When my husband had a routine physical in December, his physician recommended a colonoscopy. When he tried to schedule the procedure, the center told him it had an opening in early April—literally three months later.
When we experienced internet issues on the Eastern Shore, the company (that shall remain nameless) first directed me to a Chat session. After 45 minutes when that went nowhere, I asked to talk to someone. I received a phone number and was put on hold for eight minutes. When I finally spoke to a person, that person asked me to do the same procedures that I was directed to perform via the Chat. After 20 minutes, it was determined that we required a service person to come to the house to analyze the situation. The bad news is that no one was available for seven days. When I asked to be put on a list should there be a cancellation, they said fine. Of course, no one called to say the wait time would be reduced. Approximately 10 days later, the situation was resolved.
When my husband and I invited friends to be our guests at a favorite restaurant, we were seated on an outdoor patio. No waiter appeared to even offer us water for about 20 minutes. The wait between courses seemed endless. A 20 percent tip was automatically added to the bill.
At some shops on the Eastern Shore, when you select an item from a shelf and bring it to the counter to pay, you are automatically asked if you want to add a tip. I guess the tip is to thank the shop for giving you the privilege of paying a hefty fee for a loaf of bread.
Our dinner delivery was scheduled to arrive in 45 minutes. It arrived an hour and 25 minutes later.
My eye appointment was scheduled to begin at 3:15 pm. At 4:30 pm, I was called for the beginning of the consultation.
I could go on with countless examples, but you get my drift. Customer service has gone to hell in a handbasket in this country. So why is that so? Here are some key reasons for declining customer service.
Many companies regard customer service as a cost center to be minimized rather than value-added, resulting in reduced investments in staff training and retention.
An over-reliance on automation and AI often prevents customers from talking to a human which leads to frustration and unresolved issues.
High employee turnover caused by noncompetitive pay and benefits and understaffing results in fewer experienced employees available to provide customer support.
Many companies have moved customer support to international call centers which can cause communication barriers.
Employees are often restricted by limited scripts and have limited authority to solve problems causing long hold times and repetitive unproductive conversations.
In some sectors, low competition removes the incentive for companies to invest in superior service.
On the Eastern Shore, there appears to be a worker shortage in such areas as seafood processing (crab picking), marine trades, hospitality, healthcare, childcare, retail, housekeeping, and landscape maintenance. Key drivers in these shortages include the seasonal nature of some work, an aging workforce, and visa limitations.
So, what’s to be done to improve the situation?
First, customers should demand effective customer service. If you don’t get it, let it be known that you are dissatisfied and plan to take your business elsewhere.
Here’s what companies can do.
Promote a service-oriented culture. Use technology for efficiency and active listening to obtain customer feedback.
Respect your employees as essential members of your team. Empower them with training which offers multi-channel support to personalize interactions and proactively meet customer needs.
Thank your customers for their continued loyalty. Show your gratitude through special offers and discounts.
Use surveys and other tools to gather customer feedback and customer satisfaction. Study complaints and feedback and whenever possible implement corrections. Follow up with customers after an issue has been resolved to ensure customers are satisfied.
Offer satisfaction guarantees that promote trust and improve the overall customer experience.
Train your employees to focus on empathy, problem-solving, knowledge of products and services, and positive attitudes.
Use data to track metrics and monitor problem-solving resolution rates and customer satisfaction.
Include a list of frequently asked questions on your website with answers that include helpful hints and quick fixes.
Examples of companies that have high ratings in customer service and customer satisfaction include Amazon, Apple, Ritz-Carlton, Trader Joe’s, Chick-fil-A, Nordstrom, and Disney.
Dear readers, if you have examples of Eastern Shore establishments with superior customer service, please share them in the comments section. The establishments cited will appreciate the recognition. And perhaps such positive press will motivate other local companies to follow suit.
Walmart’s founder Sam Walton once said, “There is only one boss—the customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else.”
As consumers, we must demand better service, particularly when considering the rising costs of goods and services. Let’s hope that service providers heed the call and recognize that stellar customer service can be a significant game changer in today’s environment.
29 Responses
Customer service reflects the structure of the local economy. In a place with real competition, businesses have to earn repeat customers. In Talbot County, that pressure barely exists in many sectors.
The County’s economic development strategy is focused on preserving waterfront tourism and controlling what new activity is allowed. Commercial zoning is scarce, and subdivision rules restrict workforce housing and the labor pool. The result is a constrained market where new businesses struggle to enter and existing ones face very little competition.
That benefits established interests, but it comes at a cost. Fewer choices mean customers have less leverage. Service declines because there are limited alternatives, not because people suddenly forgot how to run a business.
The current draft to the economic plan continues in the same direction. It prioritizes scenery and preservation while actively opposing opportunity for new businesses or local entrepreneurs. That approach may protect existing waterfront tourism businesses, but it also limits growth and competition.
If Talbot County is serious about improving the customer experience and strengthening the local economy, it needs to address the structural barriers it has created. More flexibility in zoning, more room for new businesses to start and grow, and a realistic approach to workforce housing would do more to improve outcomes than another round of restrictive language.
