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I'm in service industry...
17/07/2008 09:10
I 100% agree with you. I work in a shop that prides itself in our service. We can't help everybody, but we always try! Because of this i am very aware of service i receive in other establishments and can quickly tell you when i have received very good service. The problem is that it doesn't happen often. At least we, at our shop, are reaping the rewards on a daily basis. - Liv2C |
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Bad service
17/07/2008 09:14
Thanks Kgomotso for naming the company delivering bad service. Maybe this will shake them...just a wee bit! Most of your colleagues are oh so scared of naming the company, maybe because the company might be affronted and withdraw their business. Ag shame. - Sipho |
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I will tell you why
17/07/2008 09:23
With the Unions we have today, workers can do as they pleased as their managers cant do anything to them. The solution is to rather Contract workers than hire them. - Sam |
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Absolutely right, Kgomotso
17/07/2008 09:26
You are so right about service in our good ol' RSA. Some companies have got it right and they flourish (personally I'm thinking of a VW agent in Bryanston and a steakhouse in Fourways) but on the whole, our service level doesn't begin to compare with, say, New York where the people are hard but they do know about service. Don't even get me started on dealing with Govt or municipal departments - by and large they are just totally rude and incompetent. - gerald |
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The service provider is king
17/07/2008 09:27
Hail to the king is all we can say to the service provider who gives shoddy service. It is inherent in our cultures, where you will revere a king and make him live like a god, even if his function is moribund. Authoritarianism is in our families and it is easy for us to spread it to other areas. Can you talk back to your boss/your father? Aha, there you have your answer. Read Mamphela Ramphele's Laying Ghosts to Rest, a chapter called 'Authoritarianism' and your question will be fully answered. - Dan, the Authoritarian |
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Attitude is everything
17/07/2008 09:32
I'm an ex-waitress myself and I can tell you I learnt more about the working world that way than I ever did at university. I don't tolerate bad service from anyone anymore. Its amazing what can be accomplished once you start going up the food chain... I've even gotten 'Hellkom' to pull up their socks! If you don't get the service you deserve vote with your feet - but make sure the manager or owner knows why you're going somewhere else. - May |
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I disagree
17/07/2008 09:32
I am in the service industry and from my findings on diverse social platform in South Africa. As consumers South Africans are utterly ridiculous and have the most outrageous demands. No one in South Africa knows how to be polite and smile. - Speedy |
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Both sides...
17/07/2008 09:37
Hi Kgomotsto. I agree with you 100%. We are very complacent when it comes to issues such as service delivery. Having done the waitering thing myself, here, and in the States, it?s true, it is whole other level of attitude. Yes, we did go in the back and moaned about this guy or that lady, but the tips was where the REAL money was, so we just went out and brown nosed some more. BUT you do get the odd customer that is just difficult because they are. You can do nothing right, no matter what you do, and those are the ones I just wished I had the guts to dump a bucket full of ice cold water over their heads. Tell them to chill. - chillepeppa |
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Not always so
17/07/2008 09:43
Having worked in the service industry, sometimes the problem comes in when the customer actually believes they are always right. IMO The customer is always king, but not always right. - The Guru |
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Complain
17/07/2008 09:46
We should continue to complain,we can't settle for how things are.The service overall has gotten worse in the last year across all industries.Use sites like hellopeter & companies own websites,go to the written media.Be as loud as you can as often as you can,if not for us than for our children. - Sam |
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Bad Service
17/07/2008 09:47
The problem in SA is very few people are vocal at bad client service, they take it and walk away, well I don't. Shops forget that 1 unhappy client bad mouths them,they don't care about that either. One just needs to go to Woolworths to see how the service levels have dropped over the years. Shelves not marked, no packers, etc, Do they care, no, as long as the shareholders are happy, to hell with the clients. One must not go back to a place giving bad client service and tell at least 10 others. - GG |
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Fully agree
17/07/2008 09:47
Unfortunately South Africans don't actually complain enough to the right people - the manager of the business. Instead we bitch among ourselves. Mostly it's the restaurant business that gives the best service because the waitrons are dependent on tips. I was in England last year and by and large, their service wasn't much good either. - Jann |
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Completely!!
17/07/2008 10:02
Absolutely right Kgomotso. I`ve been in the hotel industry for 10 years now both in SA and abroad, and agree that staff attitude can do amazing things. However, alot of staff attitude can also be put down to employers working people to death. For instance in the hotel trade the main motivation is to save money not customer service, which puts extra stress on the staff. Low staffing conditions in a situation like this can be very depressing, and make it harder to be pleasant with the customer. - Dean |
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Customer is always right
17/07/2008 10:03
I worked for a company that values customer service. In fact on my first day I was told that all the workers and managers are equal team members and the CUSTOMER IS THE BOSS. Now I'm working in a gov dept and the attitude there is the opposite. It saddens me to find that you get this bad service mostly from black people. There's a store I normally do my shopping even if I don't need to buy anything. I realised that I no longer buy products, but the service keeps attracting me to the shop - Aki |
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hit the nail on the head
17/07/2008 10:13
Well said Kgomotso.
