Where Has Customer Service Gone?
Usually stores and businesses are happy to have customers, and eager to keep those customers. Larger businesses seem to have lost customer service – and empty promises don’t help sooth issues.
Consider Nutella’s discouraging thousands of fans from *supporting* their product! Thousands of people pay tribute to your product and you say “thanks but no thanks”? Tractor Supply says they value customers, but don’t really want to hear what you have to say on those surveys.
Then there’s glowing warm customer service displayed by Tractor Supply. It’s not the first time, and feel good PR seems to be good but not actually dealing with customers.
So after several issues in person, I went to the Tractor Supply Facebook page and left a message.
There was a stack of rabbit feed that for over a month was in the same place at the end of a row, no price, no one who could tell me a price. It’s still sitting there.The box of tomato towers are also in the same place, still not priced – since the 14th when brought to their attention on Facebook. Tractor Supply doesn’t have the ability within six weeks to have any of the employees label these items? Are they too busy on their cell phones?
The powers that be addressed me promptly – “we’ll have someone contact you soon” which is code for “we’ll say whatever we need to and hope you’ll shut up.” Maybe they haven’t gotten done texting and talking to others on the phone yet.
So this last weekend I go in again – yep still no prices. I bought a pair of boots for Scoutman – and when leaving the alarm went off. THREE PEOPLE waved me on…I got out to the car and thought it wasn’t right. Sure enough – ink tag on the boots. Try to break that and it damages the product, then no warranty as it’s suspected stolen. Nice isn’t it? I went back in and had it removed.
Now I know they don’t care about me. They don’t care about breeders who object to being deemed irresponsible (except when buying feed!). The mission statement and “ethics” seems to apply only when Tractor Supply is favored. Treat others with the same consideration we expect for ourselves – it seems that isn’t very high, based on repeated performance. Live up to commitments sounds good – but telling someone they’d get a call “shortly” and weeks later no call and no resolution says otherwise. This is legendary service? I don’t think so, but perhaps I’m picky. Too many businesses seem to think customers don’t matter – and here’s to hoping small businesses will take up the challenge to take those customers. This works well for Jasper Feed when they’re open.
I think over a month to price stock is unreasonable. I think telling a customer that someone would call then no one following up tells loud and clear “shut up and go away.” Is that what’s wanted? If there’s a focus on subsisting off the urban market, fine – don’t represent as being a farm/ranch friendly option. Are their investors happy with this representation? I’d say it’s just this store, but comments on the Tractor Supply Facebook page show it’s not. Maybe it doesn’t matter as long as sales roll in.
But maybe I just think our customers deserve better, so expect better from bigger companies with more people available. Like prices easily seen at Tractor Supply. Clerks who actually listen to customers. Stores where customers matter. The feed store across the street is happy to take up the slack.
Bad Days And Really Bad Days
Over the weekend Connor was battling a cold, which is hanging on. It started with me yesterday, and today napping would be higher on the list of things to do than many other things.
This time yesterday many were debating what to have for lunch, never dreaming it’d be their last. As tornadoes roared through Oklahoma, entire barns of horses were eliminated, along with schools, homes and, sadly, people. Some were children, learning basics in elementary school that they’ll never have the future to use.
May we all be mindful of those who might like to have just a bad day. Worn out from illness beats losing everything to destruction many can’t compare. Just over two years ago we saw that really bad day here. Oklahoma will heal and rebuild – but not be the same. May we remember the lives lost and dedicate ourselves to helping the survivors live.
Including those in our own communities.
5 Reasons We’re Not Amy’s Bakery
By now many have heard, through blog or directly, the business meltdown last week after an Arizona bakery appeared on a television show seeking a chef’s feedback and direction. It was depicted badly, and got worse as it drew unfavorable responses.
I would hope that such a display of obscenities doesn’t come from the agriculture world, but there are areas of frustration I suppose that it could happen. However, that so much of it was directed at the customers left me in awe.
We don’t watch the show Kitchen Nightmares, and although I know who Gordon Ramsey is, what I saw goes beyond nightmare. But there’s key differences in operations. Here’s the first ones I see that I feel strongly about.
1. Owner responsibility. Business owners can blame the workers for only so long. One cannot expect employees to have the same sense of ownership and responsibility as an owner – and it seems if you find one, it pays to hang onto that employee! Even with ownership and responsibility it comes down to who pays the bills. Here, for example, Connor has the responsibility for making sure all rabbits and poultry pens have water…and while that is put to him to do, ultimately it’s my responsibility to insure it gets done. If he misses a bottle or bucket, it’s up to me to say “Hey Connor be sure and fill the doe on the end.” If he doesn’t for days and the doe died, that’s my neglect every bit as much as his. He’s a teenager – as an adult I bear higher responsibility.
2. Customer blame. Comments in all caps telling the public they’re stupid and don’t know what good food is – well it might be the perception but not every perception needs to be verbalized. Retaliating against customers is unacceptable. “The customer is not always right” – unfortunately, no they aren’t but they ARE the ones paying the bill. Too much, waiting too long – I would be upset too. The overwhelm was clear, as was the lack of multi-tasking needed for such an operation.
