Why Customers Complain About Service Quality

Customers have every legitimate reason to complain when they receive poor service. Whether shopping online or making in-person purchases, the expectations for a positive and trouble-free experience are consistent. This article explores the reasons behind customer complaints, the impact of poorly trained service representatives, and the importance of providing courteous and professional service.

The Age of Customer Entitlement

Our society is often characterized as one of entitlement, where customers feel they deserve superior treatment simply because they are spending money. This mindset leads to unreasonable expectations and, consequently, increased complaints about service quality. Despite having done nothing exceptional to deserve better treatment, these individuals often demand a higher standard of service than others do.

The Role of Customer Service

As a paying customer, one naturally expects prompt and courteous service when issues arise. However, many times, what customers receive is far from satisfactory. Poorly trained customer service representatives, who often lack the necessary skills to handle complaints, can exacerbate the problem. These representatives may be unprofessional, rude, or simply not equipped to resolve the issue at hand.

Diverse Examples of Poor Service

To illustrate the issue, let's delve into a few specific examples of poor service experiences:

Starbucks at Albertsons

A personal experience with a Starbucks employee at Albertsons highlights the problems with poor customer service. The employee was too busy chatting with a friend to notice that a customer was present. Upon realizing the mistake, the employee smirked and corrected the customer's pronunciation of the word “macchiato.” As a paying customer, the author expected courteous and attentive service. This experience, although minor, sets the stage for more serious issues that may arise.

JCPenney's Double-Billing Issue

An encounter with JCPenney over a double-billing problem further demonstrates the dissatisfaction that can be provoked by poor service. The customer service representative (CSR) did not address the original issue, instead providing responses irrelevant to the problem. This lack of attention and understanding escalated the customer's frustration. When the situation was unresolved, the customer was forced to threaten to boycott the store unless the issue was resolved, which eventually led to the money being refunded within the hour. Despite this resolution, the customer remained dissatisfied, as JCPenney failed to address the root cause of the problem and demand that the customer take additional steps to resolve it.

The Ongoing Battle for Respect

The central theme in these examples is the expectation of respect and professionalism from service staff. So, why do customers complain? They do so because they expect a level of courtesy commensurate with the treatment they extend to others. Service staff, being paid to provide a competent and professional level of service, must be held accountable when they fail to meet these standards.

Ultimately, workplace conditions and customer training play a crucial role in ensuring service quality. Companies must invest in their employees to ensure that they are equipped to handle customer complaints professionally and empathetically. Customers, on the other hand, should be reminded to be patient and understanding, recognizing that mistakes are made by humans and situations can be resolved with proper communication and effort.

Conclusion

In conclusion, customer complaints about service quality arise from a combination of customer entitlement, subpar customer service training, and a lack of professional courtesy. Addressing these issues through better training and a commitment to customer care is essential to maintain customer satisfaction and loyalty. Companies that prioritize these elements will not only retain existing customers but also attract new ones by providing a positive and professional customer experience.

Keywords

customer service service quality customer entitlement shoddy service delivery issues