Avis customer service survey

[dak4n6]

I have traveled extensively for the last 5 yrs for business using rental cars (Philly to DC), and have always used the same Avis location. During that time, their service has gone from enthusiastic first name greetings (both ways), where I didn't need to show my license or credit card and just verbally told them the final mileage upon return, to always not knowing the person behind the counter, being greeted with "hello sir", having to show my credentials, and waiting while they went to check the mileage in spite of the fact that I tell them.

I received a request for a satisfaction survey from Avis and couldn't wait. I copied my reply when they asked why I gave them a '4' overall:

Treat and pay your employees better. I have been in the workplace for 40 years as a worker and manager, and I can recognize beaten down spirits when I see it. I have been renting from this particular location for many years, and recently I have seen many many workers come and go in quick succession. The high turnover is a very revealing sign. Pay your executive managers less, pay your front line workers more, and treat them like human beings. You will then start to see better response from your customers. It really is that simple.

These are the exact same symptoms as at the workplace I just left. Horrible morale, and abusive management. When will upper management ever learn you can't get good performance by paying themselves exorbitant salaries and beating on the front line workers? That old joke is very apt: "The beatings will continue until morale improves". You get good performance by nurturing, mentoring, and taking care of your front line workers. Working people are not ants or drones.

[billchao]

12 hours ago, dak4n6 said:

Pay your executive managers less, pay your front line workers more, and treat them like human beings. You will then start to see better response from your customers. It really is that simple.

This is a good point you bring up. A lot of companies see their low level employees as interchangeable because they tend to come and go. While these types of jobs will generally have a higher turnover rate than more career-oriented positions, part of the problem is self-fulfilling prophecies. They tend to treat these people as expendable because that's how they view the positions and the employees feel unappreciated as a result.

Low level employees are important in the service industry. They're the faces of your company. Customers interact with front line workers, not high level executives.

[imsys0042]

Completely agree with the OP.   Not just in what is considered lower level service jobs.   The division I work for in a large company has made it very clear from upper management that people are fungible and expendable and that they don't think that people will make more money elsewhere.    They were wrong  

Headcount is down 25% - 40% in a lot of areas.  And it's harder to get things done, a lot of experience left the building.   

The situation with Avis that is described above is typical in a lot of places.  People who were there longer made more money, typically, so to reduce costs they were let go or forced out.  People that don't know it as well are hired and the entire level of service goes down.  Very sad.  

[Patch]

Yep. Take care of your employees, and they will take care of your customers. 

[iacas]

6 hours ago, Patch said:

Yep. Take care of your employees, and they will take care of your customers. 

Eh.

Not to you in particular, but there's obviously a contrary point to be made. I don't go to McDonald's expecting incredible service. I go because (ostensibly) I know what I'm going to get with the food and it'll be relatively inexpensive.

Pay the low-level people more and you're going to have to charge customers more (or make less money, but good luck with that one). I'd often rather trade service for savings, because I don't really let the brief service interactions I have greatly affect my life, while a 10% or even 5% increase in the cost of the services would affect my life.

I appreciate good service, but often, for stupid stuff like this, I'm not willing to pay a lot more for it. McDonald's employees, Avis counter agents… they're not doing anything special. There's no real skill set there. Why should they make $35k/year? More?