Customer complaint

[snugglegirl05]

A customer complained to me yesterday about our rushing our customers through line and out the door.

First some background information:

Due to several complaints several months ago from customers complaining about slow cashiers and long lines at the Kroger I work at, every cashier was trained on how the front-end coordinator wants us to do things. This front-end coordinator is over an area of Kroger locations where I live, and the one I work at, she is over this location. One of the front-end supervisors had to train all of the cashiers. The front-end coordinator devised the training program, and the front-end supervisor was responsible for implementing it. We were trained on how to quickly move the customers through our line.

Yesterday this customer told me the following...

• You should not rush the customer out the store
• You are rude when you do that
• I should be able to take as long as I need since I am the customer.

I told her that we are timed on everything we do. Her response was "You should not be timed."

So I told her that she should write a letter to the regional office. She told me that she did not want to do that, yet she continued to complain. I also told her that if we are too slow, we could get a write up, which is something the front-end supervisor told me. Luckily I was told that my overall score is in the upper 80's. She also complained about how Kroger changed for the worse as well as the fact that the shelves are not stocked all the time as well as the high prices.

So I told her again that she needs to write a letter to their regional office. She told me again that she will not do that.

I told one of the assistant managers what happened after she left.

[EricKei]

It's simple. She has the same malady as so many other complainers -- She doesn't want to FIX anything, she just wants to vent/complain to someone she knows very well can't do anything about it. Anything that would require the slightest actual thought or effort on her part (such as a simple letter to the people who can DO anything) is unacceptable. Also, if things do get "fixed," there's less for her to complain about, which is presumably horrifying to her

[Pixelated]

EricKei has it right on, unfortunately. The only thing to do with folks like that is keep telling them "The company will listen to YOU if YOU tell them what you're not happy about." And then do your best to let their continued whining roll off your back. Good idea to pass her whining on to your assistant manager, though, just in case she decides to complain to corporate about how "rude" you are.

Incidentally, would it be possible, when you get somebody like that, to call a manager or assistant manager over and have the customer speak to THEM? If nothing else, your store management will be personally aware of the situation -- never hurts to CYA.

[EricKei]

"The company will listen to YOU if YOU tell them what you're not happy about."

Exactly. I would add, "...They don't listen to us, even if we're passing along customer feedback. They want to hear it from YOU, [Sir/Ma'am/etc.] and they WILL listen."

[Food Lady]

Yep, what Pixelated said. Our company will change policies based on what the customers say. But they have to say it. In this case, if I were upper management, I'd be on the side of the customers in a hurry because they outnumber those who aren't on a mission.

Plus, on a personal level, I'm annoyed by those who wander aimlessly. I had to deal with that at the grocery store today. That's exactly why I use the self-checkout. I saw one woman standing there slack-jawed even though there were 4 or 5 SCOs open. She finally got on one. She's the type that would complain about the cashiers being too fast.

[Racket_Man]

As a pizza delivery driver I get bitched at for a variety of things that are WAY out of my control.

Things like:
1. the delivery charge
2. the mere fact that delivery sometimes takes longer than 30 minutes especially on a Fri or Sat night (YES that one is STILL out there no matter the pizza chain) OR a home football game OR during some super duper 5 times a year big discount mega coupon offer (sorry Irv) that my (and other ) companies seem to be offering over the last 7 years or so
3. the delivery charge
4. the fact I CAN NOT change a $50 or $100 bill for that $13.50 order
5. the fact that their pizza did not get delivered because they ordered it (online or phone in) as a carry out
6. the fact their pizza did not get delivered because they (the customer) entered or gave a bad/incorrect address and/or phone number
7. the fact their pizza did not get delivered because NO ONE ANSWERED THE DOOR (KNOCKING OR DOORBELL) AND DID NOT RESPOND TO REPEATED CALLS AND TEXTS
8. the delivery charge
9. the fact delivery is taking much longer because of THE WEATHER (heavy rain or blizzard)
10. The delivery charge

[telecom_goddess]

As a pizza delivery driver I get bitched at for a variety of things that are WAY out of my control.

7. the fact their pizza did not get delivered because NO ONE ANSWERED THE DOOR (KNOCKING OR DOORBELL) AND DID NOT RESPOND TO REPEATED CALLS AND TEXTS

ON that note, I always put clear instructions to use the door knocker, yet they never do and barely tap on the door so I can't hear them. I have since put up a doorbell, and now include notes to ring the doorbell, yet they still tap on the door so I can barely hear them. When did people stop using obvious door knocking/bell ringing aids? it's like they aren't even there.

[Racket_Man]

ON that note, I always put clear instructions to use the door knocker, yet they never do and barely tap on the door so I can't hear them. I have since put up a doorbell, and now include notes to ring the doorbell, yet they still tap on the door so I can barely hear them. When did people stop using obvious door knocking/bell ringing aids? it's like they aren't even there.

WOW I find that really odd. Lightly tapping on the door??? Usually I will try the doorbell first (unless it is indicated that I do not use the doorbell). then knock. then knock again. Knocking is a time of the day type of thing though. I really do NOT go around cop knocking at say 2am.

[XCashier]

When did people stop using obvious door knocking/bell ringing aids? it's like they aren't even there.

Had that problem at my old house. Even worse, we had a security screen door. They'd bash their knuckles bloody on the screen door (and we couldn't hear it if we were at the other end of the house) and completely ignore the glowing doorbell button right next to it -- you know, the one that is wired to be heard throughout the entire house. Sorry, if you're too stupid to know how a doorbell works, I don't want to talk to you!

[ladyjaneinmd]

WOW I find that really odd. Lightly tapping on the door??? Usually I will try the doorbell first (unless it is indicated that I do not use the doorbell). then knock. then knock again. Knocking is a time of the day type of thing though. I really do NOT go around cop knocking at say 2am.

Oh, that drives me absolutely NUTS. I get that from Freecycle pickups frequently. People knock as if they're afraid that someone is going to hear them, then they complain that nobody heard them. Where's the logic in that??

[Slave to the Phone]

I used to scare my druggy sister because if I don't hear the bell ring/or hear movement towards the door in a timely fashion, I will then cop knock.

I learned to do that back when I was slave to the teletype and most people didn't have door bells, but did have door knockers. Which were usually hidden behind locked screen/storm doors.

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Mods, sorry for the second post. I'm rather distracted by the rescue helicopters flying over the creek and missed the edit time limit.

I have clients who get upset about the amount of their wait times/how the office is run/amount of benefits/disqualifying events/mandatory participants/whatever and when I tell them that the only way to change things is to contact the Governor or their Representatives they just scoff and demand that I do something about it right now!

[Shpepper]

As a pizza delivery driver I get bitched at for a variety of things that are WAY out of my control.

...
7. the fact their pizza did not get delivered because NO ONE ANSWERED THE DOOR (KNOCKING OR DOORBELL) AND DID NOT RESPOND TO REPEATED CALLS AND TEXTS
:

I am deaf and have a dog who alerts to knocking at the door. I have even gone so far as to where I have written in my ordering profile to knock until the driver hears the dog bark and a person respond and they still tap tap tap and go away.

No clue what to do next. Even calls to the franchise office did nothing. But I still don't complain at the driver. I go up the chain to try and fix it.

[Lace Neil Singer]

At the supermarket, customers are always complaining about the speed of the cashiers, but when told the reason (they are timed), refuse to do anything useful like email head office. I think people are just bone idle, which is why they say stuff like, "YOU tell your manager" when doing so would be pointless, cuz a) the manager has no control over policy and b) head office takes no notice of second hand complaints; a customer has to personally contact them. But try telling an entitled customer that.