Community Chat

[rms1954]

Speak with a more helpful CS agent.  Called HSN because I was charged for two-day express shipping on an item I ordered.  I know I would not have a $39.99 item shipped 2-day because I never have, didn't need it, and why would I end up paying $60 for a $40 item.   She gave me a difficult time so I called and spoke to a pleasant and helpful/understanding agent and she refunded me the $19.22 in S&H fees.  See, not so hard. 

[Kachina624]

I bet CR reps wish they had the same option... hang up on the argumentative customer and try a new one who is more pleasant. 

[Foxxee]

Yes, it's been my experience, it does help to call other agents when the first call has been unsatifactory.  When a customer thinks the agent is wrong or could do more, why not?

[Tinkrbl44]

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@Foxxee wrote:

Yes, it's been my experience, it does help to call other agents when the first call has been unsatifactory.  When a customer thinks the agent is wrong or could do more, why not?

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@Foxxee 

I have had that same experience with someone not very helpful, and, gee, suddenly the line went dead.  I wonder how that happened.   

[FiddleDeeDee]

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@Kachina624 wrote:

I bet CR reps wish they had the same option... hang up on the argumentative customer and try a new one who is more pleasant. 

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Oh, they do.

[gardenman]

I was a CSR with Frontier Communications and every customer interaction is notated and it wasn't unusual to find you were the fourth or fifth CSR they'd talked to that day. You'd be reading the notes on their previous interactions as they try the same story on you.

As a rule, customer service reps want to make you happy, but their hands are tied by company policy. If a rep says there's nothing they can do, it's typically because their higher-ups won't let them. If you get a bad CSR on a bad day and they're just not listening to you, then by all means try again, but in most cases, repeated calls won't do you any good. If the first CSR can't help you, odds are you're out of luck.

People used to demand to speak to a supervisor, but in many cases, the "supervisor" was simply another CSR following the same rules. 

[NicksmomESQ]

 I have had several experiences where when I called back my issue was resolved quickly.Sometimes I do elevate my issue to a supervisor or manager. Whenever I've done that I found that my issue was resolved with an apology.A few years ago I elevated a matter I had with HSN all the way to corporate. They couldn't have been nicer & more apologetic.

[drizzellla]

@gardenman 

You brought back a memory. I worked for a company that processed lab work. There were 6 people who worked in the Customer Care Department. Their job was to handle calls primarily regarding people's health insurance paying or other payment problems for their lab work.

I worked in the Accounting Department that was next to the Customer Care Department. People who worked in Customer Care would not want to deal with the all the phone calls. So they would put their phones on "busy" so the call would just move on to the next representative.

After awhile that became quite a popular feature. So the calls had no where to go and bounced into Accounting. I had very limited knowledge about people's insurance and what should be covered and all the various tests that were done.

So I would listen to their stories and ended up writing off all the charges. That was about the only thing I did know how to do when I entered their accounts. I made quite a few people happy.

[on the bay]

Years ago before I got my longtime job, I was a customer service rep at UPS. Despite what the company wanted us to do-take as many calls as possible, I really wanted to help the customer find their dang package! Because every call I felt like the customer too! So I did everything possible to do that, as long as it took.

I was not getting off the phone til we found where that package was.I got so many gift baskets of thanks from customers or letters. The best part was knowing I did the kind of job I wanted to do. 

You can get customer service who wants to help and can get things resolved, and those who don't really put themselves in their customers place, or don't really have the experience or feel they have the power or confidence to help.Or in the worst case, don't really care.

So yes keep trying, til you get a good one!

[SeaMaiden]

I have been fortunate with help from CS so far.  I always start out pleasantly and treat them with courtesy. I think being angry is the worst way to get help.