Employee incompetence: Is it just me? [Vanity]

FR | 10/11/2020 | self

[logi_cal869]

The past few weeks have exposed me to an abnormal level of incompetence displayed by private businesses' employees.

The icing on the cake was when I recently had a flat tire and discovered that my mini-spare was defective, told that the only one - without paying >$150 for a new one - was 45 minutes away at a wrecking yard. I make the drive, only to discover that the spare is BLOWN (they never checked it).

To make matters worse, another employee at the nationwide firm 'helped' me to find one with the same bolt pattern off of a different car. Since I'm a gearhead, mechanic, nerd, technician and engineer at heart (plus former business owner), I was sharp enough to check the bolt pattern before leaving without 'trusting' him or their computer.

WRONG BOLT PATTERN. The idiot couldn't even type in my car stats correctly and/or click the right button in their app. >99 out of 100 would have only found out at the most inopportune time when they needed the spare.

This follows a chain of over a couple dozen events leaving me shaking my head wondering HOW IN THE WORLD these idiots remain employed in a market under which employers pretty much have pick of the crop. It appears to be getting worse, customer service apparently taking a backseat to business priorities as well (why worry about customer service when you've been labeled an 'essential business' by your government? /s). It's like businesses are treating jobs as a sort of welfare. With so many businesses closing their doors, it's almost predictable that it would get worse, but I only noticed it sometime in the past month and it appears to be getting worse.

Is it just me? Not asking to be flamed; it's a serious question, seemingly another one of those 'law of unintended consequences' effects of government (mandates). I've not seen anyone else positing similar experiences here or elsewhere...

Btw, free advice: "IF" your vehicle has a spare tire, compel the tire company rotating, replacing or repairing your tires to remove & CHECK THE SPARE TIRE. My spare tire 'experience' of late cost me over 7 hours of wasted time. Again, free advice.

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

Fact

[who_would_fardels_bear]

This is the sequence of events that I've noticed since the 70's:

1. American businesses primarily led by patriotic Americans who worked their way up in that business and knew it inside and out.

2. American businesses primarily led by people who worked their way up in that business and knew it inside and out, but were not necessarily patriotic, i.e. they had no qualms about sending work to foreign countries or hiring legal or illegal aliens to do the work here.

3. American businesses primarily led by financial types with no emotional ties to America.

What does this mean? It means that every decision that a company makes is now purely financial.

Is there a lot of shoplifting in your store? Would it be more expensive to hire more guards to prevent it? If yes, then allow the shoplifting.

Does your employees' incompetence result in lost sales? Would it be more expensive to train the employees or be more careful in hiring better employees? If so, then continue to hire incompetent people.

Everything now is a calculation. It is no longer about providing good service and good products at a reasonable price. It is now about maximizing ROI (Return On Investment).

Circuit City had better than average employees who knew the products they sold. They got paid more and Circuit City products were a bit more expensive. However, if you bought something there you were more likely than not going to be happy with what you purchased.

If all you cared about was the lowest price then you went to Best Buy.

Fast forward: Circuit City gets bought up by financial types, fires all of the good employees, hires incompetent ones at lower salaries and now tries to compete with Best Buy. Circuit City soon goes Chapter 11.

Ex-airline pilots used to run the airlines. Gear heads ran automotive supply companies, etc. Now it's just Harvard MBAs looking at Excel charts.

But what else can they do when the SJW teachers' unions and college profs are putting out low quality graduates that are interchangeable.

ROI is king, which I guess in French would translate to:

ROI est Roi!

[logi_cal869]

You get what you pay for.

Um, no. Normally, perhaps, but this is not "normal". In this environment it's not that simple. In my OP I stated my view, which is that government mandates upon what is "essential" may be responsible.

Nearly every retail experience in the prior number of weeks has been met with some manner of incompetence...with few exceptions.

The exceptions are always small, locally-owned businesses...an endangered species

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

The exceptions are always small, locally-owned businesses...an endangered species

Yes, because they understand how valuable their customer service people are.

The big boys just don't.

That is a big part of the reason you are getting a don't care attitude from the employee. They expect to be moving on in a few months so they don't care.

At best this is a food money job. At worse they are doing their hours so they can go back on unemployment.

Small local businesses the employee has been there for a bit and understands the business. They understand that keeping you happy means the doors stay open.

In the chain business that connection is not there. They get paid no matter what and if the place closes what of it?

[Paleo Pete]

Now why didn’t I think of that?

The one I had was a 76 El Dorado. Only thing that didn’t work was theat compressor. Had a 78 a couple of years later, it did work but I never thought of pulling it and using it as a stand alone unit. I bet it would work great. Like those old land yatchs.

Next time I get a reason to go by the U Pull It yard I might look for one. 2 hour drive though, have to have a good reason to make the trip. (Shreveport)

[Paleo Pete]

While that does make sense, I made the comment because I have seen a couple of bikes with inch wide wear strips right down the center of the tire. Not sure if it would do the same if underinflated, being round and not flat, and of course you’re right, handling would definitsely be affected.

[logi_cal869]

FYI, 30 years ago they soaked me for $30 for it, a lot of dough at the time; I’ll hope the price isn’t adjusted for inflation these days for you. Nice compressor.

[bert]

Business exists to make a profit

Absent profit, there is no business

[Paleo Pete]

That is a lot. U Pull It has decent prices, rear window for the PT Cruiser was $30. Priced it locally, $50 at regular junk yards. For $10 in gas Icould make the trip and get it cheaper after the gas.

Of course I ran around half the day poking around in pawn shops, gotta ogle guns and guitars, burned a half tank of gas then found out it’s not cheaper in Louisiana any more. Their democrat governor (Jon Bel Edwards) has hit LA with the greatest tax hike in the history of the state. In 2016 gas was 30 cents cheaper, now 9 to 24 cents more. And didn’t find a thing I wanted to buy...Except a drink...

[central_va]

American Business exists to make a profit using American labor and resources. Go outside the USA for those then be ready to suffer political ramifications and/or import duties. FACT.

[CodeToad]

It seems as though people have stopped giving a sh*t. Places I used to frequent I have abandoned for no service.

[Jim W N]

What does your company do?

[Jim W N]

Or rather, what does your company do and who are your major competitors for products and personnel?

[riri]

I made an appointment yesterday. I said, "Wednesday at 12:30"

She said "Tomorrow at 1:30"

I said "Wednesday at 12:30"

She said "Wednesday at 1:30"

I said, "No, Wednesday at 12:30"

She finally said "Wednesday at 12:30"

I am going to call today and confirm, hopefully someone else will answer.

It's rampant. It scares me to be driving on the road with these people.

[bert]

So, you finally showed up and if you pay attention you will see that most here oppose all you have to whine about.

Especially good was Gen Blather’s post about nearing full employment. He knows.

You don’t

[AppyPappy]

We used to go to Burger King late at night because the food they gave you was completely random. A former employee told us it was due to stoned employees not knowing how to read.

[AppyPappy]

A friend of mine is the “person who knows what to do” at a Medicare help desk. There aren’t many of them

[who_would_fardels_bear]

Thank you central_va.

Quick, clear response to the typical libertardian simplistic nonsense.

[The Westerner]

Did you ever read “Atlas Shrugged”? The answer to your question was the theme of the 1957 novel written by someone who came of age during the Communist Revolution, fled the Soviet Union for freedom in America only to find “it’s happening here.” This book was her warning to us.

[mad_as_he$$]

My experience with fix-a-flat is unsatisfactory. I carry tire plug kit now instead.