As a member of the elder millennial generation (born in 1981), I’ve been struck by the noticeable decline in customer service at various establishments, particularly those with teenage employees. For example, I’ve experienced extremely slow service at most Starbucks locations. At a local coffee shop, the staff member asked for my order three times yet still managed to get it wrong. Additionally, at a pizza place, my order was misunderstood, and during a return at Marshall’s, I felt shouted at as if I was a burden for simply trying to return a product. Reflecting on my own teenage job experiences, I worked diligently to provide excellent service. I can’t help but wonder what has shifted in today’s workforce. Is there a diminished sense of responsibility? Do young workers lack the motivation to do their best? I’m genuinely interested in hearing if others have experienced similar frustrations.
It’s fascinating to hear different perspectives on this topic. I wonder if the rise of technology and self-service options could also be playing a role in this perceived decline in customer service quality? With more people ordering online and less face-to-face interaction, do you think that businesses might be investing less in personal customer service training? Or perhaps young employees are just more accustomed to digital communication, and this reflects in their interpersonal skills? I would love to hear your thoughts or any other experiences you might have had in different service sectors!
i totally agree with you both. I’ve seen issues in fast food places too. maybe staff turnover is too high and companies aren’t investin’ enough in training. brief onboarding might leave employees underprepared. more focus on employee satisfaction could improve things. happy workers = better service?
I think another factor might be the change in societal norms and expectations. In the past, there was a stronger emphasis on politeness and formal communication, which might have created higher service standards. Nowadays, the societal informalities might be bleeding into work environments. Additionally, I believe that younger employees may also be juggling multiple commitments like school or side gigs, which could affect their job performance and attention to detail. This doesn’t excuse poor service, but it may explain why it happens more frequently.