Your view of customer service in Australia?

[Deactivated] on 11/08/2016 - 10:07

This topic has probably been discussed previously, but after a particularly abysmal morning dealing with piss-poor customer service from 3 different places I thought I would open up the discussion again. I am particularly interested in people who have travelled widely and can compare how Australia fares compared to the rest of the world.

I think the thing that steams my clams the most is that it often seems as if we're all supposed to take it in our stride. Complaining about rubbish customer service is seen as being little more than a whinger. Even when we are paying for the experience, we are supposed to have a "she'll be right", easy going Aussie attitude towards being dicked around.

I am sure some people think I am being an entitled whinger. Others might agree. Sound off in the comments.

I hope your day goes better than mine has so far.

General Discussion

Comments

  • Wallyt99 on 12/08/2016 - 20:12
    +2

    The key to top flight service is to be there when wanted (or moments before! Such as topping up a glass) but never there when unneeded. Its exceptionally difficult to do. Only got it in the USA where it seemed to come naturally.

    You also need to read the customer - e.g dont ask a grumpy old man how he is.. Ask him if there is anything he would like….

    We dont get that here.

  • bargainhuntaa on 12/08/2016 - 20:22
    +2

    'customer service' is nothing more than human interaction and how pleasant your experience goes dealing with someone and how pleasant 'you' make the interaction. If you cater for human shortcomings it will be mostly good. If you lack patience/respect for other humans you will tend to get bad customer service.
    That's a general personal opinion.

    • AlienC on 12/08/2016 - 21:26

      Pretty much this. There should be a new list of informationl videos detailing how customer and human interactions should go in everyday or simple common occurences kind of like how coles or woolies does their job search mini resume sending in interviews thingamabob.

    • AlienC on 12/08/2016 - 21:28
      +1

      Whoops my fat fingers missed the positive vote and now it wont let me change the vote

      • bluesky on 12/08/2016 - 21:37

        Fixed (kinda … my pos vote offsets your accidental neg).

        Yeah, wish one can change the vote. I accidentally revoked my pos vote for the deal I posted, and cannot even put it back! :-) Almost look like I don't believe in the deal I posted …

  • OldSchoolHarry on 12/08/2016 - 22:11

    Whether you talk about customers or customer service providers, you will find good people and you will find bad people. I don't think generalisation of the entire population based on a few good or bad experiences is a good way to go about it.

  • jollybeggar on 12/08/2016 - 22:22

    Customer service in Australia is pretty poor most of the time. Growing up in Sydney, I got used to the art of waving down a server in a restaurant for 5+ mins just to order another drink. When I moved to the US I was bothered by the servers in most restaurants, with all their 'checking on me to see if everything was going well' but after a while, I came to love it. Especially when things weren't going well, because then I didn't need to spend a lot of time trying to get someone's attention to make things right. I also found myself returning more regularly to places with great service, because it made the whole meal more enjoyable and I knew that if we went to such and such a place we would be looked after.

    There are always exceptions and I've experienced fantastic service in Australia and terrible service in the USA, but on the whole, Aussie's have a long way to go in this area.

    • scrimshaw on 12/08/2016 - 22:36

      e US I was bothered by the servers in most restaurants, with all their 'checking on me to see if everything was going well'

      That's because they want your tips. If they don't do that, they can't claim they served you, and some other server will claim the tip. So they will be exceedingly polite to you and hover near your area whenever they can — it's all for the $$$$!

      Tipping is not prevalent in Aus, so the waiter will just take your order and leave you alone and do other things.

    • SydStrand on 12/08/2016 - 23:56

      That's because the US is a tipping culture, the attentiveness is so you leave a bigger percentage at the end. My first time there, I wasn't sure how much to leave and went with 10%, and was called out for it. Personally, I'd rather avoid the faux pas altogether by having staff make a decent living wage, rather than the measly American minimum wage which forces wait staff to over-rely upon tips, so they fake familiarity and smother customers.

