Is getting Good customer service hard to find -?

[livinthailandos]

I wonder if its just me or is getting good customer service becoming hard to find, i know this issue is common and found everywhere in the world, not just thailand alone. While I recognize this issue comes down to the interaction between people it just seems from so many experiences that I have, that I wonder if good customer service is dead or dying. I believe now in days getting any customer service or even average customer service is becoming the norm. I've found as well that customer complaints mean nothing, maybe thats just me.

By the way I do want to note on the flip side there are some customers who can be very hard to handle or deal with or even very frustrating to deal with.

Look forward to all your posting and comments on this topic.

[impulse]

Personally, I think customer service is like a lot of things where we remember the "good old days" with rose tinted glasses.

I think the service is no worse than it was when I was a kid. I'm just a lot less tolerant of the stupid things young people do today, just like my parents were aghast at the stupid things we did, and their parents hated the...

The one major worsening difference is the way things have been dumbed down by technology in the interest of productivity. Personal attention no longer cuts it. Today, it's units per hour per employee and screw personal attention. But that's not the kids' fault, that's ours.

[kevvy]

what customer service there is none ...maybe i haven't seen it yet, but what do i know i am a farang .

[justben]

Personally, when it comes to customer service and caring by staff, I rate this country highly. I often see staff, representatives and various people I hire to provide a plethora of services going above and beyond their specified duty. But that is just a personal experience. I cannot recall an incident or occasion where I was treated especially poorly or unfairly, except for one case with UPS.

Edited June 23, 2013 by justben

[rinteln]

Yes

[MrHammer]

The defintion of good customer service depends on who you ask. In Thailand you get a lot of groveling and sucking up which is a major reason why Thailand is so popular with tourists. You don't normally get employees who are able to think outside the box. Like asking for something which doesn't immediatly fall within the job description will get you a blank stare, where as in the west you might think good customer service is going the extra mile even for something completely unrelated to the sale. That being said, customer service in Thailand imo is vastly superior to fx scandinavia or northern europe in general where the employees act as if they're doing you a favor.

So no, Thai customer service in my opinion is quite good and I've noticed more and more english speaking staff around.

[pomchop]

Personally, when it comes to customer service and caring by staff, I rate this country highly. I often see staff, representatives and various people I hire to provide a plethora of services going above and beyond their specified duty. But that is just a personal experience. I cannot recall an incident or occasion where I was treated especially poorly or unfairly, except for one case with UPS.

I am often surprised at how good customer service can be at SOME thai biz.....bought a new fan one day at big store in Chiang Rai and they insisted on carrying it to my car for me. Have bought new TV/refrigs/furniture and when delivered the delivery guy insisted on unpacking or assembling and even plugging in and making sure everything worked. Have a laundry lady who picks up my laundry on her motorbike, brings it back nice, clean and folded in two days and insists on putting in my closet etc...for 100 baht a week. Even at Big C I often get an employee who wants to help by taking my cart down the escalator for me. (and no I am not THAT old that I can't handle a cart) Many stores immediately bring a cold water to me without asking. Most stores offer FREE delivery and actually unpack the stuff for you rather than just drop it off for you to deal with. Sure there can also be some not so great services but overall I am often surprised more often positively than negatively in Thailand...in the USA it's the opposite as I am more often surprised at how crappy the service can be and "free" delivery is not the norm.

[joeaverage]

perhaps it would be of help to explain the type of product or even the sector you expect this service in?

gas jockey filling your car or after sales service on your rolls. do you want a more attentive barista or a fruit vendor that exchanges over ripe longan?

[MrRealDeal]

This is generally an unpopular point of view here but ....... customer service is no different than other relationships in the world , you get what you give.

If you realize that customer attitude is the primary factor in how you are treated the service you receive will improve.

The easiest self defense strategy is to be nice to people because people don't attack people they like , the best way to get good service is to be nice, because people like to help nice people more than people who are less nice.

[mickjn]

The Thais are overall excellent on customer service

[Mighty Mouse]

If we are restricting this topic to Thailand then I believe that overall, customer service is not too bad.

The 3 plus star hotels offer good service, from the reception staff down to the room maid. It is true that some reception staff appear grumpy, but they get the job done so we shouldn't expect them to always be cheerful and smiling on top of providing competent service.

