you to have a friendlier tone to your voice, and that the customer CAN sense..

Click to expand...

Arks said:

I don't care that it's not spontaneous. I like it!

Click to expand...

But, like anything else you practice, it does become second nature and can actually become genuine. Once the staff realize that they get a happy response in return, they will just BE pleasant.

Did you know that part of the standard training by each cruise line is how to smile? They teach them how to smile, how to make it seem natural and how people want to see them smile.

I know that a real smile is in the eyes, not the mouth.

Just got back from Disney world and was impressed by how most of the people who work there seemed happy to be there. I assumed it was training and many team meetings.

TheBeachHouse said:

Just got back from Disney world and was impressed by how most of the people who work there seemed happy to be there. I assumed it was training and many team meetings..

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Mind control cult

TheBeachHouse said:

Just got back from Disney world and was impressed by how most of the people who work there seemed happy to be there. I assumed it was training and many team meetings..

Click to expand...

TheBeachHouse said:

Just got back from Disney world and was impressed by how most of the people who work there seemed happy to be there. I assumed it was training and many team meetings.

Click to expand...

The happiest place on earth? I would hope so.

I do ... 70% of the check-in. From my office window, I can see folks arrive and I usually go outside to greet them, help with luggage if they look in physical need and tell them about parking. It is friendly and practical, besides I figure I am going to have to answer the door anyway, so why not be 30 seconds early?

As much as we should assume that company owners make sure their employees are trained in customer service, there are plenty of companies who do not. I personally have went to plenty of hospitality places, retail stores, etc., that act like they were doing me a favor by being there rather the other way around. Some companies train while other do not. I have noticed these dollar store chains, such as deals, dollar tree, are training their employees to say welcome when you walk in the door which I have to say is very nice. Being in customer service myself I know there are plenty of people "hard to please" and sometimes dealing with those people frequently can effect people in customer service and they can get "hardened" about it. I was noticing while entering into one of those dollar store places I spoke of earlier, that while I was addressed I answered and said, hello how are you today, the person behind me absolutely said nothing back to the clerk and walked in as though nothing was said to her at all. We all can become "hardened" by rude customers but the key is that the employers prepare the employees of those hard to please customers and also, the employers need to reward their employees on a regular basis when they do the protocol correctly. This overall makes the employee have a good attitude all the way around. Some corporations such as Disney, Victoria Secrets, provide some of the most excellent service and I believe it's because the employees are rewarded and treated well.

My next day air UPS package took 7 days. On the 6th day I was here all day, with a big note on the door UPS RING BELL, on the back kitchen door, and on the FRONT DOOR of our business "RING BELL FOR INNKEEPER" they left a note and took off "No one was here to receive the package" - which required my signature,
I let the person who I purchased the item through that was needed urgently know, therefore the $ to send it NEXT DAY Air - about this whole situation. It was a birth certificate, fyi. Typically not needed willy nilly, typically a reason why you go through Vitarecords to get a certified copy sent.
They literally emailed me 3 or 4 times in response to my first contact. They said things like "Confirm that you have now received it" like it was all just dandy, hey you got it 7 days later!
and other silly things, not that they were actually going to help or refund my NEXT DAY UPS expense.
And I replied last night with a comment about "are you even reading my emails? I guess this is a done deal"
I got this reply today and I quote, because it was so funny:
Thank you for allowing us to be of service to you.[/h4]

Joey Bloggs said:

My next day air UPS package took 7 days. On the 6th day I was here all day, with a big note on the door UPS RING BELL, on the back kitchen door, and on the FRONT DOOR of our business "RING BELL FOR INNKEEPER" they left a note and took off "No one was here to receive the package" - which required my signature,
I let the person who I purchased the item through that was needed urgently know, therefore the $ to send it NEXT DAY Air - about this whole situation. It was a birth certificate, fyi. Typically not needed willy nilly, typically a reason why you go through Vitarecords to get a certified copy sent.
They literally emailed me 3 or 4 times in response to my first contact. They said things like "Confirm that you have now received it" like it was all just dandy, hey you got it 7 days later!
and other silly things, not that they were actually going to help or refund my NEXT DAY UPS expense.
And I replied last night with a comment about "are you even reading my emails? I guess this is a done deal"
I got this reply today and I quote, because it was so funny:
Thank you for allowing us to be of service to you.[/h4].

Click to expand...

My UPS package came when I wasn't here. Left a note. About 30 minutes later the package was marked as delivered. Who signed for it? RACH. What?!?! I don't know a RACH. No one was at my home. Why the heck would you come back a second time? Why would you give it to someone (since you know me, UPS guy, you come here often enough).
Reported stolen. A replacement shipped... by post!

