Customer Service - Some people just don't get it

It has become obvious to me that some people understand customer service and some do not.  Especially when it comes to priorities and the telephone.

Some time ago I visited the Town Office in Stony Plain (Alberta, Canada) to set up an account for billing for water and sewer for our new home.  The lady who was helping me was borderline rude and spent 80% of her time on the telephone helping ANOTHER customer.  There were two people at the desk when I arrived; the other lady didn't appear to be helping anyone the entire time.

When I pointed out that she kept me waiting to help another customer (who had phoned after I arrived), her response was, "Yeah, so?" and mentioned something about multi-tasking.  What a load of crap.  She wasn't multi-tasking, she was expecting that I would wait while she helped another customer.

When I brought the matter to the attention of the Town Manager, the matter was passed off to someone else.  I was left with the feeling that the Stony Plain Town Office really isn't interested in helping customers.  I plan on living in Stony Plain for quite a while though at this point I want as little to do with the Town Office as possible.

Another less than happy experience, also related to customer service and the telephone, happened at a Staples store in Edmonton.  I had a single item.  When I am ready to pay, I go to the only open cash register which happened to be at the Customer Service counter.  As the clerk is ringing in my purchase the phone rings.  The young lady answers the phone and spends nearly five minutes helping ANOTHER customer, leaving me standing at the counter waiting for the debit machine.

What I SHOULD have done in both cases is dropped my stuff and walked out.  Let both the Town Office and Staples clerks deal with unfinished transactions.  I could have easily returned to Town Office the next business day or gone to a different Staples.

A night auditor at a Super 8 Hotel in Edmonton has the right idea.  One day while my wife and I are checking in, the phone rings.  She answers, "Good evening, this is Edith, can you hold please?"

The Super 8 clerk then received my payment and handed us our room keys.  Only when she was satisfied that we were taken care of did she go back to the telephone.

I  understand that the telephone at a place of business must be answered.  However it should never be put ahead of a live customer at the desk who was there first.  Conversely if I walk up to a clerk and she is on the phone, I do not expect her to drop the call and help me.

Going forward I am not likely to be doing business with the Town of Stony Plain unless I absolutely have to.  Staples has plenty of locations and my overall Staples experience is good.  I would definitely stay at Super 8 again.