Some Tips about Customer Service

One thing I have learned after working in the customer service industry in the last five years is that the term really is an oxymoron. Most customer service departments and companies focus neither on the customer nor on the service. The buyer really does have to beware most of the time. It is difficult to be a consumer when something goes wrong, because many of the procedures that modern companies use to service you, only protect them.

I have noticed a trend among some companies to use 3d party agents to provide customer service. Several years ago my wife had a problem with her washing machine. She called the customer service line and got no help. She asked to speak to a supervisor, and was told none was available. She would be called back. She never was. We made several calls back and learned some things. This particular retail store as well as the manufacturer of the washing machine a contracted a 3d party to handle their customer service.

There is a growing trend, especially among retail outlet to contract out their customer service . This company, in turn, contracts with a variety of companies to answer their incoming customer service calls. The person at the phone center may have several hundred companies she represents. She does not represent the values of the retail store or the manufacturer to the consumer. She represent her employer, the marketing agency, values, which is to make their client more profitable. If you or I call Acme manufacturing directly about our broken widget. Acme is usually motivated to retain our business and to sell us product in the future. Although it may cost them something to solve our problems, it improves their product and retains a customer. However, if we call XYZ marketing company who represent ACME as one of many companies, they are neither concerned about the quality of ACME's product nor the retention of our business. We are not their customer we are ACME's. They goal is to retain ACME's business by reducing ACME's cost of quality control. In other word rest assured if XYZ marketing can blow us off, without adding cost for their client they will. We don't pay their salary and if ACME goes broke because of poor service, some other company will contract with them.

My advice to the consumer is to ask when purchasing big ticket items whether customer service issues are handled directly or through a 3rd party. If they are handled by a 3rd party you may want to reconsider whether you will be getting the same quality and value you would with this product that may cost you a little more. Although the washing machine we purchased is an efficient and effective product, we will never buy from that manufacturer or retailer again because the service is lousy. Avoid doing business with companies who have 3d party customer service providers.

Many businesses today are Internet or phone based. There is no face-to-face contact with the company. Although the company's train their reps to be empathetic. The representative is aware they will probably never speak the customer again, and as soon as the call is over the empathy evaporates. Consumers do not have the same kind of power that they did when they dealt with local business. We have all had the experience of calling a customer service line and getting someone who had poor language skills or a nearly unintelligible dialect. They could not pronounce our name much less understand our problem. When the company rep is in a remote location she justdoes not have the same motivation to help you and solve your problem as the person we used to do business with whose kids went to the same school as ours. I appreciate the convenience and speed technology gives us but it does give more power to the company then it does to the consumer.

I appreciate the expedience internet an phone business provides, but you have to realize their is a loss of personal contact when we do business this way. If you are going to do business on the internet or phone here are some tips to put yourself in the driver's seat.

1. On a long tedious voice mail menu press zero. This will usually take you right into the queue for an operator or representative. If you are dealing with a company whose voice mail system does not give you the option of speaking to a live rep, you need to do business with someone else. If the company is so impersonal that they do not allow you to speak to a live operator, you do not want to do business with them.
2. Many times the voice recognition systems that say "press or say..." do not understand what you say. My advice is do not speak to them. Choose a number or press zero get to a live operator.
3. If you are unsatisfied with a representatives response, call back and ask for a supervisor, but give an ambiguous reason for speaking to a supervisor.

One of the things I have learned working in a call center is that the call center environment discourages supervisor calls. The rep has usually been trained to help the customer it is their job to help the customer. When a call center rep goes to a supervisor his demeanor is often one of why are you coming to me. The rep is all ways looked on negatively by the supervisor if they are unable to solve the customers problem. As a matter of fact the rep is required to explain in detail what the customer wants. This takes several minutes while the customer grows more frustrated and impatient waiting to speak to a supervisor. The rep is highly motivated (her job depends on it) to defend what ever she told the customer to the supervisor, so when the customer finally gets the supervisor a strategy has all ready been devised on how to deal with the customer. The supervisor is usually just going to repeat what the representative told you because they have all ready planned their response.

My recommendation is that you by pass the rep. Call back. Press zero and ask immediately to speak to a supervisor. Do not give specifics about why you want to talk to them. The reps are usually required to give some explanation to a sup so the best thing to do is give a general answer: "It is a bout the price increase;" "It is about my bill." "It is about a letter I received." Give no more detail then that. This will usually take no more time then it does for you to sit on hold while the rep locates an available supervisors, then goes over your issue and plan the response. It takes the prior rep out of loop and saves them the anxiety and embarrassment of going to the supervisor. It puts you in the position of being in control of what the supervisor knows, and often of how they respond.

Lastly, as frustrating as some customer service experience are do not demean the rep, use profanity, or pejorative speech. The representative will disconnect the call. Even if they seem to have the IQ of a spoon and the administrative ability of a Jack Russel Terrier. Putting them on the defensive will discourage them from helping you, and they do not have to be treated abusively. Do not demand. The representatives have procedure they are required to follow, and sometimes rule and laws they have to follow. Be assertive. State clearly what you want. Don't demand. Go to a higher authority, consumer advocacy group, a regulatory agency, your state attorney general, or get an attorney if you need to.

When you call on a customer service line you want to put yourself in control of the conversation. If the rep is disconnected from you personally. They have all the information the experience may not go well for you. Following these simple tips may put you in the driver's seat and give you some control over the experience and you may actually have a helpful customer service experience.