When we have someone sign up we set a time frame when folks can expect to get their food. Now in agriculture things can happen. There can be delays, and we strive to compensate for that with our time frame. For example, we strive to have holiday turkeys processed in October or November, which means we need to back up the time we start those birds. Depending on the type of bird, it can vary from a few months to five or six months for mature turkeys.
3. Rejecting advice requested. When someone asks us for advice then refuses to take it, it is a waste of time. Honest criticism to improve can be a good thing.
4. Basic business principles. From tips to promising customers something that doesn’t happen, basic principles make a difference. If we tell people we’ll do XYZ then it’s reasonable they are disappointed to receive XDG. If someone orders a turkey from us, it’s dishonest and unacceptable to me to go buy a store bought bird and repackage it. Now some may love the differences in what we produce, and others may not. We expect that. Food choices have consequences as well.
5. Customer care. We all have different levels of expectations based on our own perspective. If I go into a restaurant, I expect food on the table within an hour under normal circumstances. Rather than attack the customer, we strive for clear communication from the beginning. Now it is very likely that Chef Ramsey’s taste and perspective of good food may be different than mine, and most expect a $30 meal to be better than a $10 meal. When we tell you that we’ll have 20 rabbit fryers and 50 meat chickens in June, we should reasonably expect it to happen. Granted storms may affect plans, but reasonable is good.
We cater to a niche market, as does this company and many others. We strive for interaction have an extended application and ask questions to foster clear expectations and communication.
Anything less isn’t what we’re here. With the meats and produce, and food liability, we cannot take it back once delivered, but strive to do the best job possible.
Our customers deserve that.
What Kind of Dog Should I Get?
The variety of dogs available both purebred and crossbred defies imagination. Many things need to be considered and answered to find the perfect dog for you. Here are some articles with general breed guidelines:
Great Dogs for Families with Young Children
10 Top Working dogs for Farm & Home
Best Dogs for a Running Partner
Do some research before getting a dog – whether you live in a rural or urban area. It really is the responsibility for a life – and if you can’t keep a promise to a dog perhaps life re-evaluation is in order. Many discard the older dog – and we should hope folks won’t discard us when we get older.
Picture day – Butterfly
It’s been a busy week – much to do still! So instead of a longer post – keep it simple tonight and sharing one of the beautiful butterflies we get around here. Yes it is alive – and fluttered away shortly after this shot!
Have a great weekend all!
Simplicity & Routine
I recently came across a little book called Simple Pleasures – Thoughts on Food, Friendship & Life by Stephanie Mills. I found a site a while back to read books and give feedback – and found some cool books that I might otherwise not have come across and on topics that interest me.
The title and cover jumped at me so I added a request. It’s not a long read – it’s the kind of “need a break give the mind easy think stuff” book. Enjoyable. It evokes images of the community of a food co-op, cooking in good times and bad, the simple pleasures of good manners and a classy presentation even on a budget.
Then towards the end the author gets into the destruction of the Earth, the hopelessness dark times that things are so bad suicide is an answer. That isn’t embracing simple living in my mind. Overall, it’s a good read for an “escape afternoon” rainy day or afternoon down time, but the darkness doesn’t seem to me to embrace simple pleasures.
Still, it takes all sides to have balance. Routine. Routine can be confining or a comfort, and my nephew Jake did an awesome post recently about routine from a life and martial arts aspect.
After years of following this routine, and with the plan of continuing for a life long commitment, this could be viewed as monotonous torture. But the truth is that there is solace found in routine. Although one should be careful with this feeling.
Within a life of any routine, I feel that too often people confuse comfort with peace in their personal schedules. You should be able to relax your mind within your routine. If life seems too cluttered, fast-paced, and distracting, it is most likely because it is. A routine change might be in store. Cut back on something. Maybe lessen your load or burden for some time. There is no use carrying the world if your body can’t take the stress. The same can be said for your mind. People decide to simply accept the situations and carry on with their routine despite however disheartening and stressful it is. Or they become comfortable owning a routine with low expectations. This kind of routine never pushes the limits of an individual, and makes growth a difficult thing to cultivate.
Wise words. We all have routine. We get up at a certain time, prepare for the day…what we eat, where we go and what we do is often routine. Farmers have routine. We kid ourselves that there’s lots of variety in things to do, and there is – but it’s also routine. Animals must be fed and watered and for those with dairy they must have routine.
Routine. Simple things. Both are needed. Both can be used to find peace of mind. Both should be a part of every life.
Are they part of yours?
If Slaughter Houses Had Glass Walls...
Most people, statistically, eat meat. Many only see what the latest undercover video shows, and never see large operations.
With technology that can change, and here are two videos - one beef, one pork - showing start to finish processing of meat. Warning - this may be graphic for some to watch. It shows the slaughter of pigs and cattle. It is not as horrid as undercover videos portray, but animal lives are ending.
