Tuesday, 8 January 2008

A little bit of a rant

The lack of good service in NZ has been in the spotlight recently, what with this particular episode of Christmas cheer resulting in front page news.
In my fairly decent experience of retail (and when you think about it, every single job there is comes down to retail) I followed the maxim that The Customer Is Always Right. The article I just linked to shows how a retailer can let her arrogance and snobbery get in the way of making just one small customer happy, and therefore alienates an entire community of people who otherwise would never have heard of her.
So today I was most unhappy when I scooted out of work to meet a locksmith at home and get some quotes done. 1pm they said yesterday, and of course we'll call if he can't make it on time.
So it gets to twenty past, and with no sign of him, I ring them. The guy covers the phone with his hand to ask his manager where my guy is, and I hear the manager say "he's probably forgotten all about it." He comes back, and goes "he's been held up at another job."
So I tell him that I only get an hour for lunch, I can't wait all day. He comes back and says he can be there at 2. I say sorry, I have to be back at work at 1:30. And why didn't someone call me to say he'd be late so I didn't have to leave work?
I get one "Sorry", one offer to re-schedule (as if!) and no argument when I don't.
Why is it that tradespeople are so lazy with their time-keeping? It should be an inherent part of their business practice...to be on time or to inform you if they'll be late. It was a complete waste of time, petrol, and caused my happy face to be replaced by my frowny face. AND if I get broken into tonight because of my piddly locks on my french doors, it'll be ALL THEIR FAULT.
I feel for my mother, who is about to build a new house, and will be having moments like these every single day with all the hundreds of tradespeople...from tilers to drapers to plumbers to pool men. Shudder.
If you're a tradesperson, let me know your views and prove me wrong.

1 comment:

Jennifer (Jen on the Edge) said...

That email exchange is almost unbelievable. I'm sure the caterer has lost a lot of business.

Sorry about your locksmith woes.