Marshall - 12:31 pm on Jan 3, 2012 (gmt 0)

If you think you provide a good service and you are craving for customer feedback, then simpy ask for it.

No, that's not the issue. There is a survey form for customers. I was referring to non-customers whom you help when they obviously are at a loss.

I've noticed over the last 5 years or so, that people in general have become increasingly lazy and rude on the internet.

I think you hit the nail on the head with this one. That, coupled with the fact everyone expects things are the internet to be free. Add to that the lack of interpersonal interaction, a.k.a. face-to-face. If these same people walked into your store and asked for help, they would generally say thank you.

It might be a good idea to put the names and emails of the people who contact them down in the calendar and follow up with them a week later and ask;

Very good idea.

I think it comes down to a combination of the above. Ironically, it is the smaller e-commerce sites that suffer from this because obviously the big boys would not even bothering answering their question, let alone helping them find what they are looking for.

On a side <rant>, have people forgotten what the shift key does when they type emails or fill in forms? It is either all upper or all lower case. UGH!</rant>

Marshall