I don’t know about you but over the years, I’ve noticed a huge drop in customer service standards across the board. From banks, pharmacies, retail, hospitality, bad service is rife.

Sometimes it’s not bad per se, it’s just “inconvenient”. Through its “misguided convenience” it becomes bad because it treats the customer as an idiot. We’re paying more for a service that is frankly, mostly done by us.

Today I went to the pharmacy which is a big name here in Australia and asked if I could book for the covid and flu vaccine. The lady behind the counter was abrupt in responding to my question and told me that I should apply online through the pharmacy’s website to allocate a time.

She didn’t offer to do this herself. (This is the annoying and most deliberate omission to make the customer find the URL on their phone or return home and do it themselves).

I sat down in one of the chairs nearby, took out my phone and looked up the site.

The irony of me trying to use my own phone while being in the pharmacy directly outside the room where the vaccinations were done was not lost on me. This was laziness on the part of the pharmacy assistant to offload her job to the customer.

Unfortunately the site had some glitch. I couldn’t tap on any dates to make a booking.

So I stand up and return to the counter. This time I didn’t address her, but her colleague standing next to her.

“I was told to book my covid and flu vaccination online through your website,” I asked. (The original assistant looking directly at me).

“Yes that’s right,” the second assistant responded.

“Can you show me what I’m doing wrong? The site is not highlighting any available dates” I said turning my phone to show her.

“Oh, that’s the wrong URL. They’ve given you the wrong website. We have a couple of sites but that’s not the one!” (Meanwhile the original lady was now glaring at me as I looked up at her and met her eyes).

She told me the correct website which also had a glitch and then she said that accessing through the mobile sometimes created problems. The desktop version was far better.

(I wasn’t going to return home to fire up my 🤬computer and book this bloody appointment).

Thankfully, this assistant then said the magic words….

Let me book that appointment for you here.

She took my details, gave me the the time and that was it! All done in less than three minutes.

Was it so hard for the first assistant to do this?! (She was looking at me throughout the exchange and had the audacity to say to another customer that he had to wait because her colleague was taking time on the computer putting in my details).

I came home angry and decided that it was time for me to come up with a new plan.

I now have to scrutinise exactly where every cent is going and to whom. (I may need to return to work soon to have an income but that’s another matter).

For now, I’m tired of handing over my hard earned savings to companies that have poor service and treat their customers with contempt through creating INCONVENIENCE. Offloading their job to get us to use their apps, get them to have our emails and phone numbers so they can bombard us with their crappy links to sales and promotions.

When I was in the corporate world, we had preferred panels of suppliers who went through a stringent selection process and whose services we used only.

I decided that I’m now going to create our own Household Preferred Supplier Service List – and use only the trusted people, companies and services on this list.

I dont Uber. I don’t use Amazon. I don’t use apps to order services. I don’t give my email or phone number to have receipts sent to me.

From now on, I’m not going to use the big name pharmacy brands that have bought out a lot of smaller businesses. One criteria will be that I will now explore businesses that have not been acquired by bigger conglomerates and instead go for businesses that are family run, owner operated, local, independent and trusted. I need to get smarter with who my patronage is supporting.

I’m sick of being taken for a ride by big business. No more.

I’ll create a list of services and have these accessible and ready when I need them. I’ll support these ones who provide personalised and exceptional service than the bastards who treat their customers with contempt.