The Other Side of the Line: Calling Customer Service

Calling Customer Service 

Please Hold: Part 1
(The other side of the Line)

Most people have jobs where they provide service to customers and as employees it’s very important to listen and then find a solution that works. Even though that’s the key point to customer service some of us (employees) are often put in situations where listening and attempting to find a solution does not work. Why?
I'll give you an example:
Your computer is running slow and you’ve spent hours trying to fix it and once your frustration level strikes 10 you call customer service/technical support for help.

Let me explain the First problem:
If you mad, don’t call......cool off!! Furthermore save the “I'm sorry about my tone it’s me not you!” or the “No one here has helped me” story. The reason for this is I’m sure by now we all understand that chances are when you call customer service for any company you almost NEVER get the same representative so don’t beat them up with your snazzy attitude and tone. Give them a chance to do what they feel is best.

The second issue:
Be respectful of people even over the phone. What many people do not realize is that the same people you are giving a hard time to are the same people that have access to your personal information and can honestly make things difficult for you. Can you imagine waiting to receive something important in the mail and the representative purposely changes information on your address to ensure you won’t get it in time? OMG that’s crazy right...It happens, trust me. Watch your attitude and mouth!

3rd problem is:
Understand that different departments are set up for a reason. It does not matter how urgent your issue is the billing department cannot assist you with your technical support issues and the packaging department cannot mail out your check. To keep your frustration level down be sure that you are speaking with the right department before you give a full detail of the issue. Providing a brief summary of why you are calling is enough for the representative to ensure that they know if they are the right person for you or not. If you choose not to do this prepare to 1. Lose time that you will never get back and 2. Explain the problem all over again..."Please Hold, while I get you over to the correct department."

4:
Follow directions! Follow directions!
Listen, do not call customer service with your own plan of action if you have a problems that you cannot resolve on your own. Too often people call and instead of following the steps that are provided to them they’d rather do what they feel will work which prolongs the call, both parties become irritated and all this leads to nothing being resolved...Practice active listening during your down time and allow a knowledgeable person to guide you through the steps to assist you. That’s the reason you called right?

And the final issue number 5:
I'm not the other person! Get over it
Ok, so last week when you called Sally may not have asked you for the last 4 of your social but today you called and Jack does! Now it’s a problem! Why?! People do things differently and that’s not because one is right and the other is wrong it’s just the way things are. Did you ever think that Sally forgot to ask you for your social and Jack didn’t? Or maybe the company changed the way they want employees to verify callers and you just so happened to be a customer who experienced this change. Either way, do not start the call off to a bad start because one representative is not doing what the other did. Be cool


Every company and every representative is different, and unfortunately you won't always have the best customer experience but make an attempt to try to have a good experience by doing what you can to receive the help you need.

Stay Tuned for Part 2: Why are you in the customer service field? Many times people need jobs so they apply for positions where they deal with people when they know they are not a people person....Ugh, apply somewhere else.....to be cont!

Peace, Lala