Picture: Consumentenbond
Customer service in Dutch supermarkets has declined—automation, understaffing, and rising costs replaced trained staff. Convenience overshadows connection, leaving loyal and elderly customers missing the human touch and personal care.
Customer service management, I obtained my diploma in 1999. I had a fantastic teacher at the time, Huub Scholtes (linkedin.com/in/pacto). This man taught me a lot, and he also had a lot of trouble with me. Yes, I was not the easiest customer.The question that was still going through the minds of many store managers at the time was: “how do I get the customer and how do I retain the customer.” How do I ensure that the customer loads his or her shopping cart and returns? At the time, I thought it was very nice that the supermarkets in question had well-trained and therefore knowledgeable staff. I enjoyed going to the supermarket. Yes, but nowadays?I already wrote a story this week about the costs that delivery services charge us, which in my opinion are completely out of touch with reality. After all, in many cases the service is getting worse (staff shortage?). But look with me at today’s supermarket, “the convenience store.” Many people love that they can shop with a scanner these days. That they can pay at the self-checkout, but almost everyone turns a blind eye to the “disadvantages.” In the village where I live, I saw many elderly people complaining about the humanity that suddenly disappeared from the store. Well, the store became a warehouse with an “exit control”. I also hardly see any adult people in the supermarket anymore, “except for the customers of course”. I heard reports that supermarkets in the Netherlands also pay their younger employees poorly; they used to have to be present for inspection without payment. But what did that add to customer service?In today’s Dutch supermarkets, customers increasingly must do more themselves, receive worse service, and even no longer receive packaging material. Did you know that the plastic shopping bag in the supermarket was one of the most profitable products? Now you can buy a vegetable net at Albert Heijn again?? I spoke to a customer last week who told me that he had taken the incorrectly priced product off the shelf. The customer thought he would receive help from a store employee at the self-checkout so that the product could be paid for. Unfortunately, there was a bored teenager playing with her phone, who was unable to speak to a customer now. The customer walked through the gate and wanted to complain to the service desk in the store. But yes, there was a line of ten customers waiting there. There was a teenager working hard behind the counter, while another teenager mainly looked to the left and right. Isn’t it strange that many customers walk by without paying?
Well, the products are becoming more expensive due to wage increases in the Netherlands. The level of service decreases, and the shareholders become rich! When will we, as simple customers, wake up and start shopping again at the independent shopkeeper on the corner, who will certainly provide more customer service in exchange for his own daily bread
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