  • trustnoone on 12/08/2016 - 23:15

    Honestly I believe it happens a lot here. I HATE!! Going into a store (esp fast food) and have someone pissed off at me just for ordering something simple from the menu. Its like dude, what did you think I'd be here for? Doesn't usually happen though since they're normally busy but I have had it often, especially in subway can be very hit or miss for me.

    Its funny because usually its either "Don't talk to me" vibe, or a "I'm super nice and friendly" one so its hard to tell, guess it evens out. Though there has been a few times where I wish I would've just walked away and spent my money on some other restaurant or fast food place.

  • SydStrand on 12/08/2016 - 23:45

    As someone who's been a retail monkey for many years in many stores while studying, it depends on the company. When I worked at a small local toy store, I wasn't pressured into meeting KPIs and was never hassled, so I had the luxury of being personable. Conversely, I also worked at a big, international fast-fashion chain where the priority was clearing rail/garment care, and we were always up to our eyes in both, so it was impossible to give anything more than lip service to helping customers. I've also worked at everything in between, it just depends on the company and management. Personality also matters too. There are some who are there to make their hourly and working the minimum to not get fired, while there are some who are perky to a fault.

    Overseas, retail service is about the same from my experience, but hospitality is very different, especially in tipping cultures. In Australia, it's a more transactional relationship, unlike the USA where wait staff are stiflingly attentive and doting ('Hi, my name's Dave, I'll be your server today!') because they rely upon tips.

  • Kranbone on 13/08/2016 - 00:29

    Can't speak for others but as a person from a non white background I've historically found it harder to get service at a high street store (David Jones, etc). While things are better now, I take a white friend with me. Salesperson will generally offer assistance to my friend, who will then pass the salesperson on to me.

    Call me crazy, it's just something I've noticed.

  • chaseme on 13/08/2016 - 00:33
    +3

    I have the firm belief that everyone should work in customer service at some point of their lives to appreciate both sides of customer service.

    Customers who are rude, impatient and demanding tend to be the ones who are talked about between staff for many days behind closed doors. A lot of things are out of the employees control like prices, being understaffed and how busy it is during trade. Unfortunately, bad customers will bring my whole day down, no matter how hard I try to move on and forget about it. Other instances include customers assuming we know what they are wanting, customers who are undecided when they reach the front of the queue, customers who throw or slide their cards or money at you and those who think putting more staff solves everything, a a whole lot more. Because of this, other customers suffer because of this. On the flip side, great customers are more than likely to be treated much better, and I would personally to as much as I can to make their experience as positive as possible, and within reason.

    However, it can be said that some people are not made for customer service, based on how they interact with others, treating people condescendingly and abruptly. Not only do they have problems, but they are unaware of their mistakes and don't learn from feedback given to them. But great customer service is uncommonly recognised, by both customers and management. A simple thank you or please can make someone's day. It's as simple as that. I personally mould my interactions based on my interactions within the first 5 seconds (I think I do this naturally), great customers will tend to have a better experience as I utilise my light-heartedness and humour during the interaction and have a little chat during the customer service, on the other hand I will ask the necessary questions directly and try to quickly deal with rude or indecisive customers and move onto the next customers who are waiting.

    In contrast to other countries, I've been to Japan a few times and I am always in awe of their patience and courtesy, and for them to ensure I am happy before I leave their presence is mind blowing. Always happy to interact with you and with a smile. Comparing customer service from Japan with Australia's is almost unfair, but I try to stay positive, as by the end of it, I'm working in customer service for a reason and I need to enjoy what I am doing to get the most of it.

    But if people were to take a couple of extra seconds to come to an understanding with procedures and expectations, and have some empathy with one another, I think interactions in customer service would be a whole lot more positive. Unfortunately, everyone is time poor and these days, time is money and money is what rules the world.

    To have some perspective, I work currently in a cinema and enjoy what I am doing.

