Five Ways to Insult a Customer

My husband and I were out shopping this past weekend and stopped at an upscale, boutique-style market. We shop there all the time for the hand-cut meats, fresh vegetables and specialty items. The store's design and ambiance makes you feel you’re in an art gallery with the fresh produce and gourmet food items serving as the artwork.

What we really like about the market is the exceptional customer service. Even though it’s always busy, the employees take time with each customer to make sure they find what they need, get the right cut of meat or type of seafood, or sample the many items in the deli counter to be sure the taste is just right.

This past weekend, as my husband and I rolled our cart up to the checkout lines, I noticed the bagger in our line was putting groceries into large paper bags. The checker started scanning my items, and the bagger started loading large soda bottles, a few single soft drink bottles and two wine bottles into a large paper bag. When I asked the bagger why she was using paper bags, she looked at me and said, “Well, the plastic bags are too difficult for me to get open [on the stand in front of her], so I’m putting everything in paper bags.” I prefer plastic bags, but I never had a chance to say so. I asked, “Don’t you normally ask the customer what kind of bags she would prefer? I’d like plastic bags because they are easier to carry.”

At this point, the two young ladies looked at each other with a smirk, and finally, the bagger told the checker, “You change the bags. I’m going to the next register.” The bagger turned on her heels and left, leaving the checker to change my bags and complain the entire time! 

I was shocked! Our bill was almost $100, not unusual for this high-priced specialty market. They pride themselves on exceptional customer service, but instead of suiting the needs of a customer, the bagger was suiting herself. And when she decided to turn her back and leave instead of fulfill a request, it was downright insulting. How do you insult a customer? Let me count the ways:

1. Don’t ask for preferences. I usually shop at a shabby national brand grocery chain in the downtown area because it’s close to my house. The checkers may not always smile or make eye contact, but they at least ask if I was able to find everything and what type of bags I want.
    
2. Put your comfort before the customer. The plastic bags were too difficult to get open? OK, then figure out a way to get them open quickly, ask a supervisor for some help, or pre-open some bags when you’re not busy so you’re ready.
    
3. When a customer makes a request, make a joke out of it. These two young ladies gave each other the “whatever” look. The “you want me to do what?” look. Customer service is cheerfully fulfilling customer requests, not making comments with a look and a smirk.
    
4. Don't do the job right the first time. The bagger should have put paper sleeves over the bottles before she put them in the bag so they wouldn’t bang into each other. I wonder if the paper sleeves for glass bottles were too hard to open, too. She put at least six big and small bottles in a paper bag. Too heavy and unwieldy to carry. 
    
5. Flat out refuse to fulfill a request. The plastic bags were too much for the bagger, and changing them out was too much as well. She forgot why she was working at the store and getting paid for it. If you have a job, do it! To turn on your heels and walk away is the ultimate insult.

Customers always have the last word.  They can make formal complaints or just shop somewhere else. My husband and I will be back to that particular store, since the products and ambiance are unmatched anywhere else. Hopefully, they no longer carry the brand of customer service we experienced.