Christmas and New Year have come and gone in a blur of tinsel, credit cards and carols played on repeat. As usual the malls were packed to the rafters, shops buzzing like bees looking for honey, while people stalked parking spaces like their life depended on it. Everyone was on a mission to purchase the perfect gift and hopefully beat the crowd.
What was noticeably absent, though, was the age old promise of service with a smile. Finding a consultant on the shop floor felt like hunting in the dark. And when you finally spotted one, usually hiding behind a counter or deep in conversation with their phone or a colleague, their facial expression said it all. Not “How can I help you?” but rather “Why are you infringing on my space?”
Now don’t get me wrong there were instances where consultants did smile and exude politeness, however this felt more like an exception instead of being the norm. This in itself raises an uncomfortable but necessary question. Are service consultants simply exhausted, or is face to face customer service quietly becoming defunct?
As we all know, the festive season can be brutal. Long hours, understaffed stores, endless queues and customers who are tired, impatient, and sometimes downright rude. No one is immune to burnout, and retail workers are human, not robots programmed to smile on command. So empathy matters in more ways than you can imagine.
But, on the other side of the coin. Working during the festive season is not a surprise twist. It’s clearly stipulated in the job description which was agreed to. So the busiest time of the year comes with the territory. If anything, this is when customer service matters the most. It’s the time when shoppers are stressed, overwhelmed and desperately need guidance rather than nonchalant attitudes. And that’s where the frustration creeps in.
When a customer feels like an inconvenience for asking a question, something has gone wrong. When customers have to wait while a consultant finishes a conversation with a colleague, assistance feels forced, and basic courtesy is treated like a personal favour, it’s no longer just fatigue, it starts to feel like a shift in culture.
Face to face service is being replaced by self checkouts, QR codes, and “just Google it” energy. Maybe we’ve trained ourselves out of human interaction. Maybe businesses have stopped investing in staff morale and training. Or maybe we’ve all become so used to screens doing the work that real life engagement feels like a chore. Still, there’s something deeply ironic about bustling malls filled with people, yet a sense of human connection being strangely absent.
The festive season is supposed to be about goodwill, warmth and patience on all sides. Customers need to remember that retail workers are under immense pressure and deserve some leeway. But service consultants also need to remember that a simple smile, a moment of attentiveness, or even a neutral but respectful response can change an entire shopping experience.
So what is it? Are service consultants just tired, running on empty by the time December rolls around? Or is face to face service slowly fading into the background, replaced by convenience and indifference? It is perhaps a bit of both.
What’s certain is this. As long as shops are full of people, there will always be a need for genuine human interaction. And no app, kiosk, or automated message can replace the power of being helped by someone who actually looks like they want to be there. Even during the festive madness.