The supermarket staff are always friendly and helpful. The 7Eleven staff never keep you waiting irrespective of how many Thai customers try to squeeze in front of you at the till.

OK, the restaurant waitresses usually stuff up the order and bring you something you didn't ask for. I put that down to lack of English skills, poor management training from western born managers and/or a low educational standard.

The good old baht bus drivers fight each other to offer you a ride. The Indian tailors love shaking hands *groan* and they will always rectify all the faults you find in your newly made suit.

The freelancing girls offer a very friendly service and smile broadly when paid, some even give you kiss.

The shoe shine boy roaming the streets is an exception. Not much of a shine on anything he polishes but what more can you expect of a guy who is trying to focus through a glue sniffing fog.

The boys in brown are always quick to attend the location when a complaint is lodged. Their attitude however, is not usually positive and helpful unless there is something in it for them.

The airport staff are great. A quick check in service, friendly immigration staff who always smile when you hand over your overstay payments, and very quick service in the food courts downstairs. A nice goodbye effort to keep you happy as you prepare to fly home to farangland where you know that your luggage is going to be subjected to an over zealous search by your own country's custom officers.

Like I said, there isn't too much to complain about regarding service offered in Thailand.

[DiNiro]

At The Villa Pharmacy in Pattaya, you can get horrible service if the girl is not watching videos or stuffing her face.

Yesterday, 30 minutes after opening hours, I made the mistake of interrupting her so she decided to charge me 300% over the usual price for my medicine.

By By.

[MrRealDeal]

At The Villa Pharmacy in Pattaya, you can get horrible service if the girl is not watching videos or stuffing her face.

Yesterday, 30 minutes after opening hours, I made the mistake of interrupting her so she decided to charge me 300% over the usual price for my medicine.

By By.

From your attitude you probably got what you deserved ..... another example of how NOT to shop ! LOL

If you were a nice person you wouldn't care if she watched vids or had a few snacks , but you are a critical person who is not nice and gets treated accordingly ...... sorry but it's true

Edited June 23, 2013 by MrRealDeal

[iancnx]

I think some of the responses are a littler muddled. A Thai being nice and smiling in a shop is lovely but does not necessarily represent good customer service. Customer Service is a something which needs to be trained. And it can be trained. Pop down to your local Toyota, or the Marriot or any other 5* establishment and you will see what I mean. Generally though throughout the country it is poor. It is not habitually trained and therefore the customer is rarely right. This is my experience of 8 years all over LoS. It also comes down to education. Until something is done there countrywide and for the next generation, little will change. Customer service skills are trained to the graduates who land the top jobs on offer. I am talking bank tellers, hotel receptionists 5*, waitresses in the top top Restaurants, etc etc. just my take in it all.

[MrRealDeal]

I think to iancnx's point that the real world difference is that good service may cost more these days to get just like everything else.

To dimiro ..... you are just making my point for me ....... Why would someone like you deserve good service ? You don't..... you just think everyone should give it to you by default and the real world doesn't work that way...... sorry but its true

[besth]

At The Villa Pharmacy in Pattaya, you can get horrible service if the girl is not watching videos or stuffing her face.

Yesterday, 30 minutes after opening hours, I made the mistake of interrupting her so she decided to charge me 300% over the usual price for my medicine.

By By.

Sorry but I strongly disagree on this.

The girl at the farmacy there must have one of the most boring jobs in Pattaya. Very few customers, hardly anything to do all day. You can't blame

her (maybe you can, I don't) for taking an extra 20/30 seconds to come to deal with you. Not so long ago I bought some pills from her, I had an old strip of the medicine that I had bought somewhere else, 5 baht cheaper than her price and, without me asking or making any comments, she said "i give you same price".

Makes no difference, but shows will to please.

In general, I think customer service is good if it is easy for the staff to provide it. The negative side I have found is that most of them don't really know their

products, so if you start asking them too many questions they feel uncomfortable and don't even think about saying they don't know and finding someone who does. Other than that and some "don't have" attitudes, much better than in Europe for sure.

[ABCer]

May I ask what kind of Service were you looking for?

[Berkshire]

So no, Thai customer service in my opinion is quite good and I've noticed more and more english speaking staff around.

Good point. If you consider the vast diversity of visitors coming to Thailand and all the different languages that the average Thai has to contend with, they're doing pretty darn good. In America, try speaking any other language besides English to a low-wage service staff and they will laugh you out of the room.

