THE DECLINE OF CUSTOMER SERVICE IN AMERICA

By Jerome Cleary

A funny thing happened on the way to progress in our culture. Pride in workmanship. In the last 20 years, I've had too many sad encounters as a customer.

It used to be years and years ago that young people knew that if they did an excellent job and had pride in their work, that this one job would lead to many other better jobs. I have always gotten raises and better job titles based on my performance.

But in the past several years, I have had to ask the person behind the counter:'How are you doing today?' as opposed to them asking me — as the customer. These were some of the responses: 'I am so tired' from the box office lad at the multi-plex. 'I wish I didn't have to work here' from a local store. And finally, 'I can't wait to get out of here' from another local business. Oh, I am sorry, am I bothering you at your job? I am just the customer. I forgot.

Yes, I've read all the articles in The New York Times about generations X, Y and Z and their entitlement-expectations to be given a lot more too soon at a job. These younger generations want salary increases, job advancement and new job titles by next month. And yeah, a lot of it rings true.

While eating out, I have had a worker decide to sweep heavily all around me during my entire meal as the dust and dirt got re-activated and swept in to the air all around my food and me. I've had another worker start spraying the windows or tabletops at a distance where the air soon filled with Windex from their spray bottle. Is this a new aromatherapy that comes complimentary with my meal?


I've ordered drinks at a very well-known and trendy bar in West Hollywood and had the bartender look me directly in my eyes and acknowledge the order — only to have the bartender begin waiting on other customers that appeared after me. Then I had to tell the bartender two more times my drink order only for him to forget it again and say to me, 'I am sorry. Can you give me the order a second time?' This was actually now the fourth time. I did not know two rum and cokes took a genius to remember. Two rum and cokes?

I've ordered food to 'eat here,' saying it as I begin to order at the counter and again at the end of my order. Then as if I am now in the 'Twilight Zone,' the counter person has looked me in the eye and asked, 'Do you want that to go or to eat here?'

I have ordered sandwiches with no lettuce only to have lettuce on my sandwich. I have asked for rye bread not toasted only to have toasted rye bread delivered to my table. And finally, when you call a business and ask, 'Who am I speaking too?' so you have their name as reference for your order — and you hear no reply back. Just silence.

Have great customer service along with good manners and great listening skills gone the way of the typewriter, carbon paper, pay phone and beeper?

Oh, and you may not even want to speak up or complain to anyone anymore, either. As when I have in person and been greeted with eyes that just stare back at you like a Stepford wife. No verbal response. Just eyes looking back at you blankly. Is anyone home in there?

Jerome Cleary is an actor, writer and comic at The World Famous Comedy Store-www.freecomedytickets.com and can be contacted at: jeromeclearytalk@aol.com