Unsolved
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"Walk a mile in their shoes" Dealing with customer service
If you've read my thread about the issues with my recent order from Dell I'm sure you see that I'm frustrated with the overall experience. The one thing I haven't had was a rude customer service rep. I see others haven't been so lucky and it's made me wonder why.
Think about your average customer service rep. They're stuck in a huge room with a hundred other reps while people yell at them all day. They have a maximum time they should spend on each call and a minimum number of calls they have to complete in a day. They have a script they have to recite and they know you've heard it before. They didn't take your order, they didn't break your order, they don't set the delivery estimate, and they aren't in control of parts shortages. They do have a thankless job and they probably aren't getting rich doing it.
Now I understand we're frustrated, some of us are angry and it's understandable. We placed and order and we expect it to be fulfilled in a reasonable time. But that's the point, we have to keep our desired goal in mind. Is yelling at some poor rep who's already been yelled at by a hundred people getting us closer to our desired outcome?
In my job I deal with a lot of customer service people and I learned a trick a long time ago to get what I want almost ever time. Be the nicest person that rep has spoken to all day. Be effusive with your praise, sympathize, make them smile. If you can make them smile, you are home free! I don't mean fold quicker than superman on laundry day. Stick to the facts, make them see the ridiculousness of the situation, get them to agree with you that you are understandably frustrated. But, don't get angry, it's counterproductive, it moves your further from your goal.
I'm not saying be fake, just don't walk into the situation ready to blast with both barrels. Believe me, both you and the rep will feel better after the call. You may not get everything you want but the rep will do their best to help within their means and that's what we're looking for.
Anyway, that's my 2 cents and you know what they say about free advice.
Thanks for listening!
Johnny_W714
13 Posts
0
December 20th, 2019 13:00
I'm amazed I haven't received any feedback on this post. I hesitated to write it for fear people would feel strongly one way or another. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Thanks
user_adf105
2 Posts
0
December 20th, 2019 16:00
Community Reps are hired and paid to rectify grievances and mistakes made during the transaction process. The customers job is to convey the issues that arose to insure better and more efficient transactions in the future. If currency is spent and the customer did not receive what was advertised, my opinion is that no other opinions matter other than the customers' as he is the one the company and all reps should be servicing for the money spent. Cooler heads will always prevail, however anger usually translates to ineffective retail practices. The same mistakes the Reps are paid and support their lifestyles by solving and rectifying. In my opinion the reps are not victims because they are employed to do so and understand the line of work in which they are getting involved. It is the duty of the customer to convey unhappiness with the process as they are the consumer of the end product. Customers spend free time trying to rectify faults that occur during the process, which add to their anger. Reps are merely paid employees who make customers happy, which add to their duty to the consumer.
In short you are asking customers to show humanity and compassion in a transaction which the same care is not returned. A call center in India is about as uncaring as it gets.