[DiNiro]

"I think to iancnx's point that the real world difference is that good service may cost more these days to get just like everything else.

To dimiro ..... you are just making my point for me ....... Why would someone like you deserve good service ? You don't..... you just think everyone should give it to you by default and the real world doesn't work that way...... sorry but its true"

Bizzaro reply.

Are you employed in customer service in Thailand too? Sound like it.

I do expect good service at the pharmacy when asking for my medicine.

You see, this girl couldn't even pretend to be nice. A fake smile is all I need....

She had her bowl of noodles and video balanced on the cash register and had no intention of moving.

She wouldn't even look up. Flagged me off like an annoying housefly.

I did choose an item from the over the counter shelf and she barked out a price 300% more than retail...while cramming her face & staring at her movie....

Customers can be soooo annoying...

Edited June 24, 2013 by DiNiro

[MrRealDeal]

I would wave you off the same way. In fact I'm doing it now ..... cya

[rct99q]

There are two sectors I shop in....mass markets (ie tesco,makro, chaing stores etc) and local thai markets. I have always found the service in the local thai markets to be excellent. Good for a laugh, helpful, courteous etc. In the big chain stores I usually find inattentive or worse overly attentive!

Thai restaurant are the same. Mostly I eat at Traditional Thai restaurants, again excellent service. Ones that cater to Tourist Farangs not so good. With ex pats I have found the few restaurants that service them are generally good.

So depends on what sector you are referring to, for me anyways.

[Hardback]

Quite possibly the worst dining experience I ever had in BKK was made right by excellent customer service.

I was advised to go to an "upscale" Som Tum restaurant in Siam by a number of Thai friends. I went and ordered a few dishes. The food arrived but to my astonishment a small worm (could have been a maggot but unlikely) soon crawled to the edge of the plate. Before I could make a move the plate was whisked away and within seconds the manager presented herself. New dishes were prepared following a real heartfelt apology and when it came time to leave they would not receive one baht of our money. I was also presented with a discount coupon should I wish to return in future.

It was a bad situation made good IMO. An unfortunate error made good and I left satisfied. To deal with issues swiftly and efficiently to me represents good customer service. The manager did the right thing and did her best make sure I left happy.

[Weatherman]

It would be very interesting to find out where that manager got their training.

This is the way it should be, but unfortunately rare anywhere in the world.

You should share the name and location of the restaurant in recognition and thanks.

PS if you were Thai they would have charged extra for the free treat (sorry couldn't resist)

[morrobay]

Forget about it . But with alot of these girls who work in these supermarkets and department stores being 8's and 9's - who cares.

Edited June 24, 2013 by morrobay

[bunta71]

Sent my Filipina wife to the bank yesterday with a thai friend to open a savings account. The Thai friend is required usually to sign a paper attesting to a Foreigners "goodness" before she could qualify for an account. This was a requirement when I first got my first bank account years ago. So yesterday, away they go to do a very simple, simple task. Came back three hours later empty handed because three banks told her she had to have a work permit, which is not true. She has a retirement visa. Excellent service...best in the world.

[Weatherman]

Sent my Filipina wife to the bank yesterday with a thai friend to open a savings account.

-

three banks told her she had to have a work permit, which is not true. She has a retirement visa.

Not a customer service issue strictly speaking, they were following their branch's policies.

Go to other branches even of the same bank and you'll get different results, even with visa-exempt tourists.

Maybe more difficult for non-farang foreigners, might be easier if you go along with her?

The "Thai vouching for you" thing I never heard of.

Edited June 24, 2013 by Weatherman

[Scully]

The waitresses top up my beer when I am eating, they put petrol in my car when it's raining, they welcome everyone in 7-11, straws are provided with every drink, needed chain on my motorbike tightened, boss called a lad over and tightened gratis etc etc.

Back in the UK at the moment, bought a train ticket online and it states "please present at ticket office", when presented the guy said "what do you want me to do with that ?". I don't know if it was all the travelling but i literally called him an ignorant **** and showed him the rules and he shrugged his shoulders, I must admit I am usually laid back but I saw red and ruined his morning.

Got off the train, picked up my car that had been dropped off and filed up with petrol and got pish wet through when paying.