  • youbeokay on 13/08/2016 - 02:48

    I reckon banks and RMS are offering quite a decent customer service. You do, however, expect a very lousy/poor customer service in post office.

  • shortgum on 13/08/2016 - 03:54

    I think customer service standard will never change in australia whether you like or not. e.g. you can get great customer service shopping in one Woolies then you can get the worst ever in another Woolies. This happens to me just few days ago dealing with same issue. I call it your good or bad luck on your day.

    however, AGL our energy provider to me is SERIOUSLY bad on customer service. long story…

    • Geekomatic on 20/08/2016 - 20:25

      "you can get great customer service shopping in one Woolies then you can get the worst ever in another Woolies"

      Reminds me of the day I sent my son in to get the 30pks of Pepsi-Max they had on sale (they do it whenever they're about to expire- lol). I didn't notice the side-stack until I'd already checked through with my regular groceries. So, ran home & put those away & then grabbed him to do the lifting. He goes in & comes back out to the car about 10 mins. later w/o drinks. He says he went to the checkout & the manager said, "oh no- they're now $18!!".

      I said, "just get in the car & ring up their upper-management when we get back home". He did— & it so happened that the regional guy was actually there & took the call. He said, "no you're correct, I know that the Pepsi-Max is on sale for $9.99— please accept my apology & come back for as many as you want".

      That woman manager there is just an *sshat. They ought to send her packing. The sign was even still at the drinks when he went in the first time. Grrr!

  • [Deactivated] on 13/08/2016 - 10:17

    Depends on the defition of customer. Some people confuse a shopper for a customer.

    Depends on who you appear to be. Some people confuse rights with good faith.

    Depends on what industry. Some people confuse a grocery store to specialised tech store.

    I personally think our customer service is generally (meaning with some exception) great. When I buy my small tech stuff, eg DSLR/high end scanner from Michael's (not affiliated) the staff was very knowledgeable and after sales was responsive and equally knowledgeable. They're not the cheapest and I am by no stretch a difficult customer.

    On the other hand, shopping in big chains staffed with teenagers and what I believe to be unemployable people, I expect and receive customer service that I rather not engage in.

    • bluesky on 13/08/2016 - 13:56

      LOL :-)

  • OzzyOzbourne on 13/08/2016 - 12:05
    +1

    Very good and polite until you want to know some facts or something goes wrong then utterly useless

  • Bunnyburger on 13/08/2016 - 13:17
    +1

    For me getting good customer service in Aust is like pulling teeth, major retailers do everything they can to wriggle out of the promises they've made ie. statutory warranty.

    In the USA it's different, there's competition. Businesses live or die by their reputation.

  • [Deactivated] on 13/08/2016 - 13:28

    It really depends on who you are dealing with. Generally banks and major retailers such as Kmart aren't bad.

  • [Deactivated] on 13/08/2016 - 13:57
    +1

    I have traveled to over 30 countries.

    Generally, Australian customer service is poor, Australian's are lazy and don't give a shit and have a bad attitude. But what do you expect from someone working for $18 per hour, especially in Sydney where they work and they know you will never afford their own house.

    The USA (a tipping culture) was much better, but hey, they only smile for the money, I think they would have shocking service without tipping.

    Poorer nations (Asia and Central South America) have great service and expect little from you.

    No, you should not have to take poor service in your easy going stride, who told you that, if someone deserves your wrath then let them have it.

    • solar on 13/08/2016 - 21:16
      +1

      Somewhat agree with you, but having spent quite a bit of time in "poorer nations" like SEA and Central America - the service in these areas is terrible. Don't confuse "friendly people" with "good service". Were you staying in tourist resorts?

      If you think $18 is low, Canada minimum wage is under $11 and USA is $7.25 (under $11aud). $18 is actually quite high.

      • Geekomatic on 20/08/2016 - 20:36

        $18 is actually quite high.

        No, it is not. It is correct to the pricing of everything else in AU. The insanely inflated real estate costs are what ruins AU, for all of us. The costs of that are passed on in the form of higher pricing of services/items for whoever is being ripped off in their business rental.

