Lack of Cashiers and too many registers.
Or perhaps "The Service Industry scorns its Client."
Part 1: Genesis of Rant.
I'm shopping in Circuit City the other day, to buy a movie and a few USB adapters. As most of you know, there are myriad registers in these stores. Placed throughout the floor plan, at convenient locations. They all work. I know this, as I used to be employed at Circuit City. Most managers just choose not to bring them online as it is one more drawer for them to count and be responsible for at the end of the night.
I wander through the USB accessories aisles looking for the adapters I need. After wandering around in three circles, I finally find what I'm looking for. Picking them off the racks, I sort through 5 of them to find what I'm looking for. Compare the two that are nearly identical, until price forces the decision. Although there were 4 employees stocking items in that area, not one spoke to me, greeted me or even took a moment to look at me. So with $60 of accessories in hand, I look for a register.
With no registers active throughout the store, it means you have to stop at the front registers to get rung out. Not a big deal, as that is where the managers are, and the return department, so it should be sufficiently staffed.
There are four people behind the counter, one ringing people out. The line is 6 people deep at this time, I'm last in line. One behind the counter, is the manager and it looks like she's counting sheets of paper for the copier. Two others are young girls kibitzing over a text message one just received. I heard "he", "FTF", "FWB" and various other phrases I'll not obscure into acronyms. Suffice to say, they weren't discussing anything remotely related to something with a Circuit or a City in it.
15 minutes waiting in line, I'm one person from the register, and One of the girls gets called to by the manager. The other one sighs, shrugs her shoulder and murmurs "Next person in line please." I head over to her and pony up the merchandise. Not a word from her. Greeting, Price, Total, Offer of useless "Replacement Guarantee". I sign the slip and head out the door.
As I picked up the bag, I looked at the girl and mused "I'm sorry to have inconvenienced you by shopping here."
And its friggin Christmas Season.
Part Two:Explanation of Rant.
Has the service industry reached a point where "almost" is all you have to do to keep your job? Have we reached a point where we'll hire anyone that can breathe and repeat a line?
At the A.C. Moore that I recently built, they literally hired anyone that filled out an application. With the known assumption that they would fire 60% of them. They needed to have the store fully staffed when it opened, and then would weed out the people they knew wouldn't cater to the Stores needs.
I've given up going to Drive thru lanes at fast food joints. Joe Pesci said it best in Lethal Weapon 2 (?). His theory on Drive Thru's are spot on. My mother used to always say "If you want it done, go. If not, send." From way back then to even more apparent now, it is true. The service industry treats consumers as one step up from Cattle. At what point do we refuse to accept mediocre service and half assed responses? Should stores employ people who can think? Why would they pay someone to think, when a functioning body is half priced and they only need pay one smart person? Why do construction companies pay one smart guy and three dumb guys? Now the smart guy, because due to him being smart, he's now got twice the work. If he was really smart, he'd be at a different company making more money.
Walk into a Lowe's, and look above the register. There is a sign that says (forgive the paraphrasing) "If there's more than three people in line, we'll open another register, because we care." Look at how many people are in line and wonder why there are three employees at the service counter talking about something that doesn't or can't be used in construction. If you even use a register that has a real person at it. One more step in providing less service.
Take a look at any service industry. They aren't what they used to be. There are rarities, and you really have to search to find them. I can guarantee that if you do find one, that person isn't wearing a shirt with a plastic name tag. They know their job and they're good at it. They're well compensated, and the people that utilize that service always come back. That's why I eat at the same pub. I shop at the same small stores, I go to the same places. The service is good, I pay well for a tip or price, and happily come back.
Even Professionals are getting lackadaisical. Last weekend, I hired a professional TV repair service to come to my house and tune up my TV. As stated on the phone to me "I've been working on Panasonics for 40 years, I know what I'm doing." I hired him, because he came recommended and had years of experience. He shows up on site and has no clue about the TV. No manual with him, not idea how to access the repair modes, no idea how to even work the TV. I was willing to shell out $90 for a ½ of his time to inspect the TV and take it back to his shop. Repairs would be above and beyond. Why? Because I'm not a repair man. I hired a professional to do.
Part 3: Exodus of the Rant.
So what happens when you know the service is going to be bad or non-existent? What do you do when you know that no matter how much of a tip you leave, your meal will still be screwed up? What do you do when you know the shopping experience is going to be horrible because you there is noone to help with your selection?
You start seeing things like "Cyber Monday" which follows "Black Friday". You do your shopping on the Net. You do your research on the Net. You expect less and less of real people. You don't bother talking to sales people because you already know they know less than you do. You spend less time in the store and diminish the stores cash flow even more.
From that "straw on the camels back" experience at Circuit City, I've vowed to spend less cash there. Four big purchases I have planned in the next two months (Receiver, TV, PS3, and HiDef DVD), will be either online or from a small electronics store in the area.
Lack of cashiers and knowledgeable people to work in stores is my vexation.
