After reading one of the more recent threads, including talk of Starbucks
only having brewed decaf on hand in the morning, I felt compelled to do a
little thinking via the written word in here.

While I understand customer satisfaction and convenience, it makes me
wonder what society has come to when we consider it ATROCIOUS to have to
wait 4-5 minutes for coffee. Considering that it takes me about that long
to brew it right at home, I don't mind so much waiting a few for fresh
coffee when I buy it at a coffee shop either. Also, I can't imagine any
situation in which I'd enter Starbucks and expect to be out in under 5-10
minutes anyways, so I tend not to think it's that big of a deal.

In the same posting, the "running out of food debate"
was also addressed. Again, the big thing that struck me is "are we really
all so self-involved and focused on the small stuff that we have to stroke
out if a restaurant, for some reason, runs out of a menu item?" Granted, I
understand that it's an issue if it happens again and again and again...but
if it is a one time thing?

Sure, it's inconvenient. Yes, it might be disappointing if I had my heart
set on something. But the last time it happened to me (McD's eggnog shake,
by the by) I shrugged it off and ordered something else. Because I'm an
adult. And I realize that it isn't that big of a deal.

Maybe I don't take life "seriously" enough, but I'd rather not stress over
the small stuff. While I can understand being frustrated, I just don't see
the point in kicking up such a fuss. It raises my blood pressure, upsets
those around me, and really won't solve anything anyhow. So really, people
- why can't we just be grateful for what we do have, and just leave the
little stuff be?

So, reading through a few recent complaints, and thinking over some things
I've seen recently on LiveJournal, I had another train of thought I'd like
to try to organize into a coherent blog entry. :)

There is a lot of discussion, both in real life (especially when it comes
to fast food restaurants and call centers!) and on the intarwebs about
proper use of the English language. From the grammar nazi groups I am
entertained reading (misuse of quotation marks, for example) to those who
can't stand those darn "foreigners" who "don't speak no English" but work
the drive thru anyhow, it seems a pretty common debate.

I'm going to try to start out with written communications - primarily the
internet and email, then move on to spoken English...let's see if I can
stay on topic.

Personally, I like to think I'm not too picky, as far as written language
goes. As long as a person has a generally good grasp of the language,
we're okay. To me, that means:
- You don't type in ALL CAPS / all lowercase all the time
- Punctuation and paragraphs are used, to avoid big blocks of run-on text
- You don't try to use big long words that you either can't spell properly
or don't know the actual meaning of
- You use appropriate language for the venue (i.e. no swearing in a
business letter)

I do get annoyed with certain common abuses, such as mixing up
their/there/they're, your/you're, etc. and the use of quotation marks for
emphasis, but I try to let that go, so long as I understand what you're
trying to say. While you may not think much of it, it does reflect poorly
on you if you can't manage to sort those out - especially in any type of
business or professional document, meant to be taken seriously.

This kind of leads into my next train of thought - those who believe PFB is
a great place to vent, but still somehow expect results from the company
they're ranting about. I feel like, when I come on PFB and post a letter,
I have two choices:

1) I can spend time composing a good, well-written business letter
focusing on the facts, to ensure I get the desired response from the
company I'm contacting.

OR

2) I can rattle off whatever it is that I'm ticked about, use the foulest
language I can think of, type in ALL CAPS, etc. and expect that I will
never hear anything from the company I'm contacting, as they'll most likely
write me off.

What still gets me, every time, is the people who log on to PFB, post a
nasty, slanderous letter, full of venom and harsh accusations about the
character of someone they do not know, yet somehow still expect a serious,
business-like response. I understand the purpose behind PFB cutting back
on the types of "constructive criticism" of letters allowed, particularly
when it comes to the writing, but it's worth reminding some of these
letter-writers that they can't expect to get the results they want by
acting like a petulant child using language overheard while Dad was
watching the game.

Just the same way I'd be embarrassed to send an email with blatant spelling
errors and grammatical abuses to a coworker, I'd hate to send something
like that to a business that I want a response from, knowing that someone
will likely laugh at it, maybe show it around, and throw it out.

Understand, I'm mostly just ranting myself here, but I do feel like it
needs to be said.

Anyhow, with that rant over (for the moment) on to the spoken word.

One of the things I do love about this country is our status as a cultural
melting pot. I'm grateful that in my area, I can get relatively authentic
Mexican food, Indian food, sushi, and more, as well as getting to meet
varied people and experience their cultures.

However, I do think that in order to hold a job that requires good
communication skills, you should have...well...good communication skills.
This doesn't mean that someone whose primary language is anything other
than English shouldn't hold a customer service job ever, it simply means
that some sort of competency and grasp of the language should be a job
requirement.

And, to the point, this should be a requirement of ALL applicants,
regardless of race, color, etc. I don't care what your native language is,
be it Spanish or Redneck, if 90% of the people you will be dealing with on
the job are going to have a hard time understanding you, or communicating
with you, you shouldn't have that job. And even more to the point, it
isn't so much accent that is the problem - it's comprehension.

The real trouble, for me, comes in when things that should be commonly
understood as part of the job are not. I don't mind if you don't get a
certain colloquialism I use, or a slang term, but if you can't understand
when I try to order something off of the menu, or ask you a question about
the product that you "support," it's going to frustrate me. Just as I
expect my IT guy to know how to reset a password, or the shoe guy at a
department store to know how to find a shoe in my size, I expect the person
working the drive thru at a restaurant to at least speak and understand
enough English to take an order with a few special requests.