        I migrated here, from the US, so I do know what I'm talking about. I also lived within an hour of the Canadian border & traveled there frequently.

        Canada minimum is higher to cover their universal health care.

        USA is abysmal— you get paid squat, and generally have to then fund your own health care (unless you're Obama-care- new since I left in 2007).

        BTW- the "tipping" industry is alive & well because it screws the employee. Have you EVER seen anything in place which favors the person doing the actual work? Both my mother & brother were wait-staff at some point in their lives & the horror stories were awful. They gave exemplary service only to be stiffed (no tip) & the IRS/(ATO) still tax as if they had been tipped….Just awful….

        Never assume.

        • solar on 21/08/2016 - 03:19

          You should take your own advice and never assume. I migrated here from Canada, 10 minutes from the US border, and have previously worked in the restaurant industry receiving tips. The service provided there is vastly superior to Australia. It does not necessarily screw the worker, and many people make a decent living off of tips. In the places I worked, the tips went directly to the staff, without any going to the business. Of course there are dodgy exceptions - but every industry has dodgy businesses.

          Saying the minimum wage in Canada is higher to cover universal health care makes absolutely no sense. That may be a reason why taxes are higher there than the USA, but not why minimum wage is higher. Australians also have public Medicare, so like Canada minimum wage earners do not need to fund that themselves.

          Australian real estate costs are on equal par with Canadian real estate costs, which are also on par with places like New York and many parts of California. That is not a valid reason to have a minimum wage here which is over 60% higher.

          $18 an hour is high, whether you use italics to argue the point or not. And that does not even mention penalty rates. It stymies small business growth.

        • Geekomatic on 22/08/2016 - 02:45

          @solar:

          Have a Google of cost of living AU vs. Canada.

          $18, in AU, does not go far at all. That means you have to pay all of your bills- rent, food, all utilities, fuel, travel costs, medicines, car costs, etc…with $684, before tax? Rents are insane if you're anywhere near a city. $300-400+ per week. That leaves under $300 for all of the rest. Oh, & never mind savings or going out anywhere because there won't be anything left for that. And not every business pays into super. You live to work.

          Real estate costs are such that we're now seeing the chance of home ownership becoming a thing of the past in AU. AU is vastly over-priced compared to just about everywhere else.

          That, is the plain truth.

        • solar on 22/08/2016 - 10:56

          @Geekomatic: I am perfectly aware of the costs of living in Aus vs Canada as I have lived in both for many years. They are not all that different. Real estate costs are just as insane in Canada as they are in Aus. These bills that you mention - they have to be paid in every country, not just Aus. And people in other countries are able to do it with a lower minimum wage. Earning $18/hour is not a reason to provide the lousy service that we experience in Australia - it is considerably higher than what others get for doing a better job of it.

          BTW - off topic, but nobody on minimum wage should be shopping around for a rental in the $400/week price range.

        • Geekomatic on 22/08/2016 - 13:26

          @solar:

          people in other countries are able to do it with a lower minimum wage

          "Do it"? Do what, subsist & barely survive?

          And no, AU is heaps more expensive than CA. And even more than the USA.

          Hourly rate of pay has nothing to do with level of service.

          When you have a particular job, you live where you have to. You don't always have the choice of finding a really cheap rental.

        • solar on 22/08/2016 - 14:36

          @Geekomatic: I'm not going to bother debating you if you won't do even the most basic research. Australia real estate is no more expensive than Canada. For each expensive market here such as Sydney and Melbourne, they have Vancouver and Toronto which are just as bad. You clearly have not spent much time in Canada, as you would know that taxes there are actually slightly higher than Aus, and cost of living is not a whole lot different. And you can't actually think that living in Aus is more expensive than NYC.

          "Hourly pay has nothing to do with service" - why don't you look at the first post in our little branch of this thread to see what I was responding to. I'll save you the trouble and post it for you : "But what do you expect from someone working for $18 per hour". Maybe you should pay attention to the posts that you respond to.

