Rant Wednesday: Bad Customer Service is a Two-Way Street

It is often said that good customer service no longer exists. I say that a part of that reason is that bad customers killed it.

I know this is a strong sentiment but it really is a two-way street. I still believe that most people are good, honest, and caring.

That being said, everyone has their limits. When you are a dedicated person who wants to help, you become worn down when you are subjected to verbal beatings each day.

There are times that despite your best efforts, you cannot give a customer what they want. Now, if you are not giving your best then that is a completely different issue.

I have often been told that I put my heart in my job too much. This never made sense to me until a couple of years ago. I realized I was always stressed and bringing my stress home when other people who barely tried, at work, were happy.

Now, I am NOT saying the answer is to barely try. However, I realized that a lot of  people who do not try hard, are still very good people, but they have gotten tired of being beaten up for things out of their control.

Often, as a method of coping, people may pull back from giving their best and simply just give enough. This can make the experience sad for the good customers and the person giving the service.

While there are times when a customer is upset for a legitimate reason, and we do our best not to take it personal and understand the person is angry at the situation, we all know there are times where everything is perfect and people can be mean, condescending, and unappreciative.

My rant on this topic is for people who behave like the customer that they despise dealing with on their own jobs. Why can't we just all treat each other with respect? Also, think about your own job for a moment. Are you more apt to go above and beyond for someone who is angry, but respectful, or someone who yells and curses because they believe this is the way to get results?

Now, it is your turn to rant. Thoughts on this?