Kevin's story is pretty sad. After trying to reserve a book online and receiving an email that they were out of stock, he checked it himself.
To make a long story short, I checked online again, and the book was still in stock. So I went to the store, and within 30 seconds I found the book I had reserved, exactly where it should be in the Children's book section. Surprise, surprise.
The book industry is a competitive one. If Borders doesn't plan to win on customer service, then what is their strategy? If they do plan to win on customer service, that attitude obviously hasn't made it to the front line employees.
Today my friend and I went to your store in Arcadia
Westfield mall. We experience horrible service from
Borders. The thing is I and my friend needs to
use computer there but the only outlet left is blocked, so I and my friend tried to ask if they can silghtly move the little table forward a little bit because we could use that outlet before. The lady who says her name is Sandra
Ramirez and she is a sales manager there (that I
highly doubt her position). She took us back to cafe
and raised her strong voice in front of all the
customers who sitting there and start to preach us say
“first come first serve” ” you can share table with
others” “We have to make money that’s why the layout
is like this” And every customer look at us because
she tries to make us embarrassed there. What kind of
service or manager is this in this kind of big chain store?
How can an uneducated person can be a manager who
doesn’t know how to treat customer with respect. How
is thier training for your staff?? That’s so
ridiculous!! So we feel so angry and we went to seek
for store manager’s help. That’s even funnier!! The
manager came and I just started to tell her what
happened and Sandra came with raised voice again. I
told her why you couldn’t just explain to us the cafe
is poor layout without organization like Starbucks Why you have to
say super loudly to preach us in front of all
customers. We just seek for help but not ask for trouble
Why you give us such horrible attitude? Then I say
if you are in our position, what will you feel? She
says” I am sales manager, I feel things with my
perspective not customer’s perspective” Then we said,
as your loyal member and neighbor, we always come here
but if your service is so poor like this how can we
keep coming. The ridiculous answer she said,” It’s up
to you!”
How can you allow this kind of rude person like a
barbarian to serve people in an educated environment? Also, the most ridiculous thing is the manger’s
attitude, how can she treat customer like this? Should
she apologize for stores’ poor design instead of
yelling on customers who didn’t do things wrong and
just simply seek for help. We said, we understand the
layout can’t be changed but shouldn’t you apologize
about your rude attitude? Then she said, “ok then I
apologize, but I can’t do anything!” with raised voice
again. I just talked to your Arcadia store manager–John.
He said “How can I make you happy?”
However, the whole time he tried to do is to protect
his staff instead of customer.
I told him my point is the manager’s attitude problem,
and he correct me about I tried to use laptop there.
I said it’s ok if I can’t use laptop there but you
should tell your customer with nice attitude because
there is no sign to tell me I can’t use your outlet
there.
Anyway, the whole time he tried to do is to stand for
his employee instead of listening to customer’s voice.
I asked if the lady will get any punishment by
treating her customer like this because he sound like
there is nothing he will stand up for his customer
instead of protecting his employee, and he said he
won’t fire the manager nor giving her punishment, but
he will discuss with her about the case.”
He even asked me if you do something wrong, are you
happy to get punishment? I said if she didn’t get any
punishment, how can she get the lesson to improve your
business?
I really think thier Arcadia branch has some serious
service problem.