Jon Sable said:

Joey Bloggs said:

My next day air UPS package took 7 days. On the 6th day I was here all day, with a big note on the door UPS RING BELL, on the back kitchen door, and on the FRONT DOOR of our business "RING BELL FOR INNKEEPER" they left a note and took off "No one was here to receive the package" - which required my signature,
I let the person who I purchased the item through that was needed urgently know, therefore the $ to send it NEXT DAY Air - about this whole situation. It was a birth certificate, fyi. Typically not needed willy nilly, typically a reason why you go through Vitarecords to get a certified copy sent.
They literally emailed me 3 or 4 times in response to my first contact. They said things like "Confirm that you have now received it" like it was all just dandy, hey you got it 7 days later!
and other silly things, not that they were actually going to help or refund my NEXT DAY UPS expense.
And I replied last night with a comment about "are you even reading my emails? I guess this is a done deal"
I got this reply today and I quote, because it was so funny:
Thank you for allowing us to be of service to you.[/h4].

Click to expand...

My UPS package came when I wasn't here. Left a note. About 30 minutes later the package was marked as delivered. Who signed for it? RACH. What?!?! I don't know a RACH. No one was at my home. Why the heck would you come back a second time? Why would you give it to someone (since you know me, UPS guy, you come here often enough).
Reported stolen. A replacement shipped... by post!
.

Click to expand...

Jon Sable said:

My UPS package came when I wasn't here. Left a note. About 30 minutes later the package was marked as delivered. Who signed for it? RACH. What?!?! I don't know a RACH. No one was at my home. Why the heck would you come back a second time? Why would you give it to someone (since you know me, UPS guy, you come here often enough).
Reported stolen. A replacement shipped... by post!

Click to expand...

Oh we have plenty of those experiences as well. I HEAR YOU LOUD AND CLEAR. The UPS folks are diff this time of the year due to the volume and all that. I have at times had them leave it at another business for me! I am like, uh hello? One time it was an expensive watch they left in the bushes. Yes in the bushes. A signature required like yours.
UPS is another story all together, the company I ordered it through is not giving us our $ back, and not even responding like I am a human being. Weird. Just plain weird. Imagine if we ran our businesses like this.

Joey Bloggs said:

My next day air UPS package took 7 days. On the 6th day I was here all day, with a big note on the door UPS RING BELL, on the back kitchen door, and on the FRONT DOOR of our business "RING BELL FOR INNKEEPER" they left a note and took off "No one was here to receive the package" - which required my signature,
I let the person who I purchased the item through that was needed urgently know, therefore the $ to send it NEXT DAY Air - about this whole situation. It was a birth certificate, fyi. Typically not needed willy nilly, typically a reason why you go through Vitarecords to get a certified copy sent.
They literally emailed me 3 or 4 times in response to my first contact. They said things like "Confirm that you have now received it" like it was all just dandy, hey you got it 7 days later!
and other silly things, not that they were actually going to help or refund my NEXT DAY UPS expense.
And I replied last night with a comment about "are you even reading my emails? I guess this is a done deal"
I got this reply today and I quote, because it was so funny:
Thank you for allowing us to be of service to you.[/h4].

Click to expand...

Joey Bloggs said:

...they left a note and took off "No one was here to receive the package"

Click to expand...

That's so typical, so the sort of thing Jerry Seinfeld loves to include in his monologues. Little everyday annoyances we all, NOT UNDERSTANDABLY, have to put up with!
Of course, don't just blame UPS. A postal employee here was fired after people started complaining of missing mail. They found out he had just been throwing it away so he could get home faster!

Arks said:

Joey Bloggs said:

My next day air UPS package took 7 days. On the 6th day I was here all day, with a big note on the door UPS RING BELL, on the back kitchen door, and on the FRONT DOOR of our business "RING BELL FOR INNKEEPER" they left a note and took off "No one was here to receive the package" - which required my signature,
I let the person who I purchased the item through that was needed urgently know, therefore the $ to send it NEXT DAY Air - about this whole situation. It was a birth certificate, fyi. Typically not needed willy nilly, typically a reason why you go through Vitarecords to get a certified copy sent.
They literally emailed me 3 or 4 times in response to my first contact. They said things like "Confirm that you have now received it" like it was all just dandy, hey you got it 7 days later!
and other silly things, not that they were actually going to help or refund my NEXT DAY UPS expense.
And I replied last night with a comment about "are you even reading my emails? I guess this is a done deal"
I got this reply today and I quote, because it was so funny:
Thank you for allowing us to be of service to you.[/h4].

Click to expand...

Joey Bloggs said:

...they left a note and took off "No one was here to receive the package"

Click to expand...

That's so typical, so the sort of thing Jerry Seinfeld loves to include in his monologues. Little everyday annoyances we all, NOT UNDERSTANDABLY, have to put up with!
Of course, don't just blame UPS. A postal employee here was fired after people started complaining of missing mail. They found out he had just been throwing it away so he could get home faster!
.

