Service With A Smile?

So here's my question, does everyone in the service industry hate their jobs? There seems to be little enthusiasm for serving the customer anymore.  I walk into my 'too big to fail bank' branch to find fifteen people waiting in line for one teller.  Although there are seven other employees standing outside of their cubicles talking football, I am informed that these are 'bankers', not 'tellers.'  Of course, there is not a bank in the country making any loans, so I am now confused as to what today's 'banker' actually does.  But I am promptly reprimanded when I inquire why teller service is offered though rarely staffed, and informed that I should be performing my banking tasks online. They clearly resent my coming into their lobby, and I realize these are not bankers, but bouncers urging me to leave.  It is my money, but THEIR bank. I pay outrageous fees in advance for the privilege of depositing my money, but I work for them, they don't work for me.
 
And then there is the pathetic Post Office.  We purchase, we wrap, we box, and we run to the Post Office to mail our treasures -- all with a Christmas spirit.  Our attitudes are suddenly dampened when we realize we are at the end of a 25 person line with only one postal worker actively clerking at the six person counter.  Has anyone in their life ever seen a post office counter fully manned? After listening to one customer discussing Christmas stamps with the clerk for fifteen minutes, unrest begins to develop in the line.  Meanwhile, our mailing crowd begins exchanging tales of sudden unexplained coffee breaks while throngs await; lunches munched at exactly the busiest time when other workers are using their lunch hour to complete mailings; apathetic attitudes of Federal employees who can never lose their jobs; and the fact that we all fear the power wielded over us by the little old lady postal worker.  Knowing that we might be left totally abandoned by the clerk's dire need for a legislated break, I agree to humbly approach her and inquire about extra help. Again, I am reproached, directed to go to another Post Office that I might like better, and reminded that the postal workers of America have no obligation to serve me efficiently.  The clerk begrudgingly returns to displaying another array of Christmas designs, oblivious to the crowds.

What I dread most are administrative phone calls to the many worldwide call centers for credit cards, phone service, or airlines. In my heart, I realize these folks are hard working and just doing their jobs. They are trained to read a script and not deviate. The fact that they are all out-sourced voices in the Philippines and India who garble their English words, call themselves 'Nancy' and know little about life in the U.S. drives me nuts. I must admit that I hold on tightly to the outdated belief that American companies should be serviced by fellow Americans. Referred to as 'customer service agents,' they will quickly remind us that they work for the 'company' and not for our benefit. The emphasis is on what they cannot do for you, rather than what they can: cannot transfer you to an English speaking person on the mainland, cannot call you back if you get disconnected, and cannot make any decisions in regard to your issue. In fact, after investing 20 minutes into explaining my problem, I am transferred to another department where I start over again.  I have now started gearing up psychologically prior to initiating any of these service related phone transactions.

What happened to the idea that 'the customer always comes first."  What happened to "service with a smile?"  More importantly, what happened to smiling while you are doing your job?   The service industry continues to be a major economic force in the United States.  I suppose the growing lack of competition has contributed to the poor quality of service now rendered. The need for enticing customers to stick with a company seems to have disappeared.  Customer service is an unnecessary evil that must be provided at the lowest cost possible.  But why are the bulk of the customer service representatives always in such a bad mood?  Do they resent me for coming into their bank, buying stamps, or needing help?  I finally resorted to online customer service, only to be presented with pre-packaged prompts and robot chats which failed to address my problem.  I needed to TALK to someone. And, perhaps that is an underlying part of the problem with service today; many people are no longer developing the skills for talking, interacting, communicating or facilitating resolutions verbally with other people.  The many screens that keep us at a distance from others seem to be having a trickle down effect on the service industry.