Hi, How Can I Not Help You?
Economy takes the blame for poor service
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It’s a common complain during the holiday shopping season, the lack of customer service.
Ask a crowd of shoppers about it and here’s what you’ll get:
“I don’t think people care as much any more.”
“It’s all hurry up and wait.”
"They have no desire to make you feel important while you’re at the counter.”
San Diego State marketing professor Michael Belch said there is truth in these complaints.
“I think customer service is a dying art,” Belch said.
The culprit, however, could be the economy, according to the professor.
“People who are working are saying, 'Look, I’m not getting raises, I’m getting frustrated, I am just going to do the bare minimum that I have to do,' ” Belch said.
Belch said that now is when stores should be increasing customer service. The marketing professor said the best time to be more responsive to consumers is when people are slow to start with their money.
“More companies have lost business from me by providing bad customer service than they have because of their prices,” Belch said.
