Customer Disservice

My friend Andrew and I were talking about how we deal with bad customer service a couple weeks ago. We had both come to the same conclusion that instead of letting a person like that ruin our mood, we should make the most of their bad mood by subtly making it a little worse for our own entertainment.

I told him about this lady at the UPS store in Germantown. I rarely have to come in contact with her, because she never acknowledges customers until they come up to the counter and ask for assistance. Then, she'll acknowledge a customer's existence with a frown and waits for a question.

Usually, all I need to do is get my mail on my own with my key. However, this time, I didn't have my key. I really didn't want to lose my good mood that day, so I decided to make dealing with this lady fun, at least for my self.

Filip was lying asleep in my arms. I asked her if she could get me my mail, since I didn't have my key. I told her the number. She sighed, and went to the back, brought it in, and dropped it on the counter. I propped Filip on the counter as he slept, and went through each piece of mail one by one, just to make sure it was all addressed to me. Being that conscientious about proper mail delivery is not usually my habit, but since she was there waiting for me to leave, I figured I might as well.

Then, she stood at the counter and watched me stack all the mail on top of Filip so I could carry him out. Then she watched me struggle to open the door carrying my purse, Filip, and the stack of mail. I decided that I did not enjoy that enough. So, I dropped my mail and purse back in the car, and came back with just Filip.

I asked her "Did any of my mail accidently get delivered to my sister's mailbox?" I told her my sister's box number.

She said "Your sister?"

"Yeah, when I first got my box, I wasn't married yet, so we had the same last name Jarvis. Sometimes, when you guys sort it, you see something addressed to me with my maiden name, and you throw it in my sister's box" I said.

She responded in an irritated tone "If it's your sister, she will give you your mail."

"No, I really don't see her enough for her to remember to give it to me." I said.

She looked in the back room and said:"She has alot of mail, you will have to go through it yourself."

She came back and dropped it all on the counter. So I went through it one by one. It turns out that there was not any mail misdirected, so I thanked her. Instead of making her stuff all that back in the box, I offered:

"Could I take this mail and drop it off to her?"

She frowned at me and shook her head no. When she came back, I asked her if they offered some services that I knew only the post office offered. I also asked her for directions to the post office.

So, instead of frowning myself, I got to leave that place rather pleasantly diverted. The trick is in the subtlety. Always be polite, and try to be helpful. That way, your antagonistic motive is not revealed.