Comments on: Bad customer service mirrors a general decline

by: Tory Convert

Mon, 05 Dec 2005 22:21:34 +0000

Thanks Gary. Check it out here.

by: Gary Monro

Sun, 04 Dec 2005 19:55:02 +0000

TC,

Go ahead - I’m sure it will be a very interesting post.

My address is garymonrogmailcom

Thanks

by: Tory Convert

Sun, 04 Dec 2005 18:47:42 +0000

Hi Gary. Would email you this but can’t see an email address on your site. I am writing somthing for Once More at the moment about moral decline, is it real or perceived, different angles of right and left, etc., and would like to quote this post quite extensively but thought I would just ask whether you mind.

Do you mind?

Cheers,
TC

by: Doug Young

Fri, 02 Dec 2005 22:24:30 +0000

Gary,
Yes, the UK was much worse years ago. It really is a pleasant vibrant society nowadays - not faultless, but something Brits should be proud of.
I’ve lived in Japan for a long time, so I am surrounded by high-grade customer service. Even Japanese people who have spent time in the UK come back singing praise for the niceness they experience.
The survey - well what is Grass Roots selling? This might give an interesting perception on how they set up the the survey - which has impressive sounding ’statistics’ but is a really just a bunch of old flannel when you look at it closely. They aren’t connected with staff training or management consultancy are they, by any chance?

by: Gary Monro

Fri, 02 Dec 2005 16:18:26 +0000

Thersites,

Foreigners are often very polite. It’s the people born here who are the problem as you say. We have low expectations of each other - and we live down to those expectations.

Doug,

That’s quite an observation. From your spelling on the other post I assume you’re in the US now (it’s behavioUr!) We must have been awful 23 years ago. Glad I was only a kid. Well, a teenager actually (dammit).

by: Rearranging the deckchairs

Fri, 02 Dec 2005 01:48:31 +0000

Bad service customers

Gary Monro bemoans declining standards of customer service in the UK.

I witnessed the flip side of this on the train today. Two women on the train had no ticket because (they claimed) they had to run for the train, somebody “with a credit card” wa…

by: Doug Young

Thu, 01 Dec 2005 22:16:38 +0000

I haven’t lived in the UK for 23 years, and only recently started spending some time there. I am constantly delighted at the level of good humor and friendly service. Britain has improved immeasurably.

Doesn’t anybody remember the greyness and and lack of future of years ago.

by: Thersites

Wed, 30 Nov 2005 17:26:33 +0000

Gary:
Having worked in predominantly white, middle-class areas until recently I have been pleasantly surprised by the respect some of my patients show me. I work for one day a week in a poor area where the council put all the immigrants and it this group who are the most polite and respectful. In turn, I cannot help but be the same back to them — unlike the natives who can be absolute urchins.

by: 1327

Wed, 30 Nov 2005 15:57:47 +0000

Travelling on public transport of late I have noticed that some teenagers appear to be unable to communicate with each other. The ones who go to reasonable schools are OK and are able to converse about the usual teenage rubbish (the opposite sex,football) etc. But ones I see who attend certain schools don’t have enough vocabulary for that. A conversation that takes more than 5 words is usually greeted by an “ehh” noise from the other party. From time to time those involved get quite frustrated by this inability and it is horrible to see.

by: Gary Monro

Wed, 30 Nov 2005 14:10:19 +0000

Thanks DC. Doesn’t stop me wanting to wring their necks sometimes though…

TC,

I’ve noticed that too. Eye-contact, a smile, good manners. Mind you, they’re mostly foreigners at the branches I visit. Could that be relevant?

by: Tory Convert

Wed, 30 Nov 2005 12:40:01 +0000

One shop in which I am always amazed at how polite, friendly and positive the staff are is Pret a Manger. I wonder how they do it?

by: driverchris

Tue, 29 Nov 2005 13:42:52 +0000

Nice one Gary,
It is easy to blame “the kids” but whose fault is it they’re like that? Adults either by fault or ommission.

I agree wholeheartedly that todays yoof are more likely lacking in confidence and wholesome values (if you will) that comes across as surly ignorance.