List establishments that you think have the MOST friendliest & unfriendliest employees/salespeople. When they're unfriendly, do you tend to not shop there much or do still shop there because you like the products? I've seen an overall friendliness increase since the economy's been downhill for a time. After all, these stores need happy customers who feel valued...not to say that everyone needs to bow down to me, but common courtesy is all I ask. If a place is unfriendly, I may not go there as much. It depends on how much I like their products. Friendliest Jamba Juice - Always been chipper & enthusiastic Starbucks Coach - I'll say very improved...used to be very snooty Nordstrom - Improving some Olive Garden - Pretty nice My Nissan dealership Unfriendliest Ulta White House Black Market Sephora Aveda - I get this "what are you doing in here" attitude/vibe MAC store/dept - They're so-so Francesca's Collections - small shop that's eh Kohl's - I don't come here much, but no one's around or they pretend to be busy Officemax - They're so-so
I think it completely depends on the area you live in. For example, Target stores back home are very friendly but down here it is SO rare to find employees that treat you with respect or even acknowledge you!
Location probably has a lot to do with it. The Starbucks I've gone to here has very bored/angry they're working at Starbucks employees who only talk about each other and when they are getting off work but the Kohl's has very nice employees. I hardly go to Starbucks, but I go into a Kohl's once a month or so.
I think Chick-fil-a consistently has respectful and nice employees. I always find Nordstroms does too.
There really isn't an establishment I could say was overall friendly or unfriendly...everything seems hit and miss. Well, actually, I would say most places are so-so with a few exceptional, good or bad, experiences thrown in.
I've only been to a Chick-fil-a once and it was a good experience. I was in another state and they all thought our accent was just a riot, but I didn't feel they were being at all rude about it. Nice people.
In the town where I live, the bicycle shops are always very friendly. In every one of them, the owner and the staff always greet me by my first name whenever I go in the store. The store attendants of the gas stations near where I work are rude depending on which ones are working. One wouldn't let me take my bike in the store, then made fun of the light on top of my helmet.
Publix Supermarkets-great customer service Otherwise, hard for me to generalize. It often depends on the store or employee!!
Every Caribou Coffee I have been in has the nicest employees. I have started going there instead of Starbucks for the times I buy coffee.
The Walmart by me has some of the nicest employees I've seen anywhere. The Walmart by my parents is so unpleasant I'd only go if it were the only store open and I desperately needed something. All Wegmans I've been to have great employees.
Friendliest: Cane's, Chick-fil-a, Dress Barn, Sephora, LUSH, Kroger Worst: Burger King, Ross, Talbots - always treat me like I don't have enough money to be shopping there. Those are the only real standouts I can think of. Everyone else is mostly neutral.
Are you sure it's not because you go in there too often? :lol: Home Depot and Chick-fil-A are consistantly nice.
Have you noticed that Chick-fil-A employees always say "my pleasure" when serving you? And seem qenuinely happy about it? Ive seen the same thing in many of there stores so I know it's part of their training model. It's the little things like that that make customer service good to me. In and Out always has super nice employees. Both chains seem to hire good teenagers. ( most stores I've been in have teenage or college age associates.) I really believe in customer loyalty when I've received good service. My sister is a store manager for an upscale Womens store so it's fun hearing how she trains her employees. My pet peeve is when the employee follows you around the store giving advice and won't leave you alone. I like good service but let me shop. My biggest, biggest, biggest pet peeve is when they push and push their company credit card on you and don't let up. I know they have to but it really annoys me. I travel for work and one airline (I think US Air) actually walk up and down the aisle with credit card applications.
No generalizations here, but it does seem that Chick-fil-a and Moe's has a friendliness guideline for employees (every customer is greeted, umbrella escorts in the rain, that kind of thing).
I don't think you can really generalize. I was going to say that Talbot's always treats me like a queen (even though I only buy the clearance items) but I noticed that MissCeliaB has had bad experiences there. Obviously, customer service is more important in some chains than in others.
Most of the places I go to have pretty good employees. Off the top of my head I can't think of any horrible customer service experiences that I have had anywhere. Why of course, MsMar .
Not familiar with Talbots but....BURGER KING AND ROSS treat you like you don't have enough money to shop there?! Um, they aren't exactly Nordstrom's, Rodeo Drive or Red Lobster...lol or do they not realize that?
Publix and Chick-fil-a are the nicest around here! My worst experience has been Bed, Bath, and Beyond, but it easily could have just been a bad day for the woman!
Michael's employees usually seem like they hate their jobs. Except today, the young lady was friendly! She'd never heard of Raffia, though, and sent my daughter down to the easter basket grass ??