Click to expand...

Arks said:

Joey Bloggs said:

...they left a note and took off "No one was here to receive the package"

Click to expand...

That's so typical, so the sort of thing Jerry Seinfeld loves to include in his monologues. Little everyday annoyances we all, NOT UNDERSTANDABLY, have to put up with!
Of course, don't just blame UPS. A postal employee here was fired after people started complaining of missing mail. They found out he had just been throwing it away so he could get home faster!

Click to expand...

No I didn't, names were named. The chap who delivered it the next day got no lip from me, almost a hug, to be honest. Not his issue.

Joey Bloggs said:

My next day air UPS package took 7 days. On the 6th day I was here all day, with a big note on the door UPS RING BELL, on the back kitchen door, and on the FRONT DOOR of our business "RING BELL FOR INNKEEPER" they left a note and took off "No one was here to receive the package" - which required my signature,
I let the person who I purchased the item through that was needed urgently know, therefore the $ to send it NEXT DAY Air - about this whole situation. It was a birth certificate, fyi. Typically not needed willy nilly, typically a reason why you go through Vitarecords to get a certified copy sent.
They literally emailed me 3 or 4 times in response to my first contact. They said things like "Confirm that you have now received it" like it was all just dandy, hey you got it 7 days later!
and other silly things, not that they were actually going to help or refund my NEXT DAY UPS expense.
And I replied last night with a comment about "are you even reading my emails? I guess this is a done deal"
I got this reply today and I quote, because it was so funny:
Thank you for allowing us to be of service to you.[/h4].

Click to expand...

Ups probably won't refund you because I understand they only refund the person who sent the item. However, I would still contact them to complain about the service.
Our new UPS person throws the items on the porch we never use so we don't find things we don't know were sent to us.

Morticia said:

Joey Bloggs said:

My next day air UPS package took 7 days. On the 6th day I was here all day, with a big note on the door UPS RING BELL, on the back kitchen door, and on the FRONT DOOR of our business "RING BELL FOR INNKEEPER" they left a note and took off "No one was here to receive the package" - which required my signature,
I let the person who I purchased the item through that was needed urgently know, therefore the $ to send it NEXT DAY Air - about this whole situation. It was a birth certificate, fyi. Typically not needed willy nilly, typically a reason why you go through Vitarecords to get a certified copy sent.
They literally emailed me 3 or 4 times in response to my first contact. They said things like "Confirm that you have now received it" like it was all just dandy, hey you got it 7 days later!
and other silly things, not that they were actually going to help or refund my NEXT DAY UPS expense.
And I replied last night with a comment about "are you even reading my emails? I guess this is a done deal"
I got this reply today and I quote, because it was so funny:
Thank you for allowing us to be of service to you.[/h4].

Click to expand...

Ups probably won't refund you because I understand they only refund the person who sent the item. However, I would still contact them to complain about the service.
Our new UPS person throws the items on the porch we never use so we don't find things we don't know were sent to us.
.

Click to expand...

We have two houses and ups gets super confused about where to leave stuff. Every time is a different spot.

Joey Bloggs said:

My next day air UPS package took 7 days. On the 6th day I was here all day, with a big note on the door UPS RING BELL, on the back kitchen door, and on the FRONT DOOR of our business "RING BELL FOR INNKEEPER" they left a note and took off "No one was here to receive the package" - which required my signature,
I let the person who I purchased the item through that was needed urgently know, therefore the $ to send it NEXT DAY Air - about this whole situation. It was a birth certificate, fyi. Typically not needed willy nilly, typically a reason why you go through Vitarecords to get a certified copy sent.
They literally emailed me 3 or 4 times in response to my first contact. They said things like "Confirm that you have now received it" like it was all just dandy, hey you got it 7 days later!
and other silly things, not that they were actually going to help or refund my NEXT DAY UPS expense.
And I replied last night with a comment about "are you even reading my emails? I guess this is a done deal"
I got this reply today and I quote, because it was so funny:
Thank you for allowing us to be of service to you.[/h4].

Click to expand...

UPS delivered my daughter's $140 shoes to a different house. The woman who accepted them then was stupid enough to sell them to someone IN TOWN. The woman saw my daughter's post on FB about her missing shoes and told her, I think I bought your shoes. By this time, the shoes had been replaced (when the driver went back o the first house to retrieve the package, he was told no one here got a package.). My daughter filled out a police report, woman arrested for theft.
UPS took one of my packages next door - they called me. I have gotten their mail and vice versa. I must say though our regular mail lady is good - mistakes are rare with her. She has even come back here on here way home from work when she found she had missed delivering a package. One of the advantages of being in a small town.

OMG!! The woman SOLD shoes that she knew weren't hers? Man, you gotta be some kind of stupid!!