vent about customer service

I know I'm going to sound like a crotchety old lady in this post, but I don't care!

I did a lot of retail  work in high school and college, so I know how frustrating it can be to deal with rude customers. But I also know how very important it is! I really hit my limit with rude staff this weekend.

1. I stopped at B&N to see if they had the latest issue of  Fit Pregnancy out yet. (Since the magazine comes out every other month, it seems silly to wait 2-4 months for a year-long subscription to kick in, particularly when I "only" have about 4-5 months of pregnancy left at this point. So I'm planning to just by it at B&N for the next couple issues.) As I walked up to the customer service desk in the center of the store, a bookseller made eye contact then walked away right as I was about to ask for help. Seriously? Even if he was about to go on break or to leave at the end of the shift, after he made eye contact what he should have done was simply tell me that he would find another bookseller to help me. Instead I ended up waiting almost 10 minutes for someone else to help me. Ugh.

2. Later in the day I stopped at Target to get Mike some medications. As long as I was there I figured I would check out the maternity clothes. (I've been delaying the inevitable by trying to stay in my regular clothes for now.) I circled around the women's section several times, feeling like an idiot because I couldn't find the maternity section. Finally I decided to ask for help. Again I found a sales associate, and again she made eye contact and walked away. Seriously?!? This time I ran to catch up with her and said "Excuse me? Could you tell me where the maternity section is?" She didn't even turn around! She just kept walking and said "only Super Targets have those." Wow.

3. Then today was the last straw. Here's the email I sent to the library after the fact:

To whom it may concern:

I have been a frequent patron of the St Louis Park library since I moved to the area nine years ago, and I have been actively involved with the Board of the Friends of the SLP Library for the past five years. Needless to say, I am a strong supporter of HCL and have actively worked to help make my library better for both patrons and staff. I had an incident today, however, that was quite upsetting.

While out on a walk in the neighborhood, I decided to stop by to pick up some books I remembered were on hold. Luckily I have my library barcode number memorized, and I have been able to check out materials without problem multiple times in the past by simply telling the friendly librarians what that number is and verbally verifying my name and address.  Today, however, there was a new man at the desk. When I gave him my books and barcode number, he asked why I didn't have the actual card. I explained that I was out for a walk and didn't bring it with me. He then asked me for ID. Once again, I said I didn't have it with me, which was why I had written my card number down for him. At this point he scoffed and sarcastically asked if I had been "robbed of all my belongings, or just lost my purse, or what?!" This was rude, condescending, and quite uncalled for.  I explained again that I didn't have my wallet with me because I was out for a walk. At that point he began ranting about budget cuts and staff deficits. I again apologized and stated that if the self check-out machines were reprogrammed to allow me to enter my barcode number myself (as they has been programmed in the past), I would be happy to use those machines so I wouldn't have to bother him or other staff in order to check out materials. He then *rolled his eyes* and responded with a brusque "I'm not in charge of those [machines]." At that point I decided to simply leave as soon as possible, because I was tired of being spoken to in such a manner.

I wanted to take the time to report this incident to you because I was quite appalled at being treated this way, especially in a library that has always been exemplary in its customer service in the past.

If I may, I would like to present three possible solutions to this problem. (1) if the policy has changed and it is now *required* to have a library card and/or ID, please post this clearly at the check-out desk. (2) if the policy has *not* changed, please inform all staff that name and address can be verbally verified, and also provide this man in particular with some training in customer service. (3) if budget cuts are so dire, please reprogram the self-check machines so we can enter our library barcodes ourselves. Those of us who are who have our barcodes memorized are likely those who frequent the library on a very regular basis and may also be involved in volunteer work. If you want to keep your frequent patrons happy and your circulation high, there needs to be a solution for the many of us who do not carry our wallets on a regular basis.

Thank you.




Yes, I know I sound like an 80-year-old curmudgeon. But back in my day, no one in a service position would get away with "customer service" like this!!

Thank you for letting me vent.