The Hello Peter website (www.hellopeter.co.za) has gone a long way to try and address the issue. It is sad that such an initiative is required for something which should be so simple. - Steven |
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@KM, Some valid points but, in my view 2 main issues:
17/07/2008 10:39
1) ATTITUDE. As you stated, if the person rendoring service has the wrong attitude, then CRM approach will always leave a bad taste. 2) CULTURAL??? Maybe you can shed more light on this. Some commentatros indicated that it is the African way. Its seems thers is a higher tolerance between people from the same culture. Where they are apposed, one party always seem sower & less efficient than the apposing paty. Just an observation. AND NO, I dont go back to bad Service Provider. - Matrix |
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Assumptions
17/07/2008 10:41
I have travelled to spain, italy, finland, UK, etc and I have to say we have to get over these assumptions that we are worse in everything. If you are in these countries, service is almost non-existent.
America beats the rest, but after that, it is a free-for-all - L van Heerden |
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Sickness of Africa
17/07/2008 10:48
Unfortunately, it stems from the 'don't care' attitude of the government. The Majority just dont give a s&#t - sad really |
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no common goal
17/07/2008 11:00
I think when you're confronted with mayhem, like murder, rape, corruption, armed robbery, theft, violence and poverty on a daily basis, service delivery becomes less and less important.
If the root of the problem is fixed, all smaller things will automatically come right. - we need respect |
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Mug n Bean - Clearwater
17/07/2008 11:08
Service is horrific in SA, from the moody till operators to the waiters who cannot speak english etc. Maybe, we the customers, are the problem because we keep going back for more? Well not me, not anymore! Name them and shame them I say! Mug n Bean, Clearwater you have lost a regular customer. Not even the owner cared enought to try to assist with a booking for 20 people, of which one is an 85 year old granny. His attitude, stand in line or go else where! Thanks we did..... and recommend it - Customer |
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@LvH, as apposed to....
17/07/2008 11:14
India, Bankok, Aus, NZ, Switzerland, Belgium, and many others where I have also been with greate service.In the final analysis there are some worse than RSA (including many african countries), but MANY MANY MORE better than the service industry in RSA. The developed world seems to get CRM, the developing / underdeveloped world DONT get it. - Matrix |
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Very True......
17/07/2008 11:21
True, very true KM. Service in this country is the worst i've ever seen, and its the same whether one is a security guard or a company CEO!Like you i was at Vodacom in Killarney just recently and wanted the same service you mentioned, needless to say i know nothing IT, and the idiot looked at me like i was asking for a snake's butt!!Anyway.....eventually i got no help. Unfortunately the effects of bad service can be very wide, from leaving a shop feeling like you could kill somebody to road rage! - mpho |
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service
17/07/2008 11:32
valid comments I have also lived in the USA, consumers there are extremely outspoken and assertive they will not accept bad service and always take it further-asking for the manager or even collectively boycotting or picketing some stores unlike meek south africans. - chantal |
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Disagree - the consumers are rude
17/07/2008 11:33
I strongly disagree with this article, as there are some very important details missing from it. Firstly, we do not pay for it, our country is cheap. Consumers are cheap, rude and unrealistic. Rudeness is bred into South Africans and they don't know how to change to be better people. So to get some back is only fair game! I have witnessed rudeness at dozens of stores, and the poor sales person has to take it? I think not! I have also witnessed people "shopping around" in store while poor salesperson has to listen to their call. Rudeness beyond belief. - Disagree |
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bad service
17/07/2008 11:34
the worst for me is going into our leading grocery stores. the service you receive at the tills is disgusting. there the customer waits for the till packer and the till operator to finish their conversation before they help you. or they just politely leave their till and leave you standing. how times have changed since i did casual till work while in school. something like that would not have been tolerated. that would have been immediate dismissal. - just me |
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Service
17/07/2008 11:52
I'm always friendly with the people behind the counters, but it seems its not good enough. At KFC(yes I'm naming you) got the poorest of service, did not get what I ordered, but I opened the box to make sure what is inside, and the woman told me she will not replace it because I touched it. In an utterly rude manner. Then manager came and told me his piece of mind about customers, all while I was uber huber friendly in the beginning, let me tell you, to respect all people doesn't pay off at all when it comes to receiving service. I?m fed up to feel like the stupid one when saying please and thank you. Don?t they know that we as customers are their bread and butter? - Ani |
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I love bad service
17/07/2008 11:55
When I go to a restaurant and receive good service I tip 10% and for exceptional service even 20%, but I prefer bad service because it saves me the 10% I would have parted with. A little while ago I even had a waiter laugh at me when I told him it's unacceptable to wait 20min for drinks and then having to call the "manager" to come take our empty plates. I say "manager" because this guy was barely out of high school and probably couldn't manage a trip to bathroom, much less a restaurant floor. - Patron |
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Buy out
17/07/2008 11:55
companies don't take complaints serious enough. I make a point of complimenting and complaining about service and use hellopeter.com actively. But have found that some companies just try and "buy you off" by offering you free burger etc instead of really sorting out the problem. I am happy to pay my way and would prefer companies realize that I can take my money elsewhere if the service is bad - Jay |
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Service
17/07/2008 12:04
I can Honestly testify to your Article. Last Year my Car was stolen and thanks to Nestar recovered in couple of Minuetes. However the Service I got from the Policeman in Ga-Rankuwa was pathetic. The Policeman directly asked me to buy him Lunch if I need the process to be done Quickly. That was annoying as it implied I have to Pay him for doing his Job. I think we need to come up with Solutions on how we can improve as a Country on service Delivery. - Marcus |
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FNB - Carlton
17/07/2008 12:04
Just came back from FNB in carlton centre, i spent the whole 45min only to be told that actualy they cannot help me. They should have a consultant who will direct people where to go instead of being sent from pillar to post for 45 min then being told no we cannot help you. - Tshepi |
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start a newspaper or web site forum BadServiceAreUs.com
17/07/2008 12:10
Put these companies on the spot i.e. create a web site or newspaper where customers and companies can make their grievances public in a public forum.
