Poor Customer Service

[Riverskier]

billski- Clearly in both instances the employees could have handled themselves better. But.... why the 100's? MANY places don't take them due to counterfeiting, keeping cash levels low as a robbery deterent, and because they can eat up whatever change they have. When I go to the bank, no matter how much cash I get, I tell them nothing higher than a 20. Again, I get your point about customer service and I agree, but these scenarios could have easily been prevented by your own actions.

 

[dmc]

I've been around the block a few times, educating me or suggesting a cash management strategy is unnecessary.

I'd take his advice.. From my own experience..

just cause your old doesn't mean you can't learn something..

 

[billski]

I'd take his advice.. From my own experience..

just cause your old doesn't mean you can't learn something..

Really, Dave. Broad-brush comments answer no questions and have done nothing to answer my original questions which appear at the start of this thread. What the fear factor over $100 bills anyways? Lift tickets have gone up 25% in five years, let alone the general CPI, and we still only have $200 starting cash?

Counterfeiting is very easy to detect today thanks to the upgrading of paper money by the US government. Besides, that was never an excuse offered to me.

I guess we ask our service employees to work too hard today.

 

[tjf67]

I don't buy this argument. You are forcing the customer to adapt to make things convenient for you. It's your process that leaves so little cash in the drawers. I think it's you who are missing the point of what GOOD customer service is, rather than merely adequate. In my examples, we are not talking about small time operations. We are talking about big grocery operations that have twenty cashiers and rack in hundreds of thousands per day. We are talking about breakfast shops who have burgeoning amounts of cash on hand three hours after they operate. I'm not talking about walking in at opening time. Please take the time to read the original scenario.

In your bar, you can stiff me for $5-10 per drink, I find $150 to start with to be rather meager. Why should I be your banker? So I've given you exact change, and now I have nothing leftover for tips for the housekeeper at the hotel. Now I have to go to the front desk and ask for change. Maybe they will have it, maybe not. I'll tell you this, if I don't have money for a tip because I've had to meet your scenario, I'm not going to ask you to change money for me. I'll leave without tipping.

You also miss my original point. Assuming a cash restriction. why can't the employee at least apologize and offer an alternative, instead of saying "I don't have any money?" That would not cost you a thing.

Someone who looks up and down for deals should not be concerned as much with customer service. After all the best deal is what you are after. Sometimes it bites you in ass. I mean who goes into a store and asks for a couple percent off because they are paying cash? Just sayin:blink:

 

[billski]

Someone who looks up and down for deals should not be concerned as much with customer service. After all the best deal is what you are after. Sometimes it bites you in ass. I mean who goes into a store and asks for a couple percent off because they are paying cash? Just sayin:blink:

That's just deflecting the topic to an ancillary issue and has nothing to do with the original point. Besides, I can almost always get a better deal with cash in hand.

 

[campgottagopee]

You can come to my place of employment... we like 100's

 

[SkiDork]

singles singles...

 

[tjf67]

That's just deflecting the topic to an ancillary issue and has nothing to do with the original point. Besides, I can almost always get a better deal with cash in hand.

I guess it is but cut them some slack.

 

[tjf67]

you can come to my place of employment... We like 100's

sar report

 

[severine]

Right... I guess they could put a sign up saying no CCs for purchases under $5...
But I don't think the CC companies would like that too much...

There are a fair number of places by me that do it. Who says they aren't supposed to the CC companies? if so I think that's pretty effed up of them. While it sucks if you are the consumer and you like usnig a card for everything, a merchant shouldn't have to lose money on a transaction.

It's in the agreement the company makes with the credit card company. When I sold Tastefully Simple, I had to sign up for a merchant account. Part of the agreement I signed said that I could not deny credit card payment based upon the $ amount--that if people wanted to pay with a card, I had to accept it as a member able to process credit cards. And then, of course, there was a fee for processing--the highest fees being attached to American Express. But again, I couldn't ask someone to pay with a different card either. Cost of doing business.

You could use a debit card... then you only spend what you have and don't have to pay it back..

If I use my debit card as a debit card (instead of credit), my credit union charges me a fee like I'm using another bank's ATM. So then you're exchanging the merchant paying fees for you paying fees (in my case, $1 per transaction).