Right now, the system favors extraction over competition. That is a policy choice, and it shows up in everyday experiences.
Mary,
Thank you so much for your substantive and informative comment. Much appreciated.
You surely do not see Dr. Ghodsi’s practice. I have never waited for an eye appointment with any of the providers. I work in a local grocery store. Guess how many self check outs? Zero!!!!
Sharon, so glad to hear you have experienced some stellar customer service. I am happy to report that my eye doctor appointment did not occur on the Eastern Shore. Thanks for writing
I agree 100% Maria. I think the first time that observed a tip jar at a takeout counter was more than 20 years ago. It was at a Dunkin Donuts in NJ (now only Dunkin). I purchased a coffee and a donut. The young lady had to pivot & spin around on her heels to grab the donut and probably expected some tip for the spin & grab.
Sorry, no tip was donated.
Connie,
Those of us in the county who have to rely on Breezeline are very envious! We have marginal, expensive service, very poor technical help online and on the phone, and long wait times on the phone and on appts. I have spent hours many days on hold and being shuffled from person to person, usually in another country with little to no knowledge of the systems.
Occasionally a real, live English-speaking person comes on the line and actually is helpful, but that is about 10% of the time. The local techs, when one finally comes, are usually well trained, but the process of getting one out is arduous. But, as Maria suggests, when one company has a monopoly, the results are usually unpleasant. Kudos to Easton Utilities for being the exception . . . from what I hear! I’d love to find out personally without having to move to Easton!
Bob, thanks for writing. Much appreciated.
I’m sorry that your experiences have not been satisfactory. My husband and I have not had the problems you’ve encountered. The stores we go to and restaurants where we dine all provide us with excellent service. The same with places that provide our medical needs. Our wait times are short, and if we need to schedule a medical procedure, the scheduling service calls us in a few days. If there’s a problem, it should be brought to someone’s attention so it can be looked into.
Suzanne,
Thanks for writing. So glad that you have experienced excellent customer service. That’s great to hear.
Suzanne, we’re with you. We have experienced very few issues with attitude, quality of service, wait times or anything else of that sort in the past twenty-five years of being here. On the contrary, if you treat people in service businesses kindly, they almost always do the same. Even our Breezeline experience has been good – almost no interruptions in service and helpful reps the few times we have. They even came about seven years ago and replaced all of our original 2002 fittings and connectors at no charge and recommended a router for us to purchase instead of paying them. Our neighbor, a woman in her seventies who works part-time at a local shop, has been sharing the flip side of this issue with us for several years: rude people who don’t pay attention or think things through, are pushy, or expect you to do what they say just because they are “the customer.” I certainly get it and sympathize with those who have negative experiences and expectations, but we have rarely had that happen to us in our twenty-five years here and so I want to give a shout-out to the folks in the service industry on the Eastern Shore!
I wish we could say we had excellent Breezeline service. Just in this Month of April we’ve had 2 service calls. Over Easter weekend we were without TV & Internet for 5 days. Only on that 5th day could they schedule service! However, the service tech was very good, considerate, and helpful. He also came for the 2nd Service call. I wish I’d keep track from the beginning with Atlanticbb-now Breezeline(14 yrs) the number of outages and Service calls; dozens.
The real issue is NO competition. And we don’t foresee that in the near or far future.
Nevertheless, we love the Eastern Shore and St Michaels. To us, it’s God’s Country, and offers so much more than overseas
(the Western Shore).
As a customer of Easton Utilities I can attest to their excellent service. It’s polite and friendly. Their response time is amazing.
And their CEO acknowledges weaknesses and mistakes and takes steps to correct.
It’s a shame if you don’t live in their service area.
Kudos to Easton Utilities!
I was going to write the same letter of praise for Easton Utilities. When we bought our house 30+ years ago, it was not in town so I made sure it was serviced by Easton Utilities. They are the best!
Anne, thanks for acknowledging Easton Utilities excellent customer service. Much appreciated.
Connie, I have heard wonderful things about Easton Utilities. Thanks for writing and acknowledging their excellent customer service.
I appreciate being urged to cite local Eastern Shore establishments where we have received excellent customer service. We find exemplary customer service at Out of the Fire. We experience notable and quality customer service at many other restaurants as well including Scossa and Docs as well as many others. Having worked much of my life in hospitality I can say that seeing those serving us as our neighbors and friends and not just in their serving role creates a springboard for positive interactions. We are regularly thrilled with the hospitality received here on the Eastern Shore which allows us to forgive the occasional mishap. Love it here!
Roger, thanks for writing. I was just at Out of the Fire yesterday for lunch and I agree. The service was excellent. Scossa and Docs are also two great examples.
To me, it makes no sense to blame service problems on zoning and economic development plans. That’s like blaming the problem on highway planning. Ms. Grant’s inventory of issues well explains the sources of the problem.
