Be Kind, Customer Service

Ever been at the end of a drive-thru speaker only to be greeted with a curt, "What do you want?" Or waited endlessly in a store while employees seem to be more interested in avoiding eye contact than helping you? Join us on this episode of Quirks, Bumps, and Bruises as Candi and Melody recount these exact experiences and more. From a grueling hour-and-a-half wait at a cell phone store to a disappointing fast-food fiasco, we’re pulling back the curtain on the alarming decline of good customer service. 

We also discuss the importance of showing Christ in the way we interact with people, especially when they're being rude to us. Whether you're on the giving or receiving end of customer service, this is a reminder to be kind and show Jesus to others. You may be the only example of Him that they see. Tune in for our stories, insights, and a few laughs along the way.

Transcript

0:00:00 - Melody

Hi, I'm Melody and I'm Candi and you're listening to Quirks, Bumps, and Bruises. On this episode of Quirks, bumps and Bruises, Candi, you and I are going to hunker down on something that we are seeing when we go out, and about Running errands, going into restaurants when we need to purchase something in particular at a certain store. Whatever the case is, there's one theme that tends to be quite the trend now, and that is a lack of good customer service. 

0:00:32 - Candi

What is happening? I don't know. There's a lot of people who are just, I think, behind a desk because they need a job, and I blame it on the employer, because if they're having people sit behind a desk, take phone call I've had to recently call people schedule appointments and they're just. They act like it's the most inconvenient time for them and I'm like this is your job you signed up for, and I can guarantee you that when you were hired, they asked if your customer service skills were good and you put yes. So everybody acts like they don't want to be there, they're not happy in their job, they're miserable. I'm like look, I'm not saying you have to treat me like a queen, but I'm calling you. I deserve good customer service. 

0:01:23 - Melody

And I agree with that. I can give some examples. My daughter recently pulled up to a fast food restaurant drive-thru and this is what was said to her over the intercom what do you want? Oh yeah, that is literally what they said. Yep, and she drove off Yep. Just last week, I went into a particular store that sells cell phones. I won't say who, but I walked in and I had to give my name to be put in a queue. Now let me just say this there were not many people in this store. Look, was it a busy time of day? No, it was not. In fact, it was about 11 o'clock. 

0:02:05 - Candi

Oh, wow. 

0:02:06 - Melody

And so it was actually about 10:45, to be exact. So it was before lunch. No one in the store except three people, and all three of those people were with a salesperson. Okay, so that's fine. There were three salespeople and there were three people, so I knew I was going to have to wait, I understand. So a lady did come up to me and she took my name and my phone number and she said we'll text you when you're next in line. 

Oh, okay, well, that's you're thinking 20 minutes tops like top tops, because these people are already being serviced right, because these people are already being serviced Right. So I sit there and I sit there and I sit there. Now, two of the people that were already being waited on were still being waited on an hour and a half later. I do not know what they were doing. I have no clue. What could have possibly take that long? No clue. The third person that was working finished up with his customer. That person left the store and so I thought, well, I'm next. I sat there, and I sat there and I could tell I'm there. You know me, Candi, I'm very intuitive, I can tell what's going on and I heartbeat. And he was trying to act busy and he wasn't. Have you ever seen? 

people but yes, trying to act busy, but we know you're not, and so y'all, after an hour and a half of sitting there and I cannot believe I sat there that long, no kidding I walked over to another person that was working and I said I was there, I was kind because he was working Good for you. I said I'm so sorry, but I cannot wait any longer. So you may want to take me out of the queue. 

0:03:54 - Candi

So did they say let me get to you immediately. 

0:03:57 - Melody

No, you know what he said. What, well, what's your name? He did not say I am so sorry and I'm, we're busy today. It's Mother's Day weekend, although they weren't busy, no, but you know at least tell me you are. You know, if you don't mind, just wait. If you can wait like five minutes, we'll get to you as soon as we can. Or just just to apologize, I waited an hour and a half. 

0:04:20 - Candi

He just a paying customer. 

0:04:23 - Melody

And they lost a big sale that day, and so I just said sorry, you know, gave my name and I walked out and I said I will never and see, here's the thing y'all I will never step foot in that store again. They may next week have the best customer service that's ever been in the world, but I'm never going back in there again, and so it's why customer service is just so important, yeah. 

0:04:47 - Candi

There is so much competition out there now that really you have to be stellar in your customer service. And I may go to one store that maybe cost a couple dollars more per item before I would go to this store, who was not very nice. 

0:05:05 - Melody

Oh, I agree, I agree. 

0:05:07 - Candi

It's funny. Last night I had a phone call. It was a guy scheduling me for a doctor's appointment and he was so kind, so nice and I know that has to be an annoying job. I'm sure he talks to many people who can't get their schedules together. He went over and above being kind, very friendly, took his time and I just immediately I hung up with him and I felt like wow, that was refreshing after talking to every person in customer service, but it made me want to call in to his manager and say, look, this dude deserves a good raise you better take care of him because he was so, so good. 

0:05:52 - Melody

Yes, Wendy and I, who works here at Joy FM, we both were going to work a concert, but we went to a barbecue restaurant and walked in and we had the best young man wait on us. I mean, he was kind, he was considerate, he was attentive, but not yet too attentive, he just was a delight, and so when we left, we told the manager or person standing there about him. 

In fact I said it's none of my business, but he needs a raise. That's what I said to her. But then Wendy, when we got back, Wendy went above and beyond and sent that young man to that restaurant a thank you note. 

