Dear Dáithí: Is bad service just the standard these days?

'I'm sick of seeing unprofessional workers in shops. So, I switch to online shopping — which invariably means some part of my order is wrong or not delivered. So then I'm dealing with idiotic chatbots that don't answer my actual question. And then I get bombarded with pop-up questionnaires asking if I'm happy with the service.'

Dear Dáithí ,

I’m just so sick of bad service everywhere. I’m not talking about waiters who drop a fork or anything — I’m not unreasonable.

I’m talking about people who seem to delight in doing a shoddy or lazy job. Whether it’s businesses not answering the phone after lunch on a Friday or people who just thrive on using rules or GDPR to tell you why they can’t do something really simple.

I’m sick of managers fixating on petty details that are only box-ticking exercises.

I’m sick of seeing unprofessional workers in shops. So, I switch to online shopping — which invariably means some part of my order is wrong or not delivered. So then I’m dealing with idiotic chatbots that don’t answer my actual question. And then I get bombarded with pop-up questionnaires asking if I’m happy with the service.

I get that we all have lots of passwords for online accounts these days, but am I the only one who is regularly told their
password is wrong?

Then when I make a ‘new’ password, I’m told it can’t be the same as my previous password.

So I go into a phone queue where I endure 28 minutes of being told my call is important to them before I deal with someone who asks for all the info that I just gave to Mikey the chatbot and then tells me they don’t have the authority to solve the issue I rang about.

And then they also want to know if I’ll rate their service as ‘excellent’.

I’m fed up with people calling to my door trying to get me to sign up to an everlasting charity subscription or to sign up there and then to switching my internet or gas or electricity provider.

I’m sick of looking for an item in a shop only to be told they don’t stock it and then when I walk down the next aisle... there it is. It seems to me that staff don’t get any training any more or maybe it’s that nobody cares about doing a decent job.

I’m genuinely concerned about my blood pressure at this point. How do I stay calm while still living in society?

I really feel your pain with this one, it feels like nobody cares anymore and all people try to do is get in the way of you trying to do a simple task.

The reason why this stands out to us I think is that we were all used to great customer service once. And on a very personal level when we went into our local shops it was as much about the service as it was about the product they were selling — this, of course, made sure we all came back the next time.

But this world is changing and has changed a lot already — and to be honest it’s only going in one direction, and we better get used to it.

This now has driven you online which is not great really for the local shops in your area. I would prefer to go chat to the ‘boss boss’ and not some lazy manager before I would go online fully. And you’ve said the online shopping experience has its flaws too. So, I’d like you to take a step back here with your local shops, the ones you like anyway.

There is a problem when it comes to certain staff. Why? Well, I believe they don’t really care — and that’s because there are lots of jobs out there and can easily move onto another. If there was a shortage of work, people might be minding their jobs more. Now that’s my personal view on it.

Also, I think younger school kids should be allowed work more and trained up properly. Part of the poor service comes from not being trained properly and the company not investing in them. If you break that circle you’d have a different outcome. But that is the company’s problem and no good to you at the moment.

I don’t think I’ve ever had an order that came to my door with 100% of what I’ve ordered when buying online. I’d be patient when filling out the forms and everything and still there is an issue.

And I don’t know what the laws are about murdering chatbots but they are the worst things ever. I’m like ‘just put the person in charge on and stop coming in the way’, and this is with the simplest of tasks.

The passwords thing is just another example of this red tape and obstacle in our way. Now it’s important we have them and that they vary, but there must be a simpler way to all of this.

On the other hand, it’s the world we live in these days and we are so pushed for time. We go online shopping as we think it’s easier. Then when it turns out not to be we get frustrated. And it might even get to the situation where you are where it’s affecting your blood pressure.

First of all, get that checked and then we’re going to have to come up with a way to simplify all of this. And it might even take you taking a few deep breathes too and learning to be a little more patient too.

Time seems to be an issue here, so when you’re ordering things online make sure everything is in order. For birthdays and Christmas order a month ahead just in case there is an issue. That way, if there is an issue, you have time to sort it. Even
knowing you’re doing this in good time takes the heat out of it.

With your passwords... well, I have a special notebook — only for my eyes — with the websites and the password and username next to it. I know there’s an app for this, but I use the notebook and it’s great... if you make sure to keep it in a very safe place. This might take away the wave of stress that comes over you when you’re in this situation.

If you have to deal with a chatbot, be polite but don’t hang around, ask to speak to a manager and better still ask him or her to call you on the phone and tell them you’re not good at typing and it’s urgent.

Dáithí Ó Sé: 'I don’t know what the laws are about murdering chatbots but they are the worst things ever. I’m like 'just put the person in charge on and stop coming in the way'.' Picture: Domnick Walsh 

On top of all this, you’re sick of people calling to your door looking for you to sign up to charity subscriptions.

This is an easy one: you should pick one or two charities to support every year. People have different reasons for supporting certain charities so pick the ones you prefer.

When these people come to the door all you have to say is sorry, I’m supporting whatever charity you’ve picked this year, and you’ll keep them in mind for next year and that’s it. You don’t have to explain anymore. You are not being rude: you are being direct and honest... and the fact that you do support a charity should take away any guilt.

The main points here are about planning and your use of time and being ahead of the curve and therefore the stress — and at the end it’s better for your blood pressure and mental health.