At the moment we all have individual complaints - bad for use but which is perfect for companies since nobody can actually quantify all bad service / experiences.
The sad effect is most of these companies and staff have lived in the same fish pond since birth. They have never ventured to the USA/EU/UK to experience what better really is.
- dna2 |
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SAA
17/07/2008 12:15
How about one of the first announcements on SAA flights saying the "Flight Attendants are here only for your safety, and NOT for service"!!!! As I understand it the problem in SA is that people do not take issue with bad service; they just do not return. Being from overseas, I take every opportunity to let the person know when the service is bad. Unfortunately, it happens several times a day and across all business sectors. - David |
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McDonalds - Hamilton
17/07/2008 12:22
I must agree. I had consecutive bad experiences at McDonalds in Hamilton Street Pta: There is never ketchup or salt, and if you ask for it they look at you if you are crazy. I don?t eat onion, and had to return my burger already 3 times in a year. Once it even came back ? with just less onion... - Johannes |
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bad service
17/07/2008 12:26
most of these individuals were at one stage comlaining about being jobless. serving us is like them doing you a favour. thy chose jobs requiring long hours & on public holidays. most of them don't have people skills and know nothing about marketing self. i choose my attitude towards others. but if u want to meet a rude young person, go visit Chicken-liken in chaiwelo, soweto. i stopped using BP in Koma rd bcos of attitude of attendants & it has changed owners more than 3. - Tebogo |
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Pride in one's work
17/07/2008 12:37
I think the problem is that in South Africa, service jobs are seen as inferior by those employing the positions. What people dont understand is that your ability to serve others can open a lot of doors. During my 10 years of waitressing I got countless job offers, because people appreciate someone that can engage a customer and make them feel valued, even better if you can do it with your own flair. - Justine |
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Agree
17/07/2008 12:39
I've done my fair share on the service side of the industry in SA too. Customers can be really rude, as mentioned here, and are looking for an outlook for their anger. On most occasions it has nothing to do with the service you personally provide.
This I feel, gives me more sympathy towards those in the service industry, but doesn't make me complacent about bad service. As mentioned here, grocery stores are the worst! I do however feel customer service here in the UK is worse on a whole. - Debs |
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bad service = angry customer
17/07/2008 12:46
Very well said. Just a simple example - I complained at the Steeldale Hypermarket twice about the 2L icecream that melts due to incorrect fridge temperatures. At the first complaint they looked surprised. The second time (I opened a 2L container which was half full) the manager stood there and tried to spin a story about defreezing. I dont care about defreezing of the fridges - I pay for a 2L container full of icecream - not half full. Now I look at another place to buy it. - rw |
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Clearwater Mugg & Bean Part II
17/07/2008 12:49
I agree with the comment made about Clearwater Mugg & Bean the staff are incompitent and the management have a dont care attitude, it puts shame to the franchise and i hope the franchisor will seriously look into what is happening...the service sucks!!!! - Lizel |
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City Service vs Rural
17/07/2008 13:42
Must say that service in general in Pta & Jhb is far better than in the rural towns/cities. Here they glare at you as if you are an alien from Mars when you dare enter their shop - nevermind requesting anything yet. - TB |
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Hi-fi Corp Westgate
17/07/2008 14:19
Just to reiterate your point Kgomotso, as we speak, I'm dealing with a 3 month query with this retailer. The manager delegates the query to staff, the staff does not know what to do or say coz I've heard all the stories. 'Customer' service does not call back and no one cares. The supplier is Samsung and they don't care. Sent a query to Hellopeter.com and for now, all I have is an acknowledgment of my complaint and to have a look at the 'response' from Hi-fi Corp. And so it goes.. - kg |
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