Every time I have been to any ChickFilA, they have been awesome! I always leave the store (or drive to the window) saying to myself, I LOVE THESE PEOPLE!
I think MissCelia meant that statement just for Talbots, not Burger King and Ross. I could be wrong though!
Yeah, I just meant Talbots. I probably misplaced a modifier or a comma or something. Talbots isn't the only place I have that problem. It's in this shopping center with a Chicos, J. Jill, White House Black Market, Coldwater Creek, etc. I don't even shop there anymore because even if I am dressed up when I go in there with designer everything on they ignore me or give me the most minimal amount of service. They fall all over the older people in there though. It happens in that whole shopping center, but it's worst at Talbots. I'm glad there are other places to shop closer to home. I forgot to mention the worst service I've ever gotten from a fast food place was at a Wendy's, but the other ones in town are really good, so I know it's just that particular Wendy's that's bad.
I think it's funny that you put Red Lobster in that category. It's considered casual dining around here, like Chili's or Applebees or something. We're weird about our seafood in Louisiana...
Ditto in NY! I've never been to a chik-fila but if I ever come across one I will definitely check it out. I have been doing some secret shopping in a few different places and I always have to comment how friendly and helpful the employees are. It amazes me that people in these establishments are not friendly to the customers sometimes even when they know at some point they will be rated on it (these stores KNOW they will have secret shoppers but never know when they will come).
I have to agree with the Wal-Mart reference. I go there every Monday morning before work to pick up my lunch food for the week, and everyone there says hello to me and asks me how I'm doing. I'd say the UNFRIENDLIEST group of employees I've ever dealt with are in my own school district's payroll department! hmy:
Ditto Chik-fil-a. We no longer live near one, but used to be mere minutes from a store. They were delightful - and that was not a location where there was a lot of great customer service. Talbots is so weird. We've moved repeatedly in the last 15 years and about every other time I love it. Then we move and the new one is snooty. Then we move again and I love it. I just wish I could coordinate the snooty cycle with the cycle of "I hate that color why are they so in love with it???!" I had a horrible, horrible experience with a Crate and Barrel manager a long time ago. To this day I've only shopped there one or twice, though I was a regular before The Incident.
Chick-fil-a is awesome here, too! They must really do a lot with training. Starbucks baristas are always pretty awesome, too. I'm also usually impressed with the people at the home improvement stores (Lowe's and Home Depot). As for bad service, I think it just depends on the location and the manager. I can't think of one particular chain that stands out as having consistently horrible service. However, many of the low paid public service workers tend to be atrocious!
I agree about Chick Fil-A. There are 3 locations by me & they're all pretty good. A couple times in the past, they've asked if I'd like a dog biscuit when my dog was in the car w/ me.
You can tell who in Wal-Mart just got hired because they are the friendly ones. After they have been there for nearly a year, they begin to see how terrible Wal-mart treats their employees and then they are grouchy just like the next employee lol I used to work at Wendy's up north and we (except for a few because you always have a few) were always friendly to the customers. So much so, that many of us, including myself, received secret tips from some customers heh[ Still makes me cringe to see Wendy's employees not be quick about the service, mess up on orders, or not be friendly!/SIZE]
I started going to local business instead of large retailes for some things such as an optometrists, flowers, grocery store, bakery, deli, etc. and the attention and level of customer service was far much better than the one of any large retailer. I just had amazing experiences with local business that even if they are a little more expensive I think they are worth it because you get great service and you also help support small businesses.
I totally agree on that point, Marci. Local businesses aren't always wonderful but when they are I prefer them over any chain.
I hate Walmart, but it has nothing to do w/ their employees. I had 2 friends who were Walmart managers. One in CA, the other in GA. The friend in CA didn't like it there, but just stays there since it's a job. The other GA friend had filed a lawsuit against them. I forgot the details & the outcome of it. Nothing really came of it.
The closest Walmart around here is not well managed. It is unorganized, dirty, and the lines are super long. I would rather spend a few bucks at target where it's neater, cleaner, and the lines are not that long.
Apparently you live near me. The Walmart closest to me is a disaster area. I only go there if there's something there that isn't sold elsewhere. (So, for example, at Christmas I went in to pick up some bean bag chairs I had ordered online for $20; Target's were a whole lot more expensive.) I really HATE going in there!
I agree with you, Marci! I rarely go to chain restaurants, or even the mall ( and that's saying A LOT for a Jersey Girl..I'm in mall central!) local stores and restaurants seem to appreciate your patronage more. That said, I have encountered lovely and hardworking staff in Williams Sonoma, Ann Taylor, Lord and Taylor and other nationwide establishments.