Great first day back, can't see me staying here long.

[bunta71]

Sent my Filipina wife to the bank yesterday with a thai friend to open a savings account.

-

three banks told her she had to have a work permit, which is not true. She has a retirement visa.

Not a customer service issue strictly speaking, they were following their branch's policies.

Go to other branches even of the same bank and you'll get different results, even with visa-exempt tourists.

Maybe more difficult for non-farang foreigners, might be easier if you go along with her?

The "Thai vouching for you" thing I never heard of.

I have had and maintain three accounts in Thailand. The form signed by a Thai was required twice. The first one happened as I was in Sunbelt Law offices preparing for my first non-immigrant "O" and retirement extension. Krit, the head attorney in the Chiang Mai office called his banker buddy and the banker signed the form I speak correctly about. The second time was when I opened another account at a bank for the first time. They required the same form and it was signed by an acquaintance of mine. Subsequent accounts I opened were all basically transfers from one account to another as I moved through the years. Never asked for in those instances. As you say, talk to three different employees of the same bank and can get three maybe four different answers. Not understanding the rules that are governed by law pertaining to foreign ownership of bank accounts IS poor customer service. Getting different opinions on basic banking rules within the same bank is also poor service.Strictly speaking they were not following the branch's interpretation either. Same bank branch I got mine also with a retirement ext. Edited June 24, 2013 by bunta71

[jackr]

At The Villa Pharmacy in Pattaya, you can get horrible service if the girl is not watching videos or stuffing her face.

Yesterday, 30 minutes after opening hours, I made the mistake of interrupting her so she decided to charge me 300% over the usual price for my medicine.

By By.

From your attitude you probably got what you deserved ..... another example of how NOT to shop ! LOL

If you were a nice person you wouldn't care if she watched vids or had a few snacks , but you are a critical person who is not nice and gets treated accordingly ...... sorry but it's true

Sorry, but you could be the nicest person in the world and be stonewalled as in the above scenario. Although wearing a smile and your Sunday best will improve your chances somewhat, it is not a given. I expect you're a newbie who has resided him/herself to receive bad service, but bet you're not so meek on your own turf, right?

There's no beating around the bush, customer service is very hit 'n miss here, especially in the south, and have found the banks particularly unpredictable. Being Mary Poppins would doubtless make a blind bit of difference.

[MrRealDeal]

At The Villa Pharmacy in Pattaya, you can get horrible service if the girl is not watching videos or stuffing her face.

Yesterday, 30 minutes after opening hours, I made the mistake of interrupting her so she decided to charge me 300% over the usual price for my medicine.

By By.

From your attitude you probably got what you deserved ..... another example of how NOT to shop ! LOL

If you were a nice person you wouldn't care if she watched vids or had a few snacks , but you are a critical person who is not nice and gets treated accordingly ...... sorry but it's true

Sorry, but you could be the nicest person in the world and be stonewalled as in the above scenario. Although wearing a smile and your Sunday best will improve your chances somewhat, it is not a given. I expect you're a newbie who has resided him/herself to receive bad service, but bet you're not so meek on your own turf, right?

There's no beating around the bush, customer service is very hit 'n miss here, especially in the south, and have found the banks particularly unpredictable. Being Mary Poppins would doubtless make a blind bit of difference.

I'm not a newbie to Earth or Thailand and I don't reside myself to poor service nor am I any more or less "meek" on one side of the planet or the other , being nice does not equate to meek as a side note , I get what I give on either side of Earth because people treat people they like better then people they don't, sometimes I get treated poorly but rather than blame you for example for trying to slight me by calling me "meek" and a "newbie" I accept responsibility for what I created for myself by posting something I know people don't like to hear which was not especially nice of me.

It's simply a Fact of life that treating others well motivates them to treat you well and treating others less than well is returned in kind by most people , the difference between me and others is not that human nature is different for them than for me, the difference is I take ownership of the way I am treated by recognizing my own behavior first and others chose not to.

As far as the above goes he seems to be complaining that since he was not asked in later years for some form that it's poor service ! I don't find the lack of asking a person to fill out a form to be poor service since he would prefer not to fill it out anyhow ..... it's just a nonsense complaint and if not filling out a form is the best example of poor service he can come up with how bad can it be ? LOL ..... most sensible people would be happy about that not whine like a little girl over it.