Gee Scott: Where did all the good customer service go?
Jun 16, 2023, 8:33 AM | Updated: 9:09 am
A waiter carries glasses of orange juice and mineral water on a tray, taken at the FFF Bayern Berlinale reception at the Bayerische Vetretung. The 73rd International Film Festival will take place in Berlin from Feb. 16 to 26, 2023. Photo: Sören Stache/dpa (Photo by Sören Stache/picture alliance via Getty Images)
(Photo by Sören Stache/picture alliance via Getty Images)
If you’re Gen X, then you were probably raised by the television in some type of way. A lot of the TV shows back then had a lot of good messages.
Well, so did some of the commercials. One of my favorite commercials was the McDonald’s commercial featuring Calvin. I loved how proud he was to have a job. Plus when he wasn’t working, he was wearing some amazing clothes.
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Time out!! I need to explain the Calvin commercials. When I got older, I realized how much I didn’t like the commercials. The fact that working at McDonald’s is the way to bigger and better things is a little rough, but the implication that his friends weren’t doing anything at all was wild.
Everyone in the commercial was shocked that Calvin made it to management. Oh well, everyone has grown to understand better.
The takeaway is the pride that Calvin had. That was something that I always loved and admired. So much so that I always wanted to work in customer service.
Speaking of customer service, what happened to great customer service? I mean, it’s out there, but it seems to be rare.
Customer service is an essential aspect of any successful business. In the modern-day world, customers have more power and options than ever before, and this means that companies need to place a greater emphasis on providing high-quality customer service experiences.
The other day my wife and I were flying back from Arizona. We stopped off at one of the airport lounges. There was this young man around 21 or 22 years old that helped us.
His customer service was so good that I felt compelled to write about it. I let him know how appreciative we were of his outstanding service. It was his passion and attention to detail that made him truly great. You could tell that his mission was to make sure we were taken care of. I didn’t get a chance to really talk to him, but if I did, here’s what I’d say.
Young man, how you do anything is how you do everything. Continue to stay the way that you are. You have a special gift for working with people, and it’s rare to come across someone like you. Chase being great at what you do, and the money will chase you. When it’s time to train the next person, show them the ways so that they can be exactly like you.
Some say that these jobs aren’t supposed to be careers, to which I say they’re wrong.
Customer service is a critical component of any successful business and contributes to customer retention, satisfaction, and cost reduction. Companies that prioritize customer service and invest in the training of their staff can reap the many benefits that come with providing excellent customer service.
Maybe there’s time for change in this industry. I’d love to see the pay increase so that we can help with the increase in great customer service. Let’s face it, we could all use some extra kindness in the world these days.
Listen to Gee Scott and Ursula Reutin weekday mornings from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.
