April 25th, 2024: Customer Service?

Good customer service seems to be increasingly rare nowadays. It's easy to attribute everything to COVID, but it feels like it's eroded both common sense and common decency. Prices are rising, yet the quality of service is declining.

Recently, while enjoying tea with friends, one of them didn't receive the correct order. When she brought it up to the server, they actually argued with her, insisting they had gotten it right. It seems there's a lack of training in both taking orders accurately and in believing that the customer is always right.

Flying is no exception. In the past, apologies for flight delays were common, but now it seems gate staff almost expect delays, as if it's the airline's prerogative.

Why share these thoughts? It's a reflection on how serving one another has diminished in our culture. We're resistant to change and often believe we're always in the right. Considering others' needs proactively seems to be a lost art. Everything comes with a price tag these days. And tipping before the food is even served, while we wait in line, begs the question: is it really about COVID, or is it something deeper?

“Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.”

Ephesians 6:7-8