What Has Happened to Customer Service by Retail Staff?

In these economically trying times for both businesses and individuals wouldn't you think that protecting our jobs would be a main concern?

Take for instance the situation with post offices in the UK. Over the years there have been thousands of closures of sub-post offices, mostly in the rural areas. This has been done in an effort to cut costs to the Post Office as many branches are losing money. So that local residents wouldn't lose out some post office services have been made available in such places as libraries and pubs. Sadly some postmasters have spent some of their own money in making changes to their shops to improve trade only to be told the post office side is to close. That means they no longer receive a wage from the Post Office along with help toward their premises, so it has resulted in a lot of staff losing their jobs.

Now, without going into the rights and wrongs of post office closures, I would have thought that those who work in existing post offices (and the same applies to all kinds of retail premises, especially those under threat of closure) would do all they can to keep their customers. But that does not seem to be the case. `Customer service` seems a thing of the past.

An example of this is when I went in to my local sub-post office recently. I live in a rural village, so I assume this particular post office could be under threat of closure at any time. There were two customers in front of me, both being served. When one of the customers had finished being served he left, so I was next in the queue. As I was just about to walk to the counter the woman who was then free to serve me answered a phone call. I can understand a business call coming in from say a customer, or their head office. But no, this was a friend (or relative perhaps) asking about the ingredients to put in a cake. The assistant never even acknowledged me, just stood there talking about the cake while I waited. Meanwhile, the other assistant became free so I had to go over to her to get served. Even more annoyingly, while she was getting what I`d asked for, she is then chatting with the first assistant about this cake! I actually got the feeling I was more of an irritation being there as a customer, getting in the way of their social lives.

And even at the end of the transaction the assistant put what I`d bought on the counter without a word, and returned to her conversation with the other worker. Not even a `thank you` or `goodbye`. The first woman ought to have told the caller she would phone her back later when she had no customers waiting. The second assistant should have given me her full attention while I being served by her. Needless to say it isn't somewhere I would choose to go unless I had to on the odd occasion. Yes, I would miss the fact that this post office is convenient and I have to use it sometimes, but if it did close I know that a part of me would say that it serves them right for their lack of good customer service and common courtesy.

What I would say to anyone involved in retail - or in fact any other industry involved in contact with customers - is treat people how you would like to be treated. Bear in mind that people will go elsewhere if you upset them. It takes a long time build up a good reputation, but only a short time for you to get a bad reputation.

viking refrigerator

This Summer's 3 Must-Have Products For Your Garden

Every year there are a raft of garden products hitting the market, each pertaining to be the hottest, best, must have items for your garden. Some are the real deal, others on closer examination do not fulfil the hype and so fall by the wayside never to be seen again. So, how to sort the wheat from the chaff?

Well this year we have reviewed a number of large selection of these products and have put together what we feel to be the 3 essential items for your garden...choose these and you won't be disappointed, miss out and you will!!
 
Chosen for the way they compliment each other we hope you like them too.
 
Number 1 - the Weber Q320 Portable Gas BBQ
 
An easy choice has to be Weber's flagship portable gas BBQ, the Q320. Replacing the Q300 as the top model in the "Q" range, it is well built, fantastically specified, and best of all, a fantastic performer. With a cooking surface of 462sq inches, it is large enough to do some serious entertaining and with the addition of a warming rack for keeping cooked food warm it is now better than ever. Made of premium quality materials - cast aluminium and resin, it comes permanently attached to a cart for portability, has an all new electronic ignition system and a thermometer to keep an eye on cooking temperatures. Porcelain coated cast iron grills ensure that cleaning is as easy as cooking. Being a Weber, performance is assured, cooking everything from burgers to joints with aplomb and ability - temperatures easily controlled, the inbuilt thermometer ensuring food is cooked through. Unbeatable and a major improvement on our previous favorite Weber, the Q300.
 
Number 2 - Strathwood Chaise Lounge
 
Strictly speaking not a new product, but any item which has consistently been a top seller for a couple of years must be doing something right. A hardwood chaise lounge made from renewable sources (kapur wood which has very similar properties to teak, is durable and hardwearing), slide out drinks tray and 5 different positions from totally upright to totally flat, virtually maintenance free, what more could you want? Admittedly it does require a little assembly, but nothing taxing, and well worth the effort. With the addition of the optional cushion set this makes for a perfect purchase to grab some well earned rest having cooked for friends and family on your Weber Q320!!
 
Number 3 - Flowtron BK-80D Electronic Bug Killer
 
Admittedly not a glamorous addition to the list, but in a lot of places a necessary one. The Flowtron BK-80D is a serious customer when it comes to dealing with airborne nasties such as mosquitoes and flies. It uses a nontoxic ultraviolet light to eliminate mosquitoes, biting flies, and other insects over a 1 ½ acre area. It is cleaner and safer than its chemical counterparts, and its non-clogging killing grid eliminates build up of insect remains that can short-circuit the unit or cause flare-ups. The insect killer is sturdily made with a protective outer enclosure to prevent children, pets, birds, or wildlife from contacting the charged grid. As a recent purchaser of this unit myself, I am amazed at how effective the killer has been in my garden, meaning sitting out having a drink is no longer plagued by bugs.
 
In conclusion, we have listed above what we feel to be the 3 essential products for your garden, a fantastic barbeque to entertain friends and family, a brilliant chaise lounge to relax in after all the cooking is over, and a small but very effective electronic bug killer to ensure that your time in the garden is pest free. A perfect combination. 

garden sundials

The Early November - Decoration

The Early November's video for "Decoration"

ladders