A Little Service

As a pretty easygoing guy, it takes a lot to cause me to become irate. And the things causing “irateness” in me are probably the same events ticking off the vast majority of the population: people zooming past a line of cars and then trying to force their way in near the front.  Other examples include water fountains and clocks that don’t work, an eyelash getting in my eye (drives me batty!), and spilling something on my clothes.  These are just some of the things leading my list of life irritations. But number one on the list would have to be a lack of customer service in a store or restaurant.

 I jokingly asked for “a little service” at my favorite dry cleaners when I walked in the other day.  The counter staff was busy in the cleaning section and one of the attendants stated “a little service” was exactly what I would get. We were both kidding and I always get top notch treatment from the folks at Wheeler’s Fast Service, but his comment would fit well at some of the establishments in our region. Or instead of “a little service,” maybe “no service” would be an accurate description.

 While I know that Oakey’s is not perfect and we have “dropped the ball” on occasion, our staff attempts to blanket each family served with kindness, compassion, and detail. This is what we have been known for and what we still strive to give on a daily basis. So I think what really irks me is giving 110% all day at work and then venturing out to other businesses in town that ignore and neglect me, as well as other patrons walking through their doors. Sometimes I actually feel as if I am bothering the waiter or person behind the counter. Case in point: I needed a new pair of good shoes on Saturday and began making my way into various shoe stores in our community. Now it is certainly not the fault of Rack Room, Joseph Banks, or anyplace else that I require a size seven and a half shoe; in fact, even though I did not find a pair to buy in those two stores, they both gave good customer service. However, my visit to one of the “anchor” stores at Tanglewood Mall was just the opposite. After perusing the men’s shoes for ten minutes and waiting for someone (anyone!) to help me, I approached a male employee who was doing nothing in the ladies shoe department and asked for some help. By the pained look on his face, you would have thought that I was asking him to blacktop and line the parking lot outside. His poor attitude and unwillingness to look for a pair of shoes in my size had me back in my car on the way out to Valley View in a matter of minutes. A big “thank you” to the guy at the Macy’s shoe area, who was knowledgeable, courteous, and put a smile on my face even as I forked over $70 for a snazzy looking pair of seven and a half’s! Think I’ll go back into the Tanglewood store anytime soon?

 Lessons such as this reinforce the core value in my chosen profession…service. It’s nice to have shiny limousines and hearses, modern and well kept funeral chapels, and finely, manicured grounds at the each of Oakey’s five chapels.  However, all of these amenities are worthless if each and every person entering our doors are not made to feel welcome, appreciated, and properly taken care of. As long as I’m part of the team at Oakey’s, families will not get “a little service.”  They will get a lot.

~ by oakeys on June 20, 2009.