'Cause some of them need it. Apologies if something along these lines has been done before.
This is inspired by a project I have for school, sort of. It's a desktop publishing class, and one of the projects is to design a newspaper's front page, with fonts and graphics and such. Of course, to show off the fonts, we have to have articles, and while I was thinking of what to write about, I thought of this site, especially with the holidays and all. I honestly think that a good amount of abuse employees have to deal with is due to 'tips' from various sources in the media on how to get a better deal and such. And if that's the case, why not put advice from the other side of the counter in my (admittedly fictional) newspaper? So what would you tell someone who wanted advice on how not to be an SC?
A few of mine:
Be patient - If you're calling tech support or a catalog (or any kind of company with a line for customers to call, for that matter), don't snap at the employee because you had to hold for a long time or because it's taking longer than you thought to get what you want. They've been on the line for as long as you, and that's without counting all the other calls they may be getting, if it's their job to take them. If you think you're frustrated, imagine how the other guy must feel! Even in person, it helps to be patient; an employee is more likely to want to help someone more if they feel they're being treated fairly.
Know what you want - There's nothing wrong with looking around a store to see what they have, or taking a little while to look through the menu at a restaurant. But don't leave some poor employee hanging while you try to figure out if you want something; chances are, they have other people to help, and other things to do. If you don't want anything, or don't know what you want just yet, just say so. This doesn't mean you have to be specific to the last detail (unless you're ordering from a catalog, or something along those lines), but having a general idea helps. If you're in a clothing store, for example, it's a good idea to at least know what article of clothing you want, and what you want it for, when you want an employee to assist you.
Tip, tip, tip - In general, waitstaff at restaurants get most of their pay from tips, so if your waiter or waitress gives you good service, show it by giving them a good tip. 15% is typically considered average, but more can be given for great service, or if you've been on the high-maintenance side. Do not assume that other people's tips will make up for you not paying one. Restaurants can have slow days, and other bad things can happen. As an example, my sister, who currently works as a waitress, went home very upset a few nights ago because she'd made a net profit of about $40. This came about despite a busy night because of a combination of non-tipping customers and one counterfeit bill for which she'd had to pay out of her own tips. If you really, truly can't afford to tip your waitstaff fairly, you might want to rethink eating out.
There are some others, but I think this post is getting long enough as it is. I might write them later. So do you guys agree? Disagree? Have your own suggestions?
This is inspired by a project I have for school, sort of. It's a desktop publishing class, and one of the projects is to design a newspaper's front page, with fonts and graphics and such. Of course, to show off the fonts, we have to have articles, and while I was thinking of what to write about, I thought of this site, especially with the holidays and all. I honestly think that a good amount of abuse employees have to deal with is due to 'tips' from various sources in the media on how to get a better deal and such. And if that's the case, why not put advice from the other side of the counter in my (admittedly fictional) newspaper? So what would you tell someone who wanted advice on how not to be an SC?
A few of mine:
Be patient - If you're calling tech support or a catalog (or any kind of company with a line for customers to call, for that matter), don't snap at the employee because you had to hold for a long time or because it's taking longer than you thought to get what you want. They've been on the line for as long as you, and that's without counting all the other calls they may be getting, if it's their job to take them. If you think you're frustrated, imagine how the other guy must feel! Even in person, it helps to be patient; an employee is more likely to want to help someone more if they feel they're being treated fairly.
Know what you want - There's nothing wrong with looking around a store to see what they have, or taking a little while to look through the menu at a restaurant. But don't leave some poor employee hanging while you try to figure out if you want something; chances are, they have other people to help, and other things to do. If you don't want anything, or don't know what you want just yet, just say so. This doesn't mean you have to be specific to the last detail (unless you're ordering from a catalog, or something along those lines), but having a general idea helps. If you're in a clothing store, for example, it's a good idea to at least know what article of clothing you want, and what you want it for, when you want an employee to assist you.
Tip, tip, tip - In general, waitstaff at restaurants get most of their pay from tips, so if your waiter or waitress gives you good service, show it by giving them a good tip. 15% is typically considered average, but more can be given for great service, or if you've been on the high-maintenance side. Do not assume that other people's tips will make up for you not paying one. Restaurants can have slow days, and other bad things can happen. As an example, my sister, who currently works as a waitress, went home very upset a few nights ago because she'd made a net profit of about $40. This came about despite a busy night because of a combination of non-tipping customers and one counterfeit bill for which she'd had to pay out of her own tips. If you really, truly can't afford to tip your waitstaff fairly, you might want to rethink eating out.
There are some others, but I think this post is getting long enough as it is. I might write them later. So do you guys agree? Disagree? Have your own suggestions?
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