Holiday Shopping

Have you ever had the experience of walking through a big box retailer or discount store and found yourself having to get out of the way of an employee because they are too engaged in conversation with another employee or they simply expect you to move because you are in the way?

In our market, there is a marked difference in the customer service displayed between the Wal-Mart and Target stores. In Wal-mart, I have often experienced the put off attitude of a store employee who believes, or at least acts as though my mere presence is an inconvenience. When shopping in Target however, I have often encountered employees who not only are courteous, but often inquire whether or not I am finding what I need.

Now, I realize that the economy as of late is driving many of our purchase decisions, but is the pressure enough to tolerate poor service in order to pay the lower price? Is it beneficial in the long run to reward the poor performer with our purchase dollars?

MoneyInstructor.com has a great article that offers five steps to customer service. While each step is pretty thorough and may not apply to the store employee in every instance, the basic principals of being friendly, honest and professional apply no matter the location.

As we are on just about to embark on the busiest shopping season of the year, many of us will find ourselves in stores more often than usual, encountering more store employees. Is it important enough to you to choose a store according to the level of service you get or do you demand quality service and respect before you will spend your money? Post a comment below and tell me what you think.