Are you being served?

[Gob]

IT'S the sales assistant who doesn't end her personal phone call when you walk into the store. Or the waiter who rolls his eyes when you ask too many questions about a dish.

Everyone has experienced poor customer service but a survey suggests Australia has a tougher time of it than other countries.

Of the 12 countries surveyed, Australia ranked equal last with Britain on measures of service satisfaction, behind the US, France, Canada and India.

In the Netherlands, 44 per cent of people felt companies were not doing anything extra to keep their business or were taking their business for granted. In Australia, that number was 81 per cent.

''The barometer clearly said customers want superior service and it's certainly not being provided,'' said Christine Wakefield, vice-president of American Express World Service Australia, which commissioned the survey.

''Australians have a laid-back attitude and this might be translating to some businesses having a similar attitude.''

Companies were more likely to reduce service during economic downturns but those that did missed an important revenue opportunity, she said. The survey found Australians were prepared to spend 8 per cent more in return for good customer service.

Brett Whitford, of the Customer Service Institute of Australia, said keeping customers was more cost-effective than attracting new ones in tough times. He said accountants often ignored the ''invisible cost of bad service''.

''They don't track how many people walked in and walked out because there was no one there to serve them,'' he said.

Society jeweller Nic Cerrone credits good customer service as one of the reasons for his cohort of third-generation customers.

His staff have regular service, ethics and product training. ''In a difficult time it comes back to what you have offered to your customers … from five or 10 years ago - and that's when you benefit,'' Mr Cerrone said.

http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/shoppin ... 10b73.html

[Crackpot]

I've noticed customer service has shot up since the recession.

[SisterMaryFellatio]

I am not surprised...Customer Service is fuckin diabolical here. Compared to the UK, I thought that was poor when I left but Jeez it was fantastic compared to here.

Telstra are the worst ( just ripped them off 140 bucks tho which makes me feel a little better)

Origin Gas are a close second.

Don't even get me started on builders!

[Gob]

It's the restaurant staff here that get me....

Ducks and runs for cover...

[Sean]

''Australians have a laid-back attitude and this might be translating to some businesses having a similar attitude.''

This is very true. I have found customer service in general here to be far worse than in the UK. In the UK, when someone promises to call you back they generally do. Here it seems to be the exception rather than the rule.

[SisterMaryFellatio]

It's the restaurant staff here that get me....

Ducks and runs for cover...

I quite agree, some sour faced 18 year old slag with chipped nail varnish and untidy hair!!! (fuck me I sound like my mother.grandmother) who cannot even be bothered to pick her feet up properly when she walks dosn't say please or thank you.

Didn't happen in my friggin restaurant lemme tell ya!

In general i think the Gold Coast is worse than the rest of Australia just because the population is so transient with all the backpackers.

Thisosn't excuse call centre fuckers who work for Telstra/Origin etc. here is chapter in their training called "How to be a cunt and wind up the customer" sub title The customer is never right they are dumber than you and deserve to be patronised!

[Sean]

A side note: Having spent much time on the phone to these call centres, it surprised me to learn that the most common name in Mumbai seems to be Steve.