by Holle Abee

Created on: January 21, 2008

What's happened to customer service in America? It used to be a way of life for any business serving the public, but now it's suffering a long, agonizing death, with no hope of rescusitation.

I remember when I was a kid, gas was 30 cents a gallon. when you pulled up to the pump, a man in a neatly pressed smart uniform hurried out to pump your gas, check your tires and oil, and clean your windshield, all with a smile and a "thank you." Now, we pay almost $4 a gallon, and we have to pump it ourselves. We even have to go inside the store to hand over the money.

And what about restaurants? I remember my dad leaving a quarter on the table after our rare meals out, and we got great service. If we go out to eat these days and leave a $20 tip, the waitress or waiter acts as though he's doing us a favor bringing our food. and usually, if you ask for something outlandish, you know, like your drink or a fork, they get really put out.

Remember the old saying, "The customer's always right"? Few folks follow that adage any longer. Today, the customer is guilty until proven innocent. For example, upon my return home from a major retailer, I noticed a small item that I had missed in the cart, so it never made it to the register. I went back to the store, explaining that I hadn't paid for the article. All I wanted to do was pay the $4.99 I owed them, but you wouldn't believe the hassle that ensued. Another adage came to mind: "No good deed goes unpunished."

A popular fast food eatery used to have the motto, "Have it your way." They even had a little song about it. Now it's "Take it like we feel like making it." I swear, you cannot get a burger without cheese in this town. I speak clearly. No one should have any trouble understanding me, yet my order of a regular burger is invariably topped with "plastic" cheese. The typical scenario goes something like this: May I take your order? Yes, I'd like a hamburger, please. Would you like cheese on that? No. No cheese? That's right. No cheese. Okay. That's one cheeseburger. Would you like fries with that? No, and I don't want a cheeseburger. I want a hamburger. So that's one hamburger and one cheeseburger? I just want one hamburger, without cheese. Got it. One cheeseburger. No! I do not want cheese! So would you like to cancel your order?

At this point, I usually just take whatever I get and remove the cheese when I get home. This would never have happened in the old days of the 50s and 60s, or even in the 70s. The work ethic has definitely taken a nose dive, along with common courtesy. I think one problem is that service employees just aren't taught these skills. My generation learned manners at home, but parents are so busy these days that they don't seem to have time to teach their kids simple manners. so employers, do us all a favor. Provide some seminars that teach basic politeness and customer service. Maybe I should write a book - Customer Service for Dummies.

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