Mental Health Takes a Hit from Bad Customer Service

When you encounter poor customer service, you can be certain that staff morale and well-being are also low. Customer service quality is a direct reflection of executive principles and their business model. Poor service does not bode well for the mental health of employees or the people they are meant to serve. When confronted by shoddy service, it is best to steer clear, both as a customer and a potential employee. These companies are apt to do harm to those who encounter them.

It's not difficult to improve poor service, but it requires pro-active leadership with an intuitive understanding of what service means to both the server and the receiver. It also means investing in and training frontline services as these individuals serve as the ‘shop window’ and are the most effective public relations champions. Often those on the front lines are excellent at their jobs but they work in an unsupported or chaotic environment that undermines their effectiveness.

The Exceptional Service Culture

Having been imbued in a culture of’ exceptional customer service, I’ve seen first-hand how good service affects the customer, staff morale and the bottom line. Providing great service to both the internal and external customer should be a standard expectation of everyone in an organisation. The way you treat your colleagues, other departments, suppliers, customers and those who rely on your cooperation, should mirror how you would like to be treated. Good service raises the bar for the entire company and, ultimately, the industry. It improves internal flow, lessens conflict, and boosts competitiveness, so its value exceeds its price.

People-focussed management cultures encourage employees to be proud of their work by giving them the autonomy to solve problems, which gives them the confidence to use their initiative. They have senior teams that actively listen to and respond to frontline input and feedback, and work collaborately to make the act of service enjoyable.

Hostile service and bad jokes

We are frequently subject to deplorable levels of service. I won’t give any examples, or we would keep one another furiously amused for weeks, relating our respective experiences. The stories of my small circle could fill volumes and read like cruel jokes or bad Monty Python sketches. Even mentioning one, would be jeopardising my mental wellbeing today.

You’ll be familiar with hostile service systems and procedures, as well as employees who adhere like Velcro to unhelpful scripts. I’ve dealt with Complaints Departments in the railways, white goods and fashion industries where staff are affronted if you manage to get through and state your case. They simply can’t handle complaints, either practically or emotionally, so the issue remains un-resolved. I’m sure the designers these systems were given implicit orders to throw all service balls into the long grass.

The psychological harm of poor service

What’s more disheartening is that people seem to accept this mind-bogglingly dire customer service as the norm. I’m curious as to how many people file formal complaints, contact the Ombudsman, refuse to do business with the company or withhold their custom?  Obviously, not enough. Knowing that people will give up, is an operational strategy on which these shady organisations rely. The old adages of a helpless public, such as ‘mustn’t grumble’ and ‘don’t like to complain’ play right into the hands of apathetic businesses, effectively destroying service standards.

In some of the ‘better’ establishments, service is often an exercise in cringe-worthy sycophantic fawning, especially if there are pretentions of being ‘up-market’ or ‘posh’. They simply don’t know how to provide great service, are un-schooled in natural good manners and lack a healthy perspective on service. Where the class system lurks, there is no pleasant exchange between equals.

We are all shattered at the end of the day. I, you the poor person dealing with me, the manager, the people in the queue, the whole stress-inducing catastrophe. I shudder to think how much psychological harm is done every day across the country because of poor service management.

Reputations matter

Employees in public facing positions deserve better job design, better systems, supervision, training and support. Consider the psychological impact of working in an environment where your intelligence, social skills and problem-solving abilities are not valued and where the people you work with are unhappy and your customers irate. Poor service levels must undoubtedly contribute to the country’s mental health crisis.

Some businesses do get it right. We know who they are and love them for it. Employees are encouraged to own their jobs and are supported and valued for the skills they bring to it. These companies have well-deserved reputations for excellent customer service. Customers, employees and shareholders all benefit from a reputation that ensures repeat business.

 Covid and Brexit aside, it is customer service that will determine a company’s survival during difficult times, as people become pickier about where to work and shop. What I’m trying to say is that a happy customer leads to a happy employee, who leads to a happy employer, who leads to a happier world.