'I don't know' has got to go

The unpardonable sin of customer service may be summed up in three words: “I don’t know.” Mounted on every wall in every store, office and college dorm throughout the country, if not the world, should be a sign that reads, “‘I don’t know’ with a period on the end is never acceptable. Find the answer.” Teach this rule to young people, and demand they abide by it.

Current culture being what it is, I’m never surprised at poor service, particularly by young people, who have grown up so differently than I did.

Back in the day, people at work didn’t have cellphones out, their heads buried therein. A phone was attached to a wire, which was attached to the wall. People made an attempt at eye contact when speaking to others because we all knew that was polite. “The customer is always right” was almost as well-known as the Golden Rule. We were taught to keep that in mind and behave accordingly. We were also taught to serve others.

Fast forward to today. In a world of growing technology, things are vastly different. Phones are minicomputers that keep people occupied on everything except what is before them. Eye contact is rare. And, for many, being polite is not a priority. We’ve gone, in many cases, from “the customer is always right” to “what customer?”

In just a matter of days, I’ve seen the unpardonable sin in practice by some young folks, who either weren’t taught better or just didn’t grasp the concept.

Me: What’s your return policy?

Her: You need the receipt.

Me: How many days?

Her: I don’t know.

Silence.

It was pointless to wait for her to say more. She was done. I then scanned my surroundings and saw some writing on the wall near her. As Aunt Mary used to say, it was so close, “If it was a snake, it would’ve bit her.”

I then told her her own store’s policy.

Me: There it is on the wall. Ninety days.

I made a few jokes about her ease with saying, “I don’t know,” and I laughed. She chuckled.

She’s young. I’m merciful. It was a light moment.

A few days later at a different establishment, the same unpardonable sin.

I inquired about the store’s policy for a particular purchase and installation.

The young lady’s response: “Now, that I don’t know.”

Kindly, but no-joke, seriously, I said, “I’m sure somebody here knows, right?” Through a series of questions, which I basically answered myself, I learned I could call a specific department to get the information I needed.

I walked away from that experience reminded again that young folks today are quite different from when I grew up. Somehow, they’ve come to believe voicing they don’t know something is acceptable. It is not. “I don’t know” — end of sentence — is just never acceptable. Never. “I don’t know, but I will find out,” however, is not only OK; it shows initiative, concern for customers and potential.

That simple phrase can create longevity in the workforce. It can be the difference between success and failure. We do our young people a disservice by not insisting they learn to serve others well, learn to find the answers they don’t know, learn to communicate effectively.

I’m not sure if things will change for our young people, especially considering the growth of social media, video games and outright disinterest. But we can hope that for their own sakes, they’ll get the picture — sooner rather than later.

Our country is filled with great possibilities, youth who have brightness all over them, but many of them are not able to realize their full potential because they have never pushed themselves beyond the place of inconvenience. They settle for mediocre, often without even realizing they are mediocre. Some wouldn’t care even if they did know.

And some adults are just as bad, but I have noticed that young people whose parents have an old-school mindset, who, themselves, know what it is to push, to embrace personal responsibility in their own lives, tend to raise kids — even in this crazy culture — who do the same.

More of this, please!

People don’t know what they don’t know, though. And some adults are too busy trying to be friends with young people instead of helping them flourish as a result of doing what they have to do to learn what they have to learn. So while some just don’t care to know, others just, well, don’t know they don’t know.

Who’s going to take that young person by the hand, push his phone to the side, look him in the eyeballs, then say, after he’s “I don’t know”ed you, “Well, find out then! I’ll wait”?

Sometimes, love must be tough. And don’t worry if he gets upset: He’ll thank you later.

Adrienne Ross is owner of Adrienne Ross Communications and a former Southeast Missourian editorial board member.