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#Post#: 42187--------------------------------------------------
How "friendly" do we want service people to be?
By: Aleko Date: November 18, 2019, 8:30 am
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Here in the UK, customer-service people aren’t routinely
compelled by their management to be "friendly" to customers; all
they are required to be is civil and helpful. They say things
like 'Good morning', 'Do you need any help?' and 'Are you OK
packing that yourself?' They aren't obliged to say stuff like
‘How are you today?’ and ‘Have a great day!’ to total strangers.
(Although they quite typically do ask ‘How are you today?’ to
customers they know, and it's the fact that they don't say it to
everyone that makes that agreeable; it means 'I recognise you'.)
I was aware that US companies typically require their
customer-facing staff to say stuff like ‘How are you today?’ and
‘Have a great day!’ to all customers. But just today I learned
from a language board I frequent that another member had walked
into a bank in the USA - he had never been there before - and a
customer service person walked up to him and asked: 'How's it
going? What are your plans for the weekend?' He was gobsmacked,
and so was I when I read about it: in what imaginable universe
is that an appropriate thing to say to a total stranger?
So I came here to ask the Americans on this board: is this
normal nowadays in the USA? And does anybody actually like it?
#Post#: 42188--------------------------------------------------
Re: How "friendly" do we want service people to be?
By: kckgirl Date: November 18, 2019, 8:32 am
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I have lived in the USA all my life and have never been greeted
like that.
#Post#: 42189--------------------------------------------------
Re: How "friendly" do we want service people to be?
By: Jem Date: November 18, 2019, 8:34 am
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There are some places that apparently must instruct employees to
be over-friendly. I personally don't like it at all. Polite,
yes. Overly chatty, no thank you. It makes me feel like I need
to put on a performance.
#Post#: 42191--------------------------------------------------
Re: How "friendly" do we want service people to be?
By: Hmmm Date: November 18, 2019, 8:47 am
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The bank example seems to be poorly delivered by the employee. I
would be very confused to walk into anywhere and the first thing
to be asked were my plans for the weekend. I'd wonder if they
were trying to sale me tickets to some upcoming event. But yes,
I have been asked by sales clerks if I had plans for the weekend
while completing a sale or even by a bank teller as part of my
transaction. Yesterday, the cashier at the grocery asked if we
were getting ready for Thanksgiving. But none of these ever
occur at the very beginning of the interaction.
Not sure when asking about plans for the weekend or other
questions became as common as commenting on the weather, but
yes, to me it is that level of banter. I know the clerk doesn't
really care how I am doing when asking "how are you today" and I
know they don't really care if I plan to watch the big sports
game. It's just harmless chatter that gives the impression of
"we care about you as a customer".
But often this chatter between client and customer service isn't
corporate compelled. It is just the social norm we all operate
in these days in the US. At sometime around the late 70's based
on my experience the idea of the customer being addressed as Mr
or Ms while the clerk was referred to by first name went away
and there was a push that we were all equal and therefore would
interact with each other on a more casual basis. So, yes me and
the cashier might exchange how we prefer to cook our mashed
potatoes and I might ask the high school age sacker if he is
ready for an extended break.
The thing I really dislike is the yell out when entering a fast
casual restaurant of "welcome to XXX" from have the employees. i
also don't want my waiter/waitress asking more than one or two
non-service related items.
#Post#: 42196--------------------------------------------------
Re: How "friendly" do we want service people to be?
By: lowspark Date: November 18, 2019, 9:04 am
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[quote author=Jem link=topic=1408.msg42189#msg42189
date=1574087666]
There are some places that apparently must instruct employees to
be over-friendly. I personally don't like it at all. Polite,
yes. Overly chatty, no thank you. It makes me feel like I need
to put on a performance.
[/quote]
Agree. Not all places do it but yeah, some do. It's fine and
even desirable that I get a smile and very short greeting like,
"How can I help you" or similar. Asking about my day or anything
else personal is annoying at best and intrusive at worst.
I'm here to conduct business. I want to get that business done
and leave and get on with my day. If I want to have a fun
conversation about my weekend, it's going to be with my friends
and family not with the grocery checker, the bank clerk, etc.
At the end of the transaction, "have a nice day" or some such is
pretty standard, but at least it doesn't hinder my progress.
It's all rather meaningless of course, but it's become so
ubiquitous I guess it's expected now, and if they didn't say it,
people might be offended! LOL :D
#Post#: 42198--------------------------------------------------
Re: How "friendly" do we want service people to be?
By: DaDancingPsych Date: November 18, 2019, 9:19 am
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Walking in the door at the bank and being asked about my
weekend... strange.
