Retail Tear-apy or How Bad Service Reduced Me to Tears

Customer service should NOT be proportionate to the size of the price tag. Regardless of whether I am paying $10 or $100, I should be able to expect the same amount of respect and attentiveness.

But honey, this is Singapore. Customer Service is NOT our way of life.

I decided to get cracking on the Christmas shopping yesterday and went to Vivo City since the 3 stores I wanted to hit were all there (Toys R Us, M&S and Tangs)

Good try but...

We first walked into Tangs, and I wanted to buy this pair of shoes. The sales girl was nice and helpful and went and got my size for me without complaining or anything.

BUT she let me walk away without closing the sale!!! I mean, if I could see that the customer was really interested in the item, and the only thing stopping her from buying it was that she wanted to shop around and not have to carry the shoes, I would have at least asked her to pay for it first and offer to hold it for her till she is done.

But she let me walk away and I never did go back and get those shoes. There is always a better deal elsewhere right?

Bouquet

M&S was a pleasure to shop at, as usual. The salespeople don't follow you around (they have plain clothed store detectives for that) :). But when you need them, they are right there, at your elbow. To me this says vigilance.

But this one salesgirl really went the extra mile. I tried on a blouse that I really loved, but it was a little frayed at the seams. She not only called the other stores to find out if they had them. When she found out they didn't, she called the warehouse to order one piece in for me!! I was blown away by her initative and desire to delight the customer. This is why, as inflated as their prices are, I keep going to back to good old Marks and Spencer.

Brickbat

Toys R Us was a totally different story. 8 staff milling around the customer service counter, talking. One cash register open. 10 people in line - some with a full trolley, and behind them, a little girl with one lollipop.

Do they just not see it? Are we such a permission-based society that we have to wait for people to tell us to do our jobs?

Finally, one of the irate ang moh customers complained and they grudgingly opened another counter. I hope someone had the sense to let the lollipop girl go first. I didn't hang around to see.

Brickbat 2

It was the same at Burger King. 4 customers in each line. 7 employees behind the counter. Only two were manning the cash registers. 2 of them were engaged in the all important task of refilling the chili and ketchup sachets and aligning them perfectly. The other 3 were staring at the metal shelves of burgers as if waiting for the Holy Grail to appear.

The manager finally put two and two together, and despatched some of the Crusaders to take orders. The chili and ketchup girls where told to pack it in. I hope this was a result of the angry glaring I did in his direction.