things a customer service rep said that pissed you off

[pryor15]

Porter,

you're lucky they even opened the door


the number 1 rule in dealing with customer service people is to be nice to them all the time, not just when you need something, or when they're nice to you, but all the time. because if you aren't, there's a pretty good chance the person you're talking to will put a note on the account and when you need help, well, you'll be screwed.

also, don't expect help from someone who's already closed a store and is trying to go home...sheesh

[Marc H]

[ QUOTE ]
Porter,

you're lucky they even opened the door


the number 1 rule in dealing with customer service people is to be nice to them all the time, not just when you need something, or when they're nice to you, but all the time. because if you aren't, there's a pretty good chance the person you're talking to will put a note on the account and when you need help, well, you'll be screwed.

also, don't expect help from someone who's already closed a store and is trying to go home...sheesh

[/ QUOTE ]

I'll go along with the closed-store point.
Other than that, your attitude is just about completely backwards, and is in fact good advice for the **CSR** to follow.

What it might cost the company to go a bit out of its way for an upset customer is nothing compared to the cost of losing that customer entirely AND maybe some of that customer's friends, after he posts the ordeal on 2+2 (or wherever).

[Hey_Porter]

[ QUOTE ]
Porter,

you're lucky they even opened the door


the number 1 rule in dealing with customer service people is to be nice to them all the time, not just when you need something, or when they're nice to you, but all the time. because if you aren't, there's a pretty good chance the person you're talking to will put a note on the account and when you need help, well, you'll be screwed.

also, don't expect help from someone who's already closed a store and is trying to go home...sheesh

[/ QUOTE ]

Who said I wasn't nice? If she had shrugged her shoulders, I would have been gone; I wasn't persistent, if she hadn't have opened the door I would have had no problem. I mouthed once that I had a question, and she was a bitch. Regardless of any contributory fault, of which there sure as hell wasn't much, you can't justify ever being such a bitch to a customer. By the way, how's your customer service job treating you?

[blinden84]

man, I hate people that try to go to places that are closed or even 5 minutes before they close.

[pryor15]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Porter,

you're lucky they even opened the door


the number 1 rule in dealing with customer service people is to be nice to them all the time, not just when you need something, or when they're nice to you, but all the time. because if you aren't, there's a pretty good chance the person you're talking to will put a note on the account and when you need help, well, you'll be screwed.

also, don't expect help from someone who's already closed a store and is trying to go home...sheesh

[/ QUOTE ]

I'll go along with the closed-store point.
Other than that, your attitude is just about completely backwards, and is in fact good advice for the **CSR** to follow.

What it might cost the company to go a bit out of its way for an upset customer is nothing compared to the cost of losing that customer entirely AND maybe some of that customer's friends, after he posts the ordeal on 2+2 (or wherever).

[/ QUOTE ]

clearly spoken by someone who's never been a customer service rep

imagine you spend 8 hours every day having people call you with their problems. a large majority of them are upset and feel it's necessary to take it out on you, b/c you are the company's rep.

in a vacuum of one call, or one hour, it's not so bad, but in a larger context, it's mentally draining for the rep.

so, when you call and you're yet another jerk, you don't get much more help than the bare minimum. but if you're nice--genuinely nice--it's a breath of fresh air. you get much more help that way.

you aren't the only customer, you know. the rep doesn't care about your business. they care about getting through the day without being accosted or, worse, threatened.

[pryor15]

Porter,

the nice part wasn't directed at you.

i don't work in customer service anymore.

[Hey_Porter]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Porter,

you're lucky they even opened the door


the number 1 rule in dealing with customer service people is to be nice to them all the time, not just when you need something, or when they're nice to you, but all the time. because if you aren't, there's a pretty good chance the person you're talking to will put a note on the account and when you need help, well, you'll be screwed.

also, don't expect help from someone who's already closed a store and is trying to go home...sheesh

[/ QUOTE ]

I'll go along with the closed-store point.
Other than that, your attitude is just about completely backwards, and is in fact good advice for the **CSR** to follow.

What it might cost the company to go a bit out of its way for an upset customer is nothing compared to the cost of losing that customer entirely AND maybe some of that customer's friends, after he posts the ordeal on 2+2 (or wherever).

[/ QUOTE ]

clearly spoken by someone who's never been a customer service rep

imagine you spend 8 hours every day having people call you with their problems. a large majority of them are upset and feel it's necessary to take it out on you, b/c you are the company's rep.

in a vacuum of one call, or one hour, it's not so bad, but in a larger context, it's mentally draining for the rep.

so, when you call and you're yet another jerk, you don't get much more help than the bare minimum. but if you're nice--genuinely nice--it's a breath of fresh air. you get much more help that way.

you aren't the only customer, you know. the rep doesn't care about your business. they care about getting through the day without being accosted or, worse, threatened.

[/ QUOTE ]

I have never been a customer service rep, but I HAVE been in a customer service position, and I NEVER insulted/acted like a bitch to ANY customer, no matter how horrible they were. No matter how difficult the customers are you're dealing with, NO position should rise to the level where you have to be an ass or overly sensitive to other customers.

[pryor15]

there's a difference between acting like a bitch, as a rep, and not being as helpful as you possibly can.

obviously you shouldn't be rude or mean or whatever to a customer, but i think a lot of people forget that street goes both ways.

but, a rude customer will almost never get as much help as a nice one.

[Hey_Porter]

[ QUOTE ]
there's a difference between acting like a bitch, as a rep, and not being as helpful as you possibly can.

obviously you shouldn't be rude or mean or whatever to a customer, but i think a lot of people forget that street goes both ways.

but, a rude customer will almost never get as much help as a nice one.

[/ QUOTE ]

My issue is it sounds like you're giving too much leeway to the customer service rep. I don't disagree that if you are rosy and cheerful all the time you're going to get better help, but the fact is, customer service reps will on occasion not deserve rosy treatment. Take my phone call example above. If I hadn't gone beyond rosy, I wouldn't have received what I was due. The rep probably hated me, especially since I ratted on her to her supervisor and the supervisor made her apologize to me, and maybe I even got flagged. But if that "flag" gets me sub-par performance in the future (and it's easy to tell when a company can do more), then I will no longer deal with that company. Simple as that. And I wouldn't do it to hurt the company, I just would have no tolerance.

[Hey_Porter]

Here's another fun one, don't really know how else this could have been handled, but it sure was annoying. I called Cingular customer service for some basic issue, and in verifying my account, we discover that somehow my social security number had been changed in the computer. We're talking 3 years into the service, and I had verified using the number before. They didn't really know what to do, so I had to fax them a copy of my social security card along with photo id. This was my fault, but it was a bigger deal because I didn't have a copy of my social security card. Through the whole thing they acted like it was my fault, when clearly it was something on their end.