Changes in Customer Service

For years I have been complaining about the lack of customer service at companies. I would call what some companies were doing as customer dis-service. But I must admit, lately, some companies are slowly coming around to the idea that customer service might actually be a good thing.

I was in Home Depot last week and I was amazed. Before, when I would go into one of their stores, you couldn’t get help for anything. But last week, I was greeted at the door, asked if I wanted a cart, asked if I knew what I was looking for, and then given directions on where to find it. Once I got to the correct isle, an employee immediately came up and asked if I needed help. Wow! And I have had the same experience at other retail stores lately also.

I guess a slow economy and the fact that companies can’t take customers for granted anymore, that they have to “fight” for our dollar has changed their mentality. It’s a shame they can’t do customer service correctly all the time. I think we better enjoy it now, I fear that once the economy turns around they will go back to their old habits. I hope not.

But in the meantime, I am going to use my new “customer power” to get better customer service (or I will leave) and to get better prices.