Adventures in customer service from the other side - Page 4

KathyM23 · ‎11-20-2010

They would have to pay me an outragous sum of money to work in Customer Service.

People can be very rude when they have or perceive they have an issue and the innocent customer service rep is who they heap their frustration on. Makes no sense because Customer Service rep would do whatever they can to solve the issue as that is their job and they surely want to avoid abuse. People with legitimate issues usually get them resolved quickly and those who expect the moon are the ones who get irate when they don't get it.

I have mostly satisfactory interactions when I need customer service; some actually very friendly and enjoyable conversations. Except with the issue I'm trying to resolve currently and it is not the fault of the customer service rep so I have no issue with them.

I'm nice to the customer service rep because I know their job is to do what they can to assist me. If it is beyond the scope of their authority, I know to ask for a supervisor who have more authority to solve issues. What really makes me mad and this is happening now. I have made six calls to a company that double billed me and they owe me a credit. The problem is that they changed billing companies. Everytime I call and explain again the situation, I'm put on hold while they talk with a supervisor; then I'm told it is being investigated and I will receive a call back. Not happening. No one called me back last month or the other previous times and no one called me back this month. I am calling again next week and I know the rep can't help me so I will not fault her but this time I will insist on talking with the Supervisor myself, get a name and write to the company that the billing company is working for.

No problem with the rep; she did all she can do. The issue lies wlith the billing company, not the rep. Too bad some people cannot understand this and make Customer Service a trying job - no way I could spend all day with problems I can't fix and people who don't get that.

QVCkitty1 · ‎05-23-2015

@Laura14, I just wanted to ask, what is your experience when you have to talk to customer service ? Just curious.

" You are entitled to your opinion. But you are not entitled to your own facts."
Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Sueliz · ‎12-06-2015

@IamMrsG wrote:
@chrystaltree wrote:
That's just the nature of customer service work, that's the job. Sure it drives people nuts but as someone once told me...no one ever calls a customer service rep to say "everything is great, your a wonderful company and I have no problems at all". The work is 90% negative. A lot of jobs are.

Actually, I have called customer service at a company before to express gratitude for good service.

@IamMrsG, good for you! I called back a FE shipping rep two weeks ago to apologize when I found out the company shipping me the product was actually at fault and not them. I make it a point to let people know when I think they've done a good job, "do unto others"....

Laura14 · ‎06-09-2014

@QVCkitty1 wrote:
@Laura14, I just wanted to ask, what is your experience when you have to talk to customer service ? Just curious.

@QVCkitty1 If you are talking about my own customer service issues, on the rare event I need to contact someone, I say hello to them, I tell them very quickly what the jist of the issue is, if I have a solution I offer it, if not I end with can you please help me or direct me to someone who can? Polite, to the point, and trying to help them help me if I can. Works every time.

Someone asked about how to handle irate customers. The same as any customer.

1. APOLOGIZE. The fact that someone is having to take time out of their day to solve an issue they are having with your employer, honest mistake or not, deserves an apology just because it's manners and people expect it when they are frustrated and/or upset. And for the irate people, they just want someone to care. It's usually where their irateness stems from.

2. BE HONEST. If you know why the error happened, tell the person right after the apology. That way they know you know how to prevent it and if it's something the customer can watch for and help police themselves, well, we're all in it together. Very few people believe companies are dreaming up ways to stick it to their paying customers so they can bankrupt themselves and go out of business.

3. EXTRA EFFORT. I can make a correction and immediately send an email showing the applied credit to the account. People are impressed that I take the time to do that so they don't have to wait for the next billing cycle to make sure I did. Everyone relaxes and they are loyal knowing if they have a problem, someone will fix it right away plus they have proof in hand the problem is solved within 5 minutes of their call. It's impressive and makes my job easier because of trust and a good reputation.

Jackhound Mom · ‎03-09-2010

Hello Laura,

Sounds like you earn your money! Please forgive me for asking, you don't work for the Q right? I may have missed something here.

Anyway, thank you for your very interesting post and enjoy your down time!!!