I worked in retail and gas stations in high school. Keeping low amounts of cash in the drawer is not a new development--at the gas station, as soon as we had $200 more than we started with in the drawer, we had to do a cash drop into the safe--and there was only 1 key (of 2) on site, so we could not take those funds out after dropped in. Start amount was around $50 or $60 in bills so we usually had little change on hand--at a busy gas station. We also had to do cash drops in the video store where I worked.

I'm not saying being rude and not apologizing are excusable, but I am saying there is likely a valid reason why change would not have been available. Managers generally don't want to leave that money target to theft. And many won't accept large bills around here either.

SkiDork- What are you doing with all those singles?

 

[campgottagopee]

sar report

More like OFAC

 

[thetrailboss]

Again, you're not addressing my points about a) how your employees interact with the customer in such cases, b) why, hours after an establishment is open, they still cannot change or offer an alternative.

At least at the hotels you mention, and I have paid good cash to all of them, they do provide marginally better service, by hiring more intelligent people, who could think on their feet and offer alternatives to their own operational restrictions.

Bill

(a) We weren't there, so we can't say who said what. I, and I think, some others have said that the management might have made it clear to their staff not to break large bills. Sorry it inconveniences you.

(b) The reason is either (1) no cash in the drawer regardless of what time of day it is and because people pay with plastic, or (2) because of the counterfeit concerns.

I know it was too bad, sorry to hear that. The people you dealt with again are working for minimum wage and may not understand your perspective.

Folks have sympathized with you and tried to offer suggestions and other perspectives. If you don't want the latter, that's fine.

At the end of the day, it seems that things are going pretty well if this is your biggest gripe then life must be good. A lot of people have not seen a $100 bill in their wallet for a long time. A lot of people are unemployed or have people over seas in harm's way.

Complaining threads in here rarely lead to good things I'm sorry to say. Your life could have been a hell of a lot worse.

 

[dmc]

Really, Dave. Broad-brush comments answer no questions and have done nothing to answer my original questions which appear at the start of this thread. What the fear factor over $100 bills anyways? Lift tickets have gone up 25% in five years, let alone the general CPI, and we still only have $200 starting cash?

Counterfeiting is very easy to detect today thanks to the upgrading of paper money by the US government. Besides, that was never an excuse offered to me.

I guess we ask our service employees to work too hard today.

I think the issues behind big bills have been explain pretty well.. You just don't agree with the statements i guess..

my season pass hasn't changed price in 4 years...

 

[dmc]

If I use my debit card as a debit card (instead of credit), my credit union charges me a fee like I'm using another bank's ATM. So then you're exchanging the merchant paying fees for you paying fees (in my case, $1 per transaction).

I don't get charged fees.. So thats cool..

 

[thetrailboss]

Really, Dave.

Um, who is Dave? His name is dmc on here and I know that his real name is not Dave. :blink:

 

[ctenidae]

SkiDork- What are you doing with all those singles?

Pulling them out of his g-string.

As a bartender and restaurant manager, I always hated waitstaff who came in without a bank. I always left $20 in change in my apron when I waited tables.

We bought a dinghy and motor last weekend for $700. I paid cash, but my wife thought I was nuts for giving the guy $50s. I told her it's easier to spend a $50 than a $100, but it takes to long to count out that many $20s.

 

[dmc]

Besides, I can almost always get a better deal with cash in hand.

No doubt... If it's a business that allows negotiation.

I was able to get a better deal on my car when i said I'd write a check(cash) for the price that day.

 

[dmc]

Um, who the hell is Dave? His name is dmc on here and I know that his real name is not Dave. :blink:

Well - we use monikers so people don't use our real names.. I'd prefer people that know me - don't.. Trying to use my name as some sort of arguing or debating tactic is bad form..

Besides.. Dave's not here man...

 

[tjf67]

No doubt... If it's a business that allows negotiation.

I was able to get a better deal on my car when i said I'd write a check(cash) for the price that day.

Campi would know better but I think you may be able to get a better deal if you finance it through the dealership. Those finance guys in dealerships are the highest paid employees on the lot.

 

[thetrailboss]

Well - we use monikers so people don't use our real names.. I'd prefer people that know me - don't.. Trying to use my name as some sort of arguing or debating tactic is bad form..

Besides.. Dave's not here man...

Exactly. You are dmc. Enough said. :wink: