They\u2019re baaaaaack! Those annoying Internet flashing banner ads that disappeared for a while have returned with a vengeance. They make my eyes cross and my head hurt.<\/p>\n
They do not make me think, \u201cOh, that looks interesting. I\u2019d better check it out and see what I\u2019m missing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Same goes for local tv ads that are broadcast at twice the volume of regular programming.<\/p>\n
And do you know anyone who adores automated phone systems?<\/p>\n
Also rating high on my Annoyance Index is my local supermarket. I only shop there for a few things when I don’t have time to run to the delightful Trader Joe\u2019s.<\/p>\n
A few months ago, I noticed something strange was happening at Von\u2019s. Perhaps they hired a customer service consultant who advised them to be more helpful. Or maybe their manager came up with a plan to endear the store to their waning customer base.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not working.<\/p>\n
Under this new policy, I can be browsing contentedly in the store\u2014and then am startled when an employee swoops out of nowhere to ask me if I need help.<\/p>\n
Scaring the daylights out of me is not their worst offense.<\/p>\n
The other day I dropped in to pick up a few items. After I\u2019d paid for them, I was asked, \u201cDo you need help out with that?\u201d<\/p>\n
What I had just purchased was a bouquet of flowers, a bottle of ketchup and an onion.<\/p>\n
An automated question like that doesn\u2019t make me feel like they want\u00a0 to be helpful; it tells me they\u2019re not paying attention.<\/p>\n
Or, perhaps, they are implying that anyone as aged and frail as I am, shouldn\u2019t be trusted getting to their car with such a load.<\/p>\n
In Fromm and Schlesinger\u2019s The Real Heroes of Business<\/i><\/b>, they say, \u201cIf you want to know how to give great service, find people who do it and watch them.\u201d<\/p>\n
If you want to know how to avoid<\/strong> giving great service, watch people who annoy you. Then decide which you want as your role model.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" They\u2019re baaaaaack! Those annoying Internet flashing banner ads that disappeared for a while have returned with a vengeance. They make my eyes cross and my head hurt. They do not make me think, \u201cOh, that looks interesting. I\u2019d better check it out and see what I\u2019m missing.\u201d Same goes for local tv ads that are…<\/p>\n