What's appropriate here?

beernutz

beernutz

Member
Aug 16, 2009
427
Mobile, AL
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2000 190 Signature BR
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5.0L EFI 240 hp Mercruiser
I guess this could apply to any retail shopping but it happened at a local West Marine. A couple of Saturday's ago I drove the 5 or 6 miles to the closest West Marine (there are 2 in Mobile and more in the area) around 10am. When I arrived there was 1 salesperson working and not another customer in the place. I'd gone to pick up some of that acoustic engine foam and some starboard but couldn't find the foam after looking around the store for a few minutes so I walked back to the sales guy standing at the counter.

When I was a few feet away he gets a phone call which I'm later able to determine was from someone else at West. It is kind of a pet peeve of mine when I actually take the trouble to go to a store to have to wait for salespeople to handle questions from telephone customers but I digress.

Anyway I stand there patiently, maybe 5 feet away from the guy for what has to be at least 10 minutes. I didn't check my watch but my wife and daughter who were in the car waiting for me confirmed that I stood there waiting for at least this long. I make eye contact with the guy a couple of times and though he never says anything to me he at least acknowledges my presence but is more concerned with his call. Again, this whole time I am the only customer in the store.

Finally, I tell him I've got people waiting and have to go if he can't help me now and he mouths something like "one second". I mouth back "I'm gone" and walk out and I'm pretty sure I'll never be back.

I had actually dealt with this guy once before. He is is older than me (I'm 50) and from that encounter found that he is pretty knowledgeable, particularly about electronics and wiring but he was something of a motor mouth.

I haven't written a letter to West management about the incident and probably won't but I've been known to send one to a corporate office or two in the past when I felt a similar customer service slight was received.

This could very well have been an isolated occurrence but I'm wondering if other SRForum readers have had similar experiences and how you may have responded to them?
 
I am in the services business, and we demand customer satisfaction at 100%. I want to know if one of my employees are not taking care of business. Sometimes if customers don't complain they won't know there is a problem with an employee. My two cents says call or write the store owner/manager. The two West Marines I have been to in my area have been very helpful and knowledgable. So I would hope it is an isolated employee who does not know better.
 
We own a small marine store, and I also work for a broker in Wisconsin. I could not agree more. If I have customers that took the time to come to our store, I will not answer the phone. Customers will say, go answer the phone. At that time I explain to them that they took the time to come here and the answering machine will get the call.
That's the difference between the employer and the employee.
 
As a General Manager with 23 sales people I think you should bring it the managers attention. My biggest frustration with my or any sales person is that they answer and continue to speak on the phone when they have already begun helping someone.
 
I am not in the retail business; I would be the one on the other side of the counter like you. But I will tell you, nothing p’s me off more than that kind of service, especially when you are waiting for the only person that can help you while they are on the phone. You are the one that took the time to come to the store. You are the one with cash in hand ready to spend, and you are the one who should have priority with the service. I do believe retail management knows this, is just has not filtered down to the staff. If it has some of those working in retail sales at that level really don’t care about the job anyway, after all it is not like they are getting paid big bucks for doing it.

Now for the hard part, what to do about it? Sure you can take the time and write the long letter and most likely you will get a form letter of apology. Maybe even include a discount coupon. It might even cost the guy his job, so if you do like the guy there comes the hard part. I guess the bottom line here is that even if you do fire off the letter things may change in that store, but only for awhile. Eventually you will run into the same kind of service again. Work ethics are getting worse in this country, just in case you have not noticed it. It is too bad.
 
This level of service definitely needs to be brought to the attention of management. I think I'm lucky - my local WM store is fantastic. I'll pay a little more by being able to go in and talk to those guys. If one doesn't know then they will get the one of the others. I even let one of them talk me into one of their extended service packs on a depth finder. I typically avoid them as they are usually just profit makers for the store - but a boat part..... Sure enough - it failed - took the head unit in and he handed me a brand new unit - I renewed the service contract for $13.00 and I'm covered again. Bottom line - don't discount the entire chain or their web sales. They seem to strive for a better service level and need to be informed when a customer does not receive it.
 
I would 100% write a letter. You are not being an ass, you are helping the company out..Owners or district managers want to know when a policy fails...Plus, you will receive a nice gift card with the apology letter.
 
I pumped gas at a full serve gas station as a senior in high school (early eighties). We were taught to say "thank you" when the customer paid, as they were the reason we had a job. Nowadays the clerk expects you to say thanks and gives you a dirty look if you don't. I know there are exceptions but they are becoming few and far between.
I totally agree if I drive to a store I should take precedence over the damn phone.
 
No matter what we do we all work for some one. If they do not like us they will not give us buisness. I feel every section of buisness has people who have bad days, but they need to be reminded that it is not acceptable. Write a letter or as the world now does email. Perhaps you will help some one realize they have a problem weather it is the clerk or the owner.
 
Just send a copy of this conversation to West Marine.

I have gotten a few stares from employees when the shoe is on the other foot. I do not answer my cell phone when I am a customer and talking to a salesperson.
 
Personally, I would go back in there and stand in front of the same guy whaile purchasing a key ring or something. When he rings it up pick up your phone and begin a long conversation making him wait for you. Don't forget the "just a second" gesture. When you sense his frustration level is high enough, get off of the phone and ask him how he appreciated it.

Sour grape? YES. Childish? YES
 
HOnestly, with your family waiting in the car, I can't believe you waited that long to begin with.

I would have told him to ring me up 911 stat and be done with it and if that didnt work, I would have walked out with the stuff and told him that I would be back to pay him when he gets off the damn phone.
 
I feel this way every time I'm in bank with a drive thru window. I've taken tjhe time to park and go inside and the person in the car at the drive up is given priority. Same thing in fast food places.
I'd tell the manager at the least.
 
I'd let them know what happenned and how you felt.

Similar things happen here, especially at one very busy auto parts desk where customers line up to ask for specific items. Often their phone continues to ring and they just answer one line then the next, ignoring all those waiting in line!

I decided one day to get out my cell phone and call the store's auto part deparment, was put on hold, and when they eventually answered I told them "Do me a favour and look behind you. All of us would really appreciate it if you would stop answering outside calls and serve the customers that ARE already in the store!" People in line started clapping and laughing.

Funny, they kind of ignored the phone after that! :grin:

The shocked look on the part guy's face was priceless!!:thumbsup:
 
Great story Jimmy.

The solution is for the sales person to take their number and call them back when they have the time to do so.
 
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