Opinion: Customer service today: Expect less, pay more — with complications throughout

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Over the years, we customers have had to adjust to less and less in-person service, more AI (which is definitely artificial intelligence) and figuring things out for ourselves, while paying more for what we are buying.

Customer service refers to the assistance an organization offers to its customers before and/or after people buy or use its products or services. I would like to expand that definition to include making it easier for people to afford their products by offering easy-to-use sale prices and discounts and maintaining human contact when we check out.

In the good old days, we’d see a sign in the grocery store that read “2 for $7” and it meant that you could just buy one and pay the sale price of $3.50. That still happens in some stores like Lunds & Byerlys and sometimes Cub, but Target has adopted pricing displays that advertise, for example, “2 for $10” in large print — with “when you buy 2” much smaller. Especially for seniors or others with vision issues, that small print can be easily missed, especially if it is on a lower shelf. And many make the assumption the old practice has continued.

For the most part, Cub often makes it easy to get sales prices by using the Cub card that it scans. Lunds makes it easy as well by having you type your phone number into its payment terminal. I’m sad, however, that Lunds no longer mails out its weekly sales brochure. I miss circling items when I make up my weekly shopping list.

I don’t like, however, when Cub has sales for “5 in a category.” I swear I get my week’s worth of exercise finding all those “in category” items and then realizing that I’ll end up spending $20 more to buy all five items I don’t really need.

But another practice that makes it difficult for customers is when stores start using digital coupons or apps that you must use to get a discount. With all the hype about diversity, equity and inclusion, these practices totally exclude people who don’t have access to the internet or a smartphone or don’t have an expensive enough smartphone that has enough memory to hold apps for every store they visit. That is still my case.

The other practice I hate is going to self-checkout. I was at a big-box store the other day and there was only one cashier and that line was backed up. After waiting for the line to move, I ended up trying the self-checkout line. Unfortunately, that was backed up as well. People were ignoring the “10 items only” sign and checking out carts full of items. The staff wasn’t paying attention to that, so I doubt they’d ever know if someone just moved an item directly into their shopping bag and skipped the scanner. When I finally got to a register, my first two items scanned well, but the machine couldn’t read my third item and a message said a clerk was on the way.

At that point, I’d had it. Two long lines and then the machine didn’t work — which often happens with self-checkout lanes where staff is standing by to assist. I pulled my cart to the side and walked out of the store — steaming mad. It confirmed my belief that I can expect less and often pay more.

Instead, I went to my favorite store that still remembers what customers need and want. It doesn’t have any self-checkout lines. Their shelves are always stocked. Sales prices are clear and don’t expect multiple purchases to get the sales price and don’t use complicated apps. Plus you usually get an additional 11% discount. True, you have to mail in the rebate coupon and you have to use the rebate check at the store, but to me it’s much easier than the other options. I also enjoy the piano player on the second floor, helping me to calm down while I save big money at Menards.

Recently I learned that Discount Tires will put air in your tires — for free. When my tire was flat again in two days, I stopped by and they offered to patch it. I asked how much. Free! Love them!

I’m glad at least some stores keep the human touch and makes life easier in this stressful, expensive world we are living in.

Pamela Pommer is a lifelong resident of Bloomington and is retired.