That’s what I feel most businesses say to me when I spend money with them.
The service levels in South Africa are atrocious. I can’t take it anymore! So I’m demanding better service.
I’m the annoying customer who promptly asks to see the manager and reports disgusting behaviour. I’m that crazy woman who stands in the middle of a store – calls a business’ head office and tells them which store I’m at – describe in full detail the nature of my grievance and make clear how appalled (just appalled!) I am at the revolting service.
But I’m also the shopper who makes a big deal of fantastic service. I call store managers and rave about the service of either the entire establishement or point out the wonderful staffer who just made my day through wonderful service. On ocassion when that service exceeds any expectation I’ll find out who at that business has pull- send them an email to tell them what a wonderful experience I had.
I believe this might be the only way we begin to make businesses aware that if they don’t treat us right they will lose our business.
Has anybody every shopped at Game Westgate? It’s a frustrating experience that is bound to age you a few years. So atrocious is the service it’s stopped my husband and I from ever setting foot there again.
Our experience has been that this store will (at any given time) have tens of sales people milling around and never, not once in the many times we’ve there, has a sales person come up to us to help us.
In fact my experience has been that they see a customer coming and they turn their back on the customer. Other’s will be on their phones – because of course that is WAY more important than actual tending to their customer’s needs.
Game’s fate was sealed when I ventured to buy a vacuum cleaner. There was no one to help me in that section. Eventually I managed to chance a Game staffer to request help. This staffer then proceeded to tell me to follow him so we could find the person who was responsible for this section. I almost had a heart attack.
“Why doesn’t he come here?” I asked, so shocked I could have peed in my pants.
“You want me to leave the vacuum cleaners – where this guy is supposed to be- follow you so I can look for him and ask him to please come back to his station and help me!” Sheer madness.
The staffer walked off – I guess in the hope I would follow him – or he couldn’t have been bothered what I planned to do. So I did what any self-respecting shopper would do – I left to spend my money elsewhere.
On the flip side of this very interesting coin – my husband, insulted one too many times by similar service at Game, decided to venture about 15 minutes drive from our home to Makro (Struben’s Valley). The difference in service was STAGGERING. When he told me about this Makro – I promptly jumped into my car and rushed there to buy my vacuum cleaner.
Not only was the vacuum cleaner station manned I was promptly served by three (3!) fantastic, warm and friendly sales people.
After I’d selected a vacuum cleaner I decided to shop some more. One of the sales people got me a trolley and proceeded to help me find the rest of the items I needed.
He made sure my time at the pay till was short. He then escorted me to my car and helped me unpack all my goods.
Game Westgate is literally 2 minutes drive from our house but whenever we need appliances or electronic gadgets we drive all the way out to Makro (Struben’s Valley) because the shopping experience is worth it.
Boo Game Westgate – Boo!