One thing that drives me crazy is how service people follow a script that someone back at “corporate” developed to supposedly ensure customer satisfaction.
Here’s an example. When you pass the maitre d’ or hostess stand on your way out of certain restaurants, they ask, “How was everything today?” You can tell when they really want to know, but you can also tell when they have been “directed” to do this as part of their “customer service” regimen–they seem to be following a script.
If you’re like me, whenever the service or food was lacking, I’ll actually tell them about it. But too often they are asking me because they’re supposed to, not because they really want to know. So when I start giving them feedback, they really don’t know what to do, much less how to empathize or make it right.
Try it next time you’re leaving a restaurant. When they ask, “How was everything?”, give them some constructive feedback and see if they get that “deer in the headlights” look or whether they come towards you to find out more.