0:06:36 - Candi

It was that good it was that good. 

0:06:39 - Melody

And I know there is a particular McDonald's that I drive through sometimes and it seems like I always get this same young man and he's always smiling Wow, and he is serving burgers and fries, but you would think that he was serving the queen or the king. He is, he don't know it, but yes, he is no, but he's just always so kind. He don't know it, but yes, he is no, but he's just always so kind. He's just how are you today? And he's always got a smile on his face and I always compliment him. I always say, first of all, thank you for working, yes, first of all, thank you for doing your job well and thank you for just putting a smile on your face, because in this day and time we don't see that a lot anymore. 

0:07:18 - Candi

No, and it changes the attitude of the person he's giving service to. 

0:07:21 - Melody

Oh, and you can see them kind of just their shoulders lift when they are acknowledged for doing, you know, good service. So when you are out and about, I think that it is always good to acknowledge that If you have a particular waiter or waitress server at a restaurant and they're going above and beyond for you, let them know that. 

0:07:40 - Candi

Absolutely. 

0:07:41 - Melody

If you like, drive through to, like I said, let them know. Or if you're in a store, like you said, Candi, or calling on the phone, you know. If I'm ever doing that, I really do try to acknowledge great customer service. I will say this and this may step on toes, this may make some people angry. That you know won't be the first time, right for me. A lot of that kind of behavior starts at home. It's taught. It is taught, teaching your children to be kind, teaching your children to try and be patient, because, let's just be honest, I get it people are people and people are the worst people ever right now. 

0:08:23 - Candi

They are. 

0:08:24 - Melody

You know, I don't know, I don't know what COVID did. I think it messed with all of our brains or something, because it just changed people so much. And I get that working in the public is not easy. No, it's not. 50% of the people are not going to like what you do at any given time, and so I get it. And they like to make sure you know that Absolutely, and they're not being kind. But I think, trying to teach our children the importance of being kind, no matter what, being the bigger person, being the bigger person Showing Christ, for goodness sakes, that's a whole other story. Showing Jesus. I remember one time a car passed me on the highway. It passed me, but it was mad at another car in front of me, and so let me just put it this way there were some signals given to that person in the car beside of me that were not very nice, but the back of the car had a bumper sticker that said I love Jesus. Oh no. Now what does that do to your witness? 

0:09:25 - Candi

What does that do to? 

0:09:26 - Melody

the name of Jesus. Even in social media, Christians are eating themselves. I mean, we're doing more damage than we are good, stop and think. Stop it, y'all. Stop it, I know, and if you're in the Word daily. 

0:09:40 - Candi

I think you need to be, because that's how God talks, that's how God convicts, and so that makes a big difference as well. But when you have a name tag that says I'm a Christian, you need to be acting way different. 

0:09:54 - Melody

And I'll be honest with you, last Friday when I was in that store and I had that terrible customer service, your instinct is to be I don't really have it in me to to just be mean or to yell at somebody, but you do just kind of want to say what are y'all doing Like you know, but I thought I don't know who in this store is watching me. Or to yell at somebody, but you do just kind of want to say what are y'all doing Like you know, but I thought I don't know who in this store is watching me. And especially working at Joy FM, people sometimes recognize our voices, Candi, when we're out and about. I noticed in restaurants I don't know if you ever do this that people are staring at you. 

Oh yeah, Because they've seen you in social media or something and they think they know you and so if you're ugly you can really do a lot of damage. It's hard to it would be hard for me to be in a restaurant and I look over and I see somebody that I know is in the public eye that proclaims they know Jesus talks about Jesus Acting a fool. Yes, just being ugly and unkind. It would. It's just hard not to think differently. I know, is that really? Is this person really real? You know, are we playing a game here, right? So I don't want to be playing a game, so I, you know I had to restrain myself last Friday, but I was a little irritated after sitting on that bench for an hour and a half and watching Mr. I'm trying to act like I'm working over here, but I'm really texting somebody on my cell phone because I don't want to help somebody else. 

Yes, yes, I'm gonna. I'm gonna wait till this other guy gets through and they can help her. Yeah, you know. So anyway, kindness is just. It never goes out of style, it does not. What's that saying? Uh, if you can't do anything else at all, be kind. Oh, absolutely, oh, absolutely, and so. 

0:11:33 - Candi

I have plaques in both of my boys' bedrooms and it simply says be a kind human. Oh, that's great. Be a kind human. 

0:11:42 - Melody

And it makes you think, yeah, yeah, and so they're going to try to be kinder to each other, kinder to you, kinder to your husband, and then, outside the home, teaching them to be kind to everyone. That's right, you know, we're all y'all, we're just all trying to live this life together. We're all trying. We're just all trying to raise our families. We're trying to do our job positions that God has placed us in Trying to pay for groceries, trying to pay for them, groceries, and pay for that gas and go to church and worship. We're just trying to live life in this world and it's so much easier if we just do it together. Okay, sermon over. Be nice!

0:12:21 - Announcer 1

Thanks for listening to the Quirks, Bumps and Bruises Podcast with Candi and Melody. If you enjoyed the show, please take a moment to subscribe, rate, and share the podcast. You can learn more at joyFM.org. 

0:12:41 - Announcer 2

Try Peas and Carrots Podcast for more encouragement. Brian and Kayla share life from their piece of the vegetable patch. Expect to laugh, find common ground, and hear stories you can't wait to share. It's a podcast about doing life together, growing in Christ together, and learning to laugh no matter what comes your way. Search Peas and Carrots Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts today.