Cat

NYC Susan · ‎03-13-2010

@IamMrsG wrote:
@chrystaltree wrote:
That's just the nature of customer service work, that's the job. Sure it

drives people nuts but as someone once told me...no one ever calls a customer service rep to say "everything is great, your a wonderful company and I have no problems at all". The work is 90% negative. A lot of jobs are.

Actually, I have called customer service at a company before to express gratitude for good service.

I have too. Many times. I always tell them that I know they hear a lot of complaints, and I thought they'd like to hear something positive for a change. They're almost always startled, but very grateful. :-)

.

NYC Susan · ‎03-13-2010

@WenGirl42 wrote:
@Laura14 You have my total sympathy as well. I could not survive in a CS job (if you remember the episode of "The Office" when Angela from Accounting had to take CS calls and apologize to people on behalf of the company, I'm pretty sure that's my competence level at that job as well).

When I call a company for CS, I try very hard to keep in mind that the front-line folks often are not empoowered to do what I want or need, if it's in any way out of the norm. My recent most frustrating example involved trying very hard to get to someone who could actually help me but not being able to. Every time I called, the supervisor "wasn't available." In the end I just said to the rep that I knew we were at an impasse because of their rules and that I hoped this call was, in fact, being recorded, because I wanted someone at a level above her to listen and know that the rules were incredibly stupid and anti-customer. This was my 3rd call to the company to try to get the rest of a refund I was due because "they don't refund shipping," but the reason I got a refund in the first place was that the item I ordered was discontinued and never sent to me. So yes, apparently I was expected to just pay for shipping when they never sent me anything. Eventually I got what I was due by being a PITA on social media.

I recently resolved an issue with a big company the same way. I didn't want to do it, but it really was a simple matter and the runaround I was getting from CS was ridiculous. Every time I called, I got a different response, with all of the reps contradicting each other. None of them knew what to do, and were obviously giving me rehearsed responses. I suspected they hadn't been trained sufficiently or properly, and I knew it wasn't their fault.

But a few of them were extremely condescending (which always pushes buttons for me), and the company was holding onto my money, so I took it to social media. I didn't get results right away, but I was persistent and eventually I got their attention and the situtation was resolved.

mistriTsquirrel · ‎07-17-2010

@croemer wrote:
I can just imagine and people now-a-days think they can treat others rudely because we are no longer face to face.

HI, @croemer!!

In my experience, they do it face to face as well.

I think there's a sense of entitlement. Much like people feeling they have an absolute right to say whatever they want about a person who is in the public eye because "they chose to be in the public eye," people think they have a right to be nasty to people in customer service, because "it was their choice to take the job." How that justifies the rudeness I'll never know, but that seems to be the thought process.

"Heartburn Can Cause Cancer" -- www.ecan.org

Big Sister · ‎05-15-2010

@Laura14 You must be very good at your job in CS. I know for sure I could not do it. I applaud you.

CalminHeart · ‎03-09-2010

I retired last year and now work partime in customer service at a grocery store. It's appalling what people will try to do.

People call asking for help writing grants, how to start a mower, how to balance their checkbook, and everything under the sun except what's related to the store and its products.

The suburb where I work has a decades standing reputation for writing speeding tickets. They keep the speed limit at 25 which is nuts but everyone knows it. Customers have called expecting us to pay their tickets since they were driving to or from our store when they them.

One person complains every week that something she bought didn't get in her cart, thus to her home, and wants it now plus a full refund.

One person screamed and yelled at a courtesy person for looking in one of her grocery bags (while he was still sacking).

Another customer threw food at a checker.

One lady always has complains that we didn't know (read her mind) that she had a price match so wants the entire item for free. She had the other company's ad in her purse but never showed it to the checker.

We have people send let their kids reach up inside lottery pull tab ticket machines trying to get free ones out. Our machines are very secure and tickets can't be touched from up inside the drop slot.

People will come in, wander around, grab an expensive health item or something and bring it to customer service for a refund. We now require ID for returns without receipts which stopped some.

People pass counterfeit money.

Shoplifters.

The list goes on and on and on. And it's crazy how people feel it's ok.