Customer Service, Government-Styleby
Bill Barnwell
There are a number of well-known differences between the public and private sectors that prompt much philosophical debate. An often-overlooked area is the "customer-service" that these two spheres provide. While private businesses have to at least put on a façade that they are sensitive to customer issues and complaints, the public sector does not exactly have a reputation for strong customer service skills. The reason is they do not have to, and they know there’s little you can do about it. I personally try not to be a difficult individual when I go into restaurants, stores, or wherever. There has to be a really flagrant issue of poor service or disrespect for me to complain. I have a problem with the growing trend of impoliteness amongst people, and a demanding attitude that is abusive to people in positions of service or lesser power. Still though, the opportunity to address complaints to management or to demand good service from providers is a positive check and balance for private business on a whole. The other day I was at a restaurant and the food was taking far too long because of a back-up in the kitchen. This wasn’t helpful for me because I was in a hurry for an appointment across town. When the waitress came to inform me that the wait was going to be longer than usual, I gave a polite response. After all, it wasn’t as if it was anyone’s fault in particular, including hers. Apparently there was some sort of frustration in my eyes that I did not intend to outwardly convey. As a result, the waitress apologized for my inconvenience. The apology was unnecessary but her attentiveness to my situation caused me to offer an even larger than standard tip. I contrast this with just about any visit to any government-run entity. There nobody behind the counter cares about your schedule or whether or not you are in a hurry. While there are always exceptions, as a general rule, government employees aren’t very concerned whether or not you felt you had exceptional customer service. This is nowhere more evident than in airports. The past couple of years my wife and I have done a good amount of traveling to break up our busy schedules. Almost every time I fly, I am always fortunate enough to be stopped for random bag searches. OK, I get that these have to be done, but can you treat me with basic social politeness in the process? Authorities for the TSA stand around the airport looking menacing to everyone who walks by. There’s hardly ever a smile, hardly ever any social niceties, or much else that demonstrates common courtesy. That’s including those working in non-security related positions. Nothing makes me dislike traveling more than being ordered around like cattle by government employees. Customs officials are amongst the worst offenders. I’m sure it’s not very exciting to ask routine questions to hundreds of travelers, but the attitude conveyed by these public officials to regular people would never work in the private sector. In the private sector, people have jobs that have unexciting aspects, or require repeated routine tasks that deal with customers. If their management is smart, they would not tolerate employees treating customers rudely or with disdain. Consumers typically shift their business elsewhere when they have options, choices and can choose to take their business to places they feel offer a better service and/or treat them with basic dignity. The above example involves airports, which can be linked to security threats, hence the need to be "tough." Let’s then move on to something much more mundane: your local DMV or Secretary of State office. Or just about any other government-run office. My experiences in Michigan’s Secretary of State offices, no matter where I’m at in the state, are rarely very positive. What you will often find is long lines and typically slow and rude service behind the desk. The last time I visited to renew my license I was practically yelled at by the person behind a desk for not noticing that they were waving me over from across the room and didn’t get over to her fast enough. The issue is not that government employees who act like this have no feelings or are all-around awful people. They just know their jobs are often not dependant upon the way they treat people, or their jobs correlate in some way to attitudes that are demeaning to others. In the private sector there is financial accountability for employees who mistreat customers. Bad customer service negatively affects sales and business. Thus, it is in the employee’s financial and career interest to treat paying customers well. This is not at all the case when dealing with public sector employees. In fact, even doing things that you are supposedly allowed to do can get you into trouble, like asking for a police officer’s badge number, which just annoys most of them and may invite even more harassment from an officer with a chip on his or her shoulder. The store manager has to at least pretend your complaints are valid and listen to you. The bureaucrat, public sector supervisor, or police chief does not have to offer you the same courteous treatment.
The challenge is for the private citizen not to retreat into anger or resentment, but live by the "Golden Rule" of human kindness in social interactions anyway. For the public employee, the challenge is to treat others with respect, instead of defaulting towards an attitude of power or position, even though your income isn’t dependant upon treating people respectfully. As another general rule, the private sector produces while the public sector consumes. At least show some respect and thanks for those who are paying your salaries. December
2, 2009
Bill Barnwell [send him mail] is a pastor and freelance writer from Michigan. He holds both a Master of Ministry degree and a Master of Arts in Theological Studies degree from Bethel College in Mishawaka, Indiana. Prior to entering the ministry he studied Political Science and Social Science at Michigan State University and Wayne State University and was actively involved in local and state campaigns and consulting. Copyright © 2009 by LewRockwell.com. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit is given.
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the more ironic is that it’s the private citizen who is paying the
salary for the police officer, custom’s official, postal employee,
DMV employee, etc. While these critiques of public officials is
an obvious generalization – yes, we all know there’s exceptions
to these sorts of behaviors – they are seen as generalizations because
this is the "general" experience many citizens report
when dealing with public employees.