Today I had to get a refund at a mall.
Firstly I hate malls, secondly its my day off, Thirdly when I get to the store at 12:15 theres a note on the stating that they will be back at 14:00. Fun!
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I also had to renew my car licence as well as my drivers. I turn into the traffic department..
There is no parking! To top it there was a traffic officer outside making it rain with fines, because people are now parking in undesignated areas as they have no other choice.
I decide to leave, as neither of my renewals are worthy of receiving a fine.
I think to myself, well hey , the day is wasted.. lets go back to the mall and just sort it out..
I return, to be told that there is not enough cash in the till to do a refund. (what you guys might not know was that I was at this mall the day before for the same reason and being told the same excuse).
At this point, Im screaming in my mind, but with a smile on my face, and I take a deep breath, I look at the guy behind the counter, seeing him start to brace himself of a yelling. I felt bad for him.
I asked him, if there was a way to resolve this, which did not include me returning to the store, as this was my third visit in two days.
He looked relieved that I wasnt causing a scene, He explained that they can do a manual transfer into my account, and apologized for the lack of available funds, as items start in the thousands , most people pay via card.
This I could understand, as I had paid via card too.
I could have given them a piece of my mind, but the consultant did not deserve it. It wasnt his fault.
The manager arrived as well,which to my luck was also the owner , and asked if he could assist, and I told him that that issue was resolved,However that business needs to have contingency for such situations.
I was treated with the best customer service the consultant could offer, and was still not entirely pleased.
After explaining that its an issue with the businesses return policy process and the lack of customer consideration in it, the owner ended up thanking me, for my feedback, I suspected that his staff did not share such concerns with the owner before, even though it clearly seemed like a common thing because the consultant had braced himself.
I found it really sad that feedback is not requested from staff, and that that some people in the customer service environment get treated poorly because the business is not aligned to customers.
Im sure that some people are in customer service due to lack of options rather than choice.
Even though I had been really frustrated, I would like to think that how I choose to deal with it, was a health alternative, as no one else deserves being put in a bad mood, just because I was.
I feel I was really lucky to rise above in that moment, Im sure had this happened to me last week, or tomorrow, I wouldve exploded. Im not always so aware of situations as they unfold.
But I definitely want to learn from today.
Until next time ...
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It is a good lesson for us all to think before unloading our frustration on an innocent worker that is not at fault and just trying to do their job.
Yeah Totally, and most of all , It would have been so easy to do that , than to take the high road.
I cant understand why being kind is actually hard. The thought scares me as I preach ideals like this , and maybe I didnt realize the weight of my words.
But sometime Frustration destroy one's career and even life...one of my known person suicide because of Frustration...i Think at this steps he need most of his Family and Friends help..
That's really sad. I hope he gets the help he needs.
But Yes, frustration can destroy so much and we maybe not even realise how much it can affect a person!
Thank you for your awesome feedback it's opened my eyes wider!
I try to remain calm in those situations. The person I'm talking to is rarely the person causing my problem, and they are usually not paid well enough to take crap from me.
Another consideration is that you never know what else has been going on in this person's life. No need to pile on.
My final thought is something my granny often told us. "You catch more flies with honey than vinegar." I experienced this recently when I was waiting in line to resolve an issue at a store. The person before me was being a jerk. They were asked to step aside and wait for a manager. I calmly explained my problem, similar to what the jerk was complaining about. The associate quickly resolved my issue and gave me a $5 gift card for my trouble. The jerk witnessed this and his head was ready to explode. The associate just smiled.
Love that story!! And your Gran was correct.
We never know how powerful our actions are.
It reminds me about how everyone is afraid of going back in time as what they do could change the present. But none of us think that what we do in the present effects the future in the same way.
Totally understand the frustration. Customer Service around here sucks at the best of times. Glad you remained calm.
I truly feel it made all the difference.