          And when you have any particular job - you do what everybody else does and commute from an area that you can afford to live in. Or find share accommodation. It's called living within your means.

        • Geekomatic on 22/08/2016 - 21:39

          @solar:

          Have a Google of cost of living AU vs. Canada.

          You obviously didn't do this. Whatever.

          Idk— maybe you think that the world should only contain white-collar workers?

          We cannot ALL be doctors or lawyers. We NEED people in all areas of employment to survive. You're saying that those unfortunate enough to not have the chance to enter uni should earn less, lead sht lives, in sht accommodation, with no form of fun or entertainment???

          Must be nice to have it all figured out, for everyone else….

          Btw- people earning $18 per hour actually spend it INTO THE ECONOMY, vs. the wealthy, who store it offshore untaxed.

        • solar on 23/08/2016 - 01:09

          @Geekomatic: You have taken this discussion so far out into left field it's not worth continuing. Have fun arguing with straw men, while you pretend to be an expert on places that you have clearly never been and, despite your claims, have no first hand knowledge of. You keep going with your google research, then try to rationalise how a cost of living difference of barely 10% is proportional to a minimum wage variance of 60%.

        • Geekomatic on 24/08/2016 - 22:58

          @solar: Thanks so much for taking control & deciding the "not worth continuing" bit. Glad you're so superior to do so.

          Have fun arguing with straw men, while you pretend to be an expert on places that you have clearly never been

          I gave you statistics & you decided they are "straw men", whatever. You like a B&W view & I see it differently.

          BTW- I grew up in Orlando, FL. I worked in local uni's & even Disney, for a time. I then lived for a short time in Bahrain, & I eventually married & lived in Lake Placid NY, visiting often w/relatives (my grandfather a Canadian) in Montreal.

          So pull your head in- you're just a common tosser who wishes to dictate dialogue & attempt to call honest people out with dishonest proclamations.

          Now, I'll end this conversation.

          At least we can agree on that, eh?

  • Aneurism on 13/08/2016 - 15:08
    +1

    In Australia it generally comes down to your personality. If you are demanding, snide or impatient, the chances are you will have lower tolerance for the people providing the service and the tone and feel of a transaction will feel different.

    I tend to think when customers are kind, patient and friendly, staff clue onto that (especially if they are regulars).
    As a customer, one still has an option to vote with one's feet and better yet, we can choose to tip..instead of 'being guilted into it, or have it expected..

    At least in Australia, I know if someone is being generally friendly behind a check out, it isn't because they are trying to kiss my butt for more money.

    Poorer nations (Asia and Central South America) have great service and expect little from you. No, you should not have to take poor service in your easy going stride, who told you that, if someone deserves your wrath then let them have it.

    @adhoc, I don't think anyone deserves wrath over something as trivial as service..

    • tonyjzx on 13/08/2016 - 16:03

      The only reason service is good in Asia and South America is that you're spending a superior currency and they dont earn much per hour.

      I gave away tips $2-$5 in our money which is nothing and its a heap in theirs.

      All retail is a bad place, I dont think you should be singling out Australia at $18 minimum as the reason for bad service.

      Retail staff know this getting in. However I believe that like everything, its a top down disease.

      It stems from a lack of competition and an unsophisticated market.

      I still think the Aust. market sells "item A" and thinks there's something wrong with the consumer who doesnt want "item A".

      The retailer always thinks the 'market' is wrong.

  • solar on 13/08/2016 - 21:08
    +1

    Compared to USA and Canada - service in Australia is absolutely terrible.

    Compared to Japan and South Korea - hard to compare as service there is very polite, but can be surprisingly very unhelpful.

    Compared to Mexico/Caribbean/South East Asia - customer service in these places is non-existent so we look pretty good

  • ExpressCoffee on 13/08/2016 - 21:22

    Working in retail the past 5+ years and travelling to various destinations has shown me that Melbourne has excellent customer service. I try my very best in my job to exceed customer expectations at almost any chance I can. This is most likely due to my company's view of customer advocacy. The only reason that I would even consider not doing the best is when a customer feels like he's owed something by my retailer or is being outright rude towards me or other staff members.

    In USA, Europe and some Asian countries the service there at even places like convenience stores are quite poor. You feel like they do not want to serve you and they're not very welcoming.

    Again, just my experiences.. Being in retail, you tend to appreciate good customer service even more and understand when something can't happen the way you want it to.

  • Normal-Paper on 13/08/2016 - 21:26

    I use to work on hospitality in my late teens and if the customer was a dick for no reason then would give him my indifferent attitude. But generally I smiled at customers and asked how they were when I was at the till. I really think it depends on the customer and also the attitude of the employee, some really are rude and unhelpful for no reason and some might be having a bad day

  • jno on 13/08/2016 - 23:55

    http://youtu.be/IRBoIIjMRvg
    Because this is what we deal with day in and day out. You might have to deal with some bad customer service maybe once every now and then but we deal with bad customers EVERY day. Deal with it, some of us actually try our best.

  • fozzie on 13/08/2016 - 23:59
    +1

    Having lived in the Uk 18 years I hav noticed that there is far superior customer service. Oce we returned a gone off parmesan at.Aldi. the representative said to my husband that there was nothing wrong with it and dismissed him. I wrote an email and they apologized and refunded us, however I was in shock as in the Uk there is no way that would happened in the first place

  • FatBlanket on 14/08/2016 - 08:14
    +1

    Customer service in Australia is similar to the public transportation system, embarrassing. What's worse is the harder they try the worse they get. Clothes shopping in trendy stores is the worst. They buzz around you like a fly and they're fake.

    Japan has the best customer service. They're invisible until you need something then they appear out of nowhere and help. Australia is a very easy country to live in and the standard of living is high and the culture is relaxed. That's why I live here. But these same positives are why customer service is so poor. In China and Japan customer service is a career, here for most people it's just a dead end job that pays the bills.

    You can be an awful employee and a lot of the time no one cares. I know, I was one for a long time. All of this is just advice, you can do whatever the #&£# you wanna do.

  • 69dollars on 14/08/2016 - 15:54

    Hit and miss for me. I've worked in retail and hospitality and treat all customers the same. I only give shotty service when a customer is arrogant and their attitude stinks. I have no time for those who treat you like slaves/dirt just because you work in retail.

  • educalifa on 14/08/2016 - 16:20

    In my experience, Sydney is by far the worst. A lot of ppl act like they're doing you a favor by serving you and I personally hate that. IMHO, I'm the one doing them a favor by choosing their business. I first thought "Oh well, I'm from a South American country where ppl will kill each other to get a job… I suppose this is what happens when you don't have that kinda pressure on you." Then I went to the States and GOD are they better than anything I've sampled in Sydney.

    Please note I'm specifically pointing out Sydney because that's where it is at its absolute worse. I had great service in Melbourne and lots of other places. Brisbane was very hit and miss and I actually had someone say to me "We serve our own first, sorry" when I was left standing for a long time at shop. It wasn't til my gf, who is Aussie, came and stood next to me that she served, it turns out I may look "a little Lebanese"* and she "doesn't trust those ppl". What shocked me most was not even the ridiculously racist comment and attitude but the fact that she explained it to me expecting me to agree with her and understand!!! But you know what? That was the one person, and I choose to believe that most ppl in Brisbane are not like that. And I'd say I received decent service 90% of the time there. No stand outs but decent. And that's all I ask for.

    In Sydney, never had any racist comments like the one above but the amount of bad service is enough to have me constantly thinking whether or not I should even bother going to certain places/areas.

    I worked in hospitality in Sydney for years, at least 4-5, and not once I treated anyone the way some people think it's ok to do here. If you're not happy at your job, that's not the customer's fault. He/she did not force you to take the position.

    *dark hair did it, I suppose. Even though I have green eyes and fair skin

  • Bargaingeek on 14/08/2016 - 17:50
    -1

    having lived in many countries overseas, including the united states. I can safely say Australia has the worst customer service i have ever experienced, and worse its non accountable. As in the offenders dont get punished or fired.

    Try to top this, I was once yelled at by a WESTPAC banker infront of other customers because i (nicely) told him i dont need his services anymore (he was being rude & ignoring me) after complaining to manager about his outrageous behavior nothing happened. In the United states the banker would've been fired on the spot for such behaviour.

    Another incident, i was shopping at a clothing store, i spent maybe 15 minutes at the store but decided not to pick up anything. On my way out the shopkeeper purposely disabled the automatic door so i couldn't leave, when i asked him "errm can u open the door" he said "you spent all this time and you arent buying anything?" I immediately waved my phone and said i'll call the cops if he doesnt open the door right away, he took his sweet time and opened the door. Someone like that would've gotten shot in the US

    These are only 2 incidents, i have countless of stories to tell. i kind of just accept it as part of life in Australia and dont hold the anger in me as i used to before! I guess in a way Companies exploit the complaint nature of Ozzies and dont bother to improve their customer service.

  • wkd on 14/08/2016 - 19:32

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRBoIIjMRvg

    pretty much sums up the retail industry

  • YTW on 14/08/2016 - 21:01

    I've lived in the UK and Australia and find the UK far more helpful and friendly. The workers seem more engaged and chatty there, and if you have a problem they don't seem more sympathetic and helpful.

  • lonelyhero on 14/08/2016 - 23:08

    I went back to Sai Gon, Viet Nam 6 months ago. The eating out experience is quite satisfying. You go in, take a seat, get your orders taken, eat and wave at the waiting staff to pay. They will come, provide a bill in a black folder and give back change by giving you the folder held by two hands. This works with casual restaurants and even street food vendors, albeit without the folder thing. The same applies to many coffee shops. The only exceptions are coffee chains such as Starbucks and the likes where they "adapt" the way here and "one man show" food stall.

    Bars and clubs are similar as well. You take a sit/table/stand whichever applies, then someone come, with a smile on their faces and take your drinks orders. For bars, you pay before leaving. When it's crowded you'll be advised to pay after the drinks arrive, with an accompanying apology for the inconvenience. Clubs is granted, payment when drinks arrive. Again, you stay where you are and they do the rest.

    Now parking, since I ride a motorbike, but cars are the same is most of time (85% maybe) free. Some nice casual dining places even get your key and take care of it themselves. You come in, get of your bike/car and they do the parking. I must say that it feels good.

    Then I went back to Perth and started lining up to pay, as usual.

  • grv on 14/08/2016 - 23:44

    I've found customer service to great in AU. Factual & to the point.

    This works well for me because generally , my only expectation is to get my business done. Everything else is appreciated but not expected.

  • ruddiger7 on 15/08/2016 - 08:45

    When I worked in retail in a busy store within a busy shopping centre (most of it checkout work) I always started a shift positive and treated customers with respect, going out of my way to assist them or being polite and ringing their items up quickly but you are often looked down upon or treated poorly in return. Of course there are plenty of customers who are pleasant and nice as well but after most of the day on a busy register getting treated like crap it can be difficult to be as enthused or offer good customer service.

  • johnno07 on 15/08/2016 - 11:17
    +1

    From a customer perspective I find most customer-service to be pretty useless. From a customer-service perspective I find most customers to be pretty useless. What does that say about the population?

    • grv on 31/01/2021 - 09:29

      Not much.

  • nautic on 15/08/2016 - 12:12

    What about the times where you take the time to thank a staffer after they give you directions, only to get a blank stare and silence in return.

    Small petty things may not always go your way during the day, but does that mean you should always drag those, who are presumably innocent, down with you?