The area in which I beg to differ with Ms. Grant is that I’ve not experienced nearly as much poor customer service locally as she has. I see the same eye doctor as Ms. Burns (see above) and I never wait. Nor do I wait for my dentist or my cardiologist, and health care providers. I’ve had great experiences at Easton Hospital. Easton Utilities is very helpful, and on and on.
There are serious shortages of doctors, waitstaff, technical experts, store clerks, etc. But the people here are almost always courteous and do their best in challenging situations. At least that is what I experience in Easton.
The worst customer service I’ve experienced is with national firms that use AI to prevent you interacting with a person who has authority to help you. That’s going to be an issue that is only going to get much worse.
Michael, thanks for writing. Some service complaints that I mentioned in my article were not local complaints. I was talking about service throughout the U.S. I have had some issues on the Eastern Shore as well however. I am glad to hear that you have had some positive customer service on the Eastern Shore.
I have encountered excellent customer service in many establishments…Bistro St. Michaels, Corah’s Corner, Big Mack’s Kitchen, Ruse, Blue Heron Coffee, Blue Crab Coffee, Dental Choice, Dr. Stranahan’s office, Choptank Community Health, Italian Piazza, Accanto, all of the Blue Point Hospitality businesses, Out of the Fire, Rise Up Coffee, Agave Juice, The Lumberyard, Talbot Ag Supply, Miles River Marine, Bay Hundred Automotive, The Village Shop, The St. Michaels Market, Wishing Well Liquors, Mid-Shore Veterinary, Easton Utilities, All Pets Veterinary, Come by Chance, Bloom Salon (Cameron,) Lizzy Dee’s…all are a testament to the wonderful small town living of the Eastern Shore. I am sure that I have forgotten to mention someone!
Katie, thanks for writing and for mentioning specific establishments where you have had excellent service. It’s good to hear.
Dr. Ghodsi and Dr. Matthew Fischer are two excellent physicians who never make you wait; Dr. Phillips at Dental Choice is also very prompt; Shore Health’s Diagnostic Center is very efficient as is Easton Utilities. I have no significant customer services complaints in the 25 years I have resided here. And, oh by the way, we love our small towns and rural countryside.
Jane, so good to hear you have had excellent customer service. That’s great news.
I live in the Township of Easton and pay Township taxes but am unable to have Easton Utilities Electric – only TV, and internet. We also have no snow removal, leaf removal, no sewage, water or gas. Customer service often depends on politicians deciding who get what!
Jan, thanks for writing. Sorry you have experienced some service issues. Let’s hope the situation improves. I’m a strong believer in calling out great examples of excellent customer service to motivate other establishments to improve their game.
While there are problems with poor customer service in this country it is not universal.
I have had multiple experiences of outstanding customer service. Some are local and some are not.
Easton Utilities always provides prompt and outstanding IT support as well as electric and water service.
There are medical providers where my the wait time from arrival for appointments rarely exceeds a few minutes.
There are several local restaurants with excellent food, reasonable prices, and staff that are prompt and friendly.
A local business that provides copy, printing and mailing services always provides helpful, fast, reliable, and courteous services.
The local hardware store has “problem solution providers” who specialize in finding items ranging from a single screw to made in America Maryland and American flags.
After purchasing a new washer and new dryer at a “big g box” store, I filed a complaint because the delivery crew did not install the new dryer as advertised which led to a bill from an electrician. I was reimbursed in full for that unexpected cost.
At the local branch office of a national cell phone provider local customer service representatives have regularly provided help at no cost.
Last but not least, I needed a mortgage interest statement from our bank for income tax filings. A call to the toll-free customer service line was answered immediately, and I received a secure email with a copy of the statement.
There are numerous establishments providing good customer service as standard operating procedure. Seek and you can find them. When you do, reward them with repeat business as often as you can. They deserve that and it helps to affirm that good customer service has not gone completely off the rails in this country.
Shelley Reel, Easton
Shelley, thanks for writing and for your excellent advice on what to do when you receive excellent customer service.
I have apologized to wait staff on behalf of their superiors. I had an exceptionally long wait for grocery pick up at HT. I pulled up as far as I could with two vehicles ahead of me and a string of vehicles behind me that extended to the door at the other end of the building. I watched an unfortunate young woman sprinting from car to car to get the customers name to match it with the order. I finally moved all the way up as I could (and still remained in line. When the young woman got to me I got out of my vehicle and helped her. She was harried but still very pleasant in greeting me and THANKING ME FOR HELPING!? I know they are not supposed to take tips but even though I waited MORE THAN AN HOUR I pressed a five dollar bill into her hand which she tried to refuse. I told her It was my way of apologizing to her for the management treated her by failing to adequately have the pick up service staffed. I told her that in ‘my day’ when management knew they were understaffed management got off their duff and pitched in. Today there is far to much ”it’s not my job.” Also, far too many young people who were never taught to say please and thank you and also were taught they are ‘entitled’ i.e. show up and hang around for the paycheck …aka a handout.
Pam, thanks for writing. Let’s hope HT reads your comment and springs to action to improve the situation. That wait sounds extremely frustrating. Also kudos to you for pitching in.