I know that isn't always the popular opinion, but I will stand by it. I
think part of hiring someone for a job, any job, is making sure it will be
a good fit. You wouldn't hire someone who was scared of speaking in front
of people as a presenter, you wouldn't hire someone with a very short
temper to deal with difficult customer situations, and you shouldn't hire
someone who cannot comprehend more than a very little bit of English to
interact with customers on a constant basis.

So...that's the rant for the moment. Time to get back to work. Thanks for
reading, if you made it this far!

And does it really matter which?

To preface - I'm the type of person who goes out of her way to improve
other peoples' days. I smile, say hi, hold doors, let cars go in front of
me, etc. I'm almost always exceedingly polite and pleasant, especially to
the people who serve and wait on me in stores and restaurants. I'm pretty
set in my belief that it's really easy and takes minimal effort to make
small improvements on the world around me, just by being pleasant and
nice.

I was raised with good manners, and to some extent, I expect at least some
level of civilization and manners from the people around me. I'm
constantly shown that I'm probably be silly for even hoping, but hey, I'm
an eternal optimist, and I like that about myself. :)

What spurred this posting was this morning. Leaving my car in the lot,
heading into work in the pouring rain, ended up right behind another
employee. The door we were going in is an automatic revolving door, which
you use your badge to start. Only one person can go at a time, and you
have to use your badge to get in.

The employee in front of me had an umbrella she needed to shake off, fold
up, etc. Instead of letting me go past her (there was plenty of room under
the canopy, so no excuse there), she stood directly in front of the sensor
and blocked the door, so I had to just stand there and wait.

Ok, no big deal. But then, once inside, even though she was right in front
of me, she dropped the inside swinging door right in my face, rather than
waiting half a second to hold it open so I could catch it. All of this
while I'm carrying in two bags.

It never ceases to amaze me. And I have trouble discerning / deciding if I
believe it's because people are outright rude, but I tend to think it's
just because most people are so wrapped up in their own little world that
they don't notice those around them.

I think a lot of the problems and near accidents I see on the road these
days are also due to a self-centered attitude. I've seen massive accidents
occur because people assume someone else will look out for their car, or
move out of their way, and just drive right into each other. I've seen
people come very close to causing accidents simply because they were too
lazy to use their blinker or check their blind spot prior to changing
lanes.

Heck, I even think some of the more outlandish complaints I've seen on this
site are due, in large part, to people believing the world revolves around
them. They don't want an "exception" per se, they just want the store to
realize how special they are and do them a favor. They don't have time to
think about why a policy is in place, or how their actions / request might
affect the store or its employees, they just see how it affects them
negatively, or in a way they don't like.

And no matter how much people expound on "it's the principle" or "there
needs to be greater flexibility," the truth of the matter is that they're
concerned with their own outcome, not the greater good. Because things
like strict return policies and sticking to the rules are good, the vast
majority of the time, for the people at large, even if it doesn't give you
the answer you want.

I think the world would be much better off if everyone made an effort to be
kind and polite to one another. To smile, say hello, hold doors, etc.
Again - minimal effort, but definite impact on those around us. And I
think it would do even greater good if people made sure they remember that
we share this world, and sometimes, it isn't just about you.

This is a work in progress, to be sure, but after all the complaints I've
been reading on here lately, I have to write something. ^_^

Since when did saying a polite "no," following policy, or not bending over
backwards turn into terrible / lousy / bad customer service? Since I'm
only 25, I don't feel right saying "In my day..." but seriously, I feel
like all of the above, so long as they're done politely, are GOOD customer
service.

If a CSR bends policy for me, makes an exception, or stays late to help me
out, I try to remember to come straight here, or to contact their manager,
to let someone know what fantastic customer service I received. I'll tell
my friends and family how great it was, and be pleased. But by no means do
I expect this everytime.

I've spent years in various customer-focused jobs. I now TRAIN call center
agents to assist customers. I have done work on a number of "soft skills"
programs, about how to work with customers, even irate ones, and how to
have pride in your work. And I've always told my employees not to be
afraid of saying no, if that was the only answer available.

I'm sick to death of supposed "adults" who can't keep track of receipts, be
bothered to read the fine print, or take responsibility for things they
should. No one and no corporation is trying to screw you over, and it's
rare that the employee cares about you out of all the customers they'll
serve in a day, so no, it's not all about you.

By purchasing something from a store, I'm agreeing to their policies about
returns / exchanges / etc. Once I give them my money, and take my item,
transaction complete. And if I don't keep my record of that transaction, I
don't see any reason why they should be obligated to do anything for me.

Sometimes, part of being a grown-up is taking responsibility. It's keeping
track of receipts until I'm sure I'm keeping a purchase. It's getting a
gift receipt to include with presents I give. It's reading all the fine
print, paying attention to the policy I'm agreeing to, making sure I'm not
getting into something I don't agree with or can't abide by. When I buy
something online, I always verify the site is secure before entering my
credit card info or use PayPal, and I always check the shipping and return
policies to be sure they'll work for me - anything like clothes or shoes
that I might want to return if they don't fit, I'll decide if I'm willing
to eat the cost if they don't and I can't return 'em.

I'm not saying that rude CSR's, bad attitudes, or an unwillingness to work
with the customer is acceptable. It's not. But people need to do their
part too, uphold their end of the deal, if they want to get the best
possible results. :)