Being asked about my weekend during the banter of making a
deposit... normal.
I don't know if it's normal society or if the corporation is
encouraging it, but many employees will chat a bit. Questions
like "do you have big plans for the weekend?" are really saying,
"tell me what we can chat about it?" If I do have plans that I
am comfortable discussing, then I will take the bait. If I don't
want to discuss my plans, I will typically say something like,
"Not really, but I hear the weather is going to be beautiful." I
am probably a chattier customer than most, so I often find
myself steering conversations myself rather than the employee.
The bank that I use is a large branch. There is a customer
service station by the door where a few employees greet you. I
am guessing that they are there to help redirect customers who
don't need to do a transaction with a teller, but rather have an
appointment (or need to speak with) a different sort of agent.
Despite my chattiness, I rather dislike when these
representatives get too talkative. I am fine with a greeting,
but I am almost always on my way to the teller and just want to
get in line and not be held up with unnecessary talk. Being
stopped to discuss my weekend would annoy me more than usual!
#Post#: 42201--------------------------------------------------
Re: How "friendly" do we want service people to be?
By: sandisadie Date: November 18, 2019, 9:29 am
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I'm also one who doesn't want to have to think of an answer when
I'm actually bent on taking care of business. "have a nice day"
or "how are you?" are ok and I usually say something like that
when I interact with an employee. To me, those things are
similar to saying "hello" and "thank you". Especially annoying
is when I'm conducting business on the phone and right away the
person on the call will attempt to chat with me instead of
listening to why I'm calling.
#Post#: 42210--------------------------------------------------
Re: How "friendly" do we want service people to be?
By: Despedina Date: November 18, 2019, 10:54 am
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I worked at a grocery store where we were told to use the
customer's name if we could see it on a credit card or check. I
hated doing it. I didn't know these people and many had uncommon
german and french last names that were not easy to pronounce.
In those cases we were told to ask how to pronounce their name
then say "Have a nice day Mr. Whatsyername". I had 2 customers
that told me it was unnecessary and strange for me to address
them by name as we didn't know each other. One lady seemed very
offended. I never used personal names after that.
#Post#: 42211--------------------------------------------------
Re: How "friendly" do we want service people to be?
By: Hmmm Date: November 18, 2019, 11:13 am
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[quote author=Despedina link=topic=1408.msg42210#msg42210
date=1574096046]
I worked at a grocery store where we were told to use the
customer's name if we could see it on a credit card or check. I
hated doing it. I didn't know these people and many had uncommon
german and french last names that were not easy to pronounce.
In those cases we were told to ask how to pronounce their name
then say "Have a nice day Mr. Whatsyername". I had 2 customers
that told me it was unnecessary and strange for me to address
them by name as we didn't know each other. One lady seemed very
offended. I never used personal names after that.
[/quote]
This makes me a little sad. Other customers either didn't mind
it or liked being addressed by name. But because 2 complained,
all the others lost this little bit of humanity.
#Post#: 42214--------------------------------------------------
Re: How "friendly" do we want service people to be?
By: Hanna Date: November 18, 2019, 11:23 am
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[quote author=Hmmm link=topic=1408.msg42211#msg42211
date=1574097200]
[quote author=Despedina link=topic=1408.msg42210#msg42210
date=1574096046]
I worked at a grocery store where we were told to use the
customer's name if we could see it on a credit card or check. I
hated doing it. I didn't know these people and many had uncommon
german and french last names that were not easy to pronounce.
In those cases we were told to ask how to pronounce their name
then say "Have a nice day Mr. Whatsyername". I had 2 customers
that told me it was unnecessary and strange for me to address
them by name as we didn't know each other. One lady seemed very
offended. I never used personal names after that.
[/quote]
This makes me a little sad. Other customers either didn't mind
it or liked being addressed by name. But because 2 complained,
all the others lost this little bit of humanity.
[/quote]
I strongly dislike it when someone reads my name from my debit
card or check and uses it to pretend we are on familiar terms
when I'm a complete stranger they will likely never see again.
I think it's anything but polite since it's completely contrived
and forced.
My first name is not what people call me and my last name is
hard to pronounce, so it's never going to make me feel good to
have someone call me by either one when we were never
introduced.
It's very different if I am involved in a transaction where they
ask my name and then subsequently use it. This happened at Lowes
yesterday and the guy even added an extra vowel to my name and
called me by my first legal name, but I didn't mind a bit,
because he was sincere and really helpful.
I do not like the overly familiar form of customer service
unless it's natural and honest. If it's company dictated and
forced, it's just annoying.
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