Is service and caring a dead art? Has it gone the way of the dinosaur?

In Business, how you handled the customer and how you treated the customer was a very important aspect of how well your company was received by the public and possibly your profit..

I do not know exactly what changed and when the change took over.

For some reason, I think the changes started occurring with the first “gas crunch” in which gas companies and stations cried about not being able to employ more gas jockeys…and they stopped employing mechanics, went to self serve gas pumps , and. opened convenience markets instead.

Like I said, I think that was the start of it. Then again, maybe it came at the end of the Milkman making home deliveries and Doctors making House Calls., Either way, I think it needs to be resurrected from the dead. Service is the missing ingredient.

This counts for Doctors too. Since when is it ok to have an answering service 24 hours a day. Not a service where you can talk to a member of the staff but talk to a machine?

Since when was it ok for a doctor to take over 8 days to look at blood tests and get back to the patient.

What is going on in the world today??

Police Officers use to have “Serve and Protect” on the cruisers. That was removed from most of them. Now they are “law enforcement” officers armed with bullets and tasers.

Quite honestly, I was brought up to respect and trust Police men and women. I can not say the same about law enforcement officers though. Their aim is making money for the city, county or state by fines, fees and tickets I do not think it has anything to do with protecting or serving the public and that is a shame.

I recently watch a training film created in 1973.

It was a McDonalds Hamburger training film.

Many things in that film are very important in a successful business and it seems to be missing TOTALLY in most businesses.

One is listening

One is smiling and wanting to help,

And caring about your work and the customer..

I wonder when McDonalds forgot what made them great. It wasn’t necessarily the burger but the “service”. Maybe it was the drive thru window that caused the great demise of  the efficient and friendly Golden Arches. Maybe it was because it became so darn Corporate  like a beast with multi tentacles. Who knows. All I know is if companies wish to improve their standing with People and keep those profits coming in   they should view this old training film.

Since I have worked with the public all of my adult life I can tell you it is HARD work.

I don’t find it a problem and I admit I am not perfect. I am honest and fair though and most of the time that wins out. I can stick to my guns because I am not lying and I have no boss with an ego to go through with my dealings with customers these days.

I am told that the customers always ask how I am and to tell me hello.

I think that is great because these people only know me over the phone.

Occasionally we get someone calling who has become jaded by bad service from someone else and their total disregard for care of the customer.. I can’t blame them for their distrust. I blame other businesses, many of whom I have had to do business with even though their attitude SUCKS. I fight that mental mindset. It does not hurt ANYONE to be pleasant.

It is my pet peeve.

Years ago, I worked in large company . I worked my way up and I had never been in that kind of environment. I received many letters of recommendation from other Fortune 500 companies that I worked with daily. And these people also just knew me from a phone call and the manner which I took care of the “impossible” problem that no one else in the company could seem to take care of. Colgate, Hess, Dun and Bradstreet and Exxon to name a few that come to mind. I handled thousands of accounts and phone calls a day.

I did develop on heck of a phone phobia though. It seemed I always had to compensate for someone else’s fumbles. That, unfortunately, is caused by company system failure.

More People need to step up to the plate and start singing

“Let Service be found on Earth and let it begin with Me”