Customer Service in Russia

In the Soviet times, the customer service in most shops, laundries, repair shops, cafes, restaurants, and travel agencies was inadequate. Factories and plants produced low-grade, unattractive goods. Repair shops often didn't have enough spare parts. Staple goods and food products were scarce, there were long queues in shops. All that caused bad customer service. Of course, there were good enterprises and service establishments, but they were not prevailing.

Due to the transition of the country to market economy, the situation in the services sector is changing for the better. Many private and state-owned factories produce quality goods, and many service businesses provide good services. Competition makes producers and service personnel improve their work. But the process is still in progress. We have a lot of things to do if we want to bring the Western culture of customer service to Russia.

In economics departments of universities and business schools students and managers must learn how to organize companies and serve customers properly. It is important to advertise the ideas of good customer service in mass media. The experience of successful Western companies can help Russian businessmen to improve their work.

At present, there are a lot of foreign firms and joint ventures in Russia. One of the most successful companies is McDonald's, a Russian-Canadian joint venture. McDonald's chain restaurants are found all over the country and are very popular with customers. In Moscow the customer service at the restaurants accord with McDonald's standards of quality thanks to staff training.

A lot of Russian students of colleges and technical schools have been trained as service personnel since the time the restaurant was opened. The company employs Muscovites aged 25-30. The young people have been trained to work according to Western standards of intensity and quality. They have learnt to smile eight hours a day without a break. Muscovites work in the kitchen, at the counter, in the restaurant hall. Some of the employees, who started their careers there, have been promoted to higher positions. They are now managers of the top and medium level at the restaurant. They occupy managerial positions formally held by Canadians. Most of the Canadian managers have returned home.

The company's personnel policy is based on the following principles:

- a flexible system of payment by the hour,

- people are organized in teams,

- moral and material incentives,

- continuous training and raising the qualification level of the staff,

- constant rotation of the personnel horizontally and promotion vertically,

- a system of social guarantees.

This system has been known to us since the Soviet times, but it really works.

The interests of the customer are in the first place, then those of the company, after that, the interests of the team or shift and, finally, the worker's interests. The employees have to work hard. They are never late for work. They smile at customers. Hamburgers, fries and soft drinks, which are traditional McDonald's foods, are served very quickly.

Though the work is strenuous, and the service people are often tired, they like to work at the restaurant. The atmosphere at the work place is kind and joyful. They like the attentive concern among the fellow workers and the democratic relations between the superiors and rank-and-file workers. This atmosphere makes hard work relatively easy. But the main thing is that the diligent and enthusiastic service people make their customers happy.

Exercise 11. Find in the text the equivalents of these words and word combinations.

Бюро путешествий, стало причиной, благодаря переходу страны к рыночной экономике, частные и государственные фабрики, производят качественные товары, предоставляют качественные услуги, конкуренция, хорошо обслуживать клиентов, средства массовой информации, почасовая оплата, бригады, повышение квалификации персонала, трудолюбивый и увлеченный работой обслуживающий персонал.

 

Exercise 12. Answer the following questions in pairs.

1. What is the situation in the Russian service sector?

2. Who are employed at McDonald's?

3. What skills have the employees learned?

4. Are customers served according to Western standards?

5. What measures have helped to organize good customer service at McDonald's?

6. Whose interests are in the first place at the restaurant?

7. Do customers enjoy eating at McDonald's?

8. Do employees like working at the restaurant?

 

Exercise 13. Work in pairs.Compare the customer service in McDonald's with the service in cafes and restaurants owned by Russian businessmen.