    Do what you are paid to do, do it properly. Otherwise, let someone who is more willing have a go.

  • kerms on 15/08/2016 - 14:31

    I find it hit and miss. Your attitude definitely makes a big difference but sometimes people just suck.

    Jaycar tarren point Sydney.

    Empty shop with 2 staff.

    I initiate polite greetings and ask for help finding a specific resistor.

    Guy sighs and comes to help.

    Rings me up for like $1.20 and says like a real @#$% with loads of sarcasm (not said in a funny way, he was pissed at me) "Im soooo glad I helped you I can retire on this commission".

    A Hole.

  • m0b1liz3 on 15/08/2016 - 20:50

    I noticed a big difference coming from Canada to here over 10 years ago. I am still occasionally surprised.

    Part of it is culture and part of it is how business works here. There are many monopolies / dualopolies that exist here. Really only 2 big grocery store chains if you exclude Aldis (I am in SA). Apparently only 2 musical instrument distributors. 2 big media companies own the majority of the radio stations. I am sure there are many more examples. It isn't really a competitive market like North America and prices and customer service reflects that.

    One thing I will say is that service from waiters in restaurants here are actually better than you might expect when you realize they are not relying on your tips. They pay waiters next to nothing in Canada and the US and they have to be nice to get paid. In general wages are pretty good here. But I think that real estate and other costs have gone up more in relation to take home pay. I think this will have an influence on customer service as well.

    Probably the most frustrating thing is administrative tasks within work (I am at a public hospital). This probably applies to dealing with any other public sector job. I don't expect people to be friendly when I need to sort out basic paperwork for something work related. What is annoying is how obstructive, petty and hostile these people are on average. It is actually one of the reasons people list as a reason to leave public health.

  • jeka1103 on 15/08/2016 - 21:14

    I used to work in a store in Burwood, NSW. We had a manager transfer from the Bondi store after having worked there for some years. One night, I was asking him how he liked it and if it was any different at Burwood than it was at Bondi, he responded by saying that the customers at Burwood were a lot needier and tended to ask a lot more questions, and the questions they asked tended to be dumb at times (eg. asking 'where are your tea towels?' while standing in front of a large display of them). I thought that this was an interesting observation, so I'm going to suggest that maybe it's not that customer service is vastly different in different parts of the world/country/city but maybe its the customers and the way they treat the staff that's different.

  • imp on 15/08/2016 - 22:31
    +1

    Customer service in Australia…….my experiences in the last few days……
    * Over 2 hours waiting for someone at QANTAS to answer the call that the automated voice said was so important to them.
    * 1 1/2 hrs waiting for someone to speak to me from mynetfone before I gave up - I was fairly certain by that stage they had gone home and just left the queue on hold. Emails have not been responded to since.

  • Bnjam3 on 16/08/2016 - 08:52
    -1

    MILFs normally provide better cusotmer service.

  • Tejas57 on 16/08/2016 - 11:33

    my local KFC has crap customer service in the drive though.
    big one is being left to sit at the window after paying for minutes at a time with no one saying a word.

    it might be because in past jobs i was trained in high class customer service, but sitting at a drive though window for minutes at a time with no word is a joke

  • Geekomatic on 20/08/2016 - 17:01

    It used to be that working, anywhere, you might actually begin & end (retire) with the same company. Company's showed appreciation of their employees by vesting stock in the company to each employee. That way, the employee had a direct reason to do their absolute best work- all of the time.

    Now? Nothing beyond (maybe) a small superfund %. No more, "we value" you, no nothing. Instead, there's a skeleton crew & no incentive beyond a paycheck. For those working for commission, you're pitted against the other staff- not a great environment to begin with— AND you're hounded by management to sell high $ amounts even when you don't have the customers to go around….Blame the CEO's who simply MUST make insane salaries w/bonuses out the *rse, at the expense of everyone else.

    I'm actually surprised that there are any "happy to see you" staff left at all.

    A shame.

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