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As many of you who follow me regularly know, late last week I was a flurry of excitement as the warmer weather signaled the return (at least in my snack rotation) of the frozen yogurt cult that is Pinkberry.  A couple of colleagues and I placed an order so that we could have a mid-afternoon snack of frozen yogurt goodness.  When we placed the order we were told that it would be about 20-30 minutes – cool, not a problem, or so we thought.  More than two hours later we were still without our frozen yogurt and the location decided to stop answering the telephone…nice.  Long story short when we did eventually get through, the location really could have cared less and we, in the end, ended up sending it back when it finally arrived more that two hours later as we were getting ready to leave for the day.

To the Pinkberry corporate team’s credit, they did address my comments and concerns and I would later receive an apology and an offer of two free yogurts from the branch manager (which will not be redeemed) – but what was blatantly missing was an acknowledgement and more importantly an explanation from said manager who barely even addressed there was a problem.  I get it, customer service is on the decline and good service seems to be the exception rather than the rule but I do not have to accept it.

I did a post not that long ago about gluten-free companies and the higher-level of customer service that I have consistently received from these companies – large or small.  It was refreshing to note that those companies in the Celiac community have a true sense of customer service and more importantly take a great deal of pride in the products they produce.  Some were new and some had been around for decades but there was pride there and it showed.

Perhaps it is the visions of Mad Men, the classic movies of yesteryear, or hearing stories from my parents that have me blinded and waxing nostalgic for a time where service was the norm and pride was the order of the day.  When walking into a store was an experience versus a chore.  I do not want to be all doom and gloom because I have and continue to receive stellar service at home and in my travels – and those places that provide it continue to get my patronage.  Oh, and this is not just about retail, but across the board from hotels, to airlines, to restaurants and so on.  The decline seems to be across the board.  Perhaps this is why I so relish my trips to Dubai – where poor service just does not fly and you feel like you’ve been transported to another time.  Though having to fly half-way around the world is a bit extreme. 

So I am encouraging all my readers to speak up when something goes wrong or the quality just is not there.  I am by no means condoning being a jerk or obnoxious but if we do not let companies know that we will not tolerate poor service or products – how will they know there is a problem?
 
 
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I am going to take my gluten-free hat off for just a moment and stand on my soapbox briefly (I promise to relate my rant to gluten free living at the end).  I don’t know if it is the craziness of the holiday season but I am beginning (read well on my way to) losing faith in the concept of customer service.  Now, I am not just talking about going into a store or out to dinner but rather what seems to be a plague of the I don’t care attitude that is becoming increasingly apparent in more and more of my daily interactions.

I have come to grips that service will never be what it once was but I just don’t get it.  Perhaps I am just living in a dream world but I personally take pride in what I do in my professional and personal lives.  How does the old saying go – Things worth doing are worth doing right?  I get that times are tough but this noticeable decline came about well before the economy entered the proverbial crapper and quite frankly I am tired of excuses.

Don’t get me wrong – there are still shining stars out there that take pride in what they do but they are fast becoming a dying breed.  So, I suppose I will have to live vicariously through old movies and television shows to return to a time where the concepts of pride and service were not the exception but rather the rule.

So what does any of this have to do with being gluten-free – quite a lot actually.  Since I have started my blog and site I have had the opportunity to virtually meet and deal with many GF companies and brands out there.  What do they all have in common?  They are REAL people who take pride in the products they offer and provide real interaction with their customers and wait for it…customer service.  Yes, many of these companies are small (not all though) but it at least gives me some hope that our GF circles yield people who can hopefully turn a profit but never forget why they are in business.  Sure we are a small (but growing) niche but I am happy that not only can I purchase fantastic GF items but more often than not it comes with a virtual smile…free of charge.