What is Digg?Sponsored by Travelzoo
Take Advantage of Ridiculously Low Holiday Airfares view!
travelzoo.com - Flights $52 and up for Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Year. But move on it now.
80 Comments
- rlray216, on 05/15/2008, -4/+50The state of customer service in the USA is abysmal. It's so prevalent to get terrible customer service everywhere you go that people don't even seem to mind anymore. I have a lot more sympathy for the elderly woman with the claw hammer than I do for any of the employees at Comcast.
- RealmDown, on 05/15/2008, -0/+18It may not always work, but I thought this one was genius:
6. Call the company's international customer-service number collect. Its incentive for keeping you on hold will drop dramatically. - diizy, on 05/15/2008, -4/+19Once again, another article with more Customer service hate. Look:
"HOW TO DO IT: Begin the call by saying, "I have a situation that you are going to fix for me today." "
This is NOT how you do it. Just because you have a problem doesn't mean you automatically have the right to dictate the person on the other end.
Remember this does not always "Set the tone" in fact more times then others you will end up with a frustrated rep on the other line.
Although, threatening to cancel can always work. And email carpet bombs, and contacting executives, but mistreating CSR isn't how you do it. - SpeshulEd, on 05/15/2008, -0/+16I've found that I get the best results by being both confident and courteous. By being straightforward and letting the service rep know what you want in a respectable manner, he or she will be more likely to go the extra mile to help you.
The reps are entry-level employees with no stock in the company--they often couldn't care less if you switch to a competitor. If they don't want to help you they can just point to the red tape. By saving the confrontation for escalations, you'll see issues resolved much more quickly. - RealmDown, on 05/15/2008, -0/+13AOL = Training wheels for the Internet.
- agisten, on 05/15/2008, -5/+18another great way to get human is lookup on http://www.gethuman.com/ database
- jvangurp, on 05/15/2008, -0/+11Another tip - become old. It's amazing at how much easier it is to get taken seriously when you have a few grey hairs. People treat you like a 'grownup'.
- Willravel, on 05/15/2008, -0/+9Those gorillas know how to get ***** done!
- kweee, on 05/15/2008, -0/+7At first I was like, "Hey, a crappy consumerist article not written by The Consumerist." Turns out I was wrong.
- edstate, on 05/15/2008, -1/+8You should try T-Mobile... "Oh, yeah, totally! That's a real bummer, Ed. I can totally see why you're frustrated. Totally.Yeah, a total bummer. ...what? Can I actually help you? Well, no. I can't do that. Sorry!"
- hayzeus, on 05/15/2008, -0/+6Hmmm -- I've just been threating their moms. Maybe I should try your approach. Thanx
- sleazy, on 05/15/2008, -0/+6Sure but a fly will eat whatever you give him if you rip off his wings.
- Jsmuli2, on 05/15/2008, -0/+6Good read.
After my Comcast "promotional" price was up (6 months), my roommate called them and complained that it was a bit ridiculous to go from $70 to $100 and that we were looking to switch to Verizon Fios.
Now our Monthly bill is back to $70. - cawpin, on 05/15/2008, -3/+8These "tactics" aren't guerrilla in any way. How is expecting to get what you payed for guerrilla?
FTA: "ONE EXAMPLE: Anne Braswell decided that the interest rate on her Citi
MasterCard, 13.99 percent, was a little steep for her taste. She called customer service and asked if she qualified for a lower rate. The rep said no but told her to try again in a month. Braswell said, "Well, you can probably see from my account activity that I'm no longer charging any purchases to this card. Don't be surprised when you see my entire balance get transferred elsewhere." With those words she was put through to a retention specialist, who bumped her rate down to 3.99 percent. Braswell says the moral of the story is "It never hurts to ask." A Citigroup spokesman agrees: "We are pleased that our standard practice was followed in achieving a satisfactory result for the customer.""
So, your standard practice is to lie to your customers and hope they don't catch you? - RealmDown, on 05/15/2008, -0/+5I've found this also. I don't always succeed, especially when it is clearly obvious they will not help solve the problem, but the large majority of the time being polite gets me farther than "puffing up with ruffled feathers."
- kreatre2007, on 05/15/2008, -0/+4This is an awesome article. I frequently use the option of contacting the executive offices. Sometimes, merely asking for and acknowledging the name of the customer service rep and then telling them that you'll contact the executive office gets a lot done. They don't want their name to be known to one of the execs especially if it's attached to a complaint. Also, let the rep know that you're taking notes.
- breadfred, on 05/15/2008, -0/+4There is a reason why reps want to set the tone. Believe it or not, they know the product/service better then you do. Listen to the customer's rant, let the steam blow over. Then take over (sometimes sternly, advising that you do want to help them but you need to ask certain questions) by asking the questions which determine the origin of the problem and how to help the customer. It is not always the companies' fault! (Sorry, I know this is hearsay)
- listrophy, on 05/15/2008, -0/+5When I canceled TiVo (because I canceled my Charter service and had no justification to pay for TiVo on over-the-air), I had the most "enjoyable" cancellation talk ever. The rep was nice and suggested sticking around for another month for free (since some new software was coming down the pipe) without seeming pushy. It was merely a suggestion, that's all. Then, when I reiterated my intentions, she asked which model of TiVo I had. I told her, and she said that it was a fairly rare model that should fetch a nice price on eBay due to a particular feature.
Moral of the story: if I ever get cable again (I almost guarantee it won't be with Charter), TiVo will be receiving a monthly check from me again. No questions. - DharmaDog, on 05/15/2008, -0/+4Tell him Xenu said no go on that request, sorry.
- NoValidTitle, on 05/15/2008, -2/+6sigh... that was in the article that you apparently didn't read.
- inactive, on 05/15/2008, -0/+3How is US support bad? You COULD be talking to somebody in *****, you know.
- akatherder, on 05/15/2008, -0/+2That reminded me of when I canceled my Chase Visa credit card. I had a promo offer in my hand from another company for something like 10%. Chase was charging me 18% (which isn't that important since I pay it off each month). I called Chase and told them to cancel my card because the interest rate was too high. The lady politely said "Ok, thanks for your service. We'll cancel it and send out the final bill."
Fast forward a few years and I am back with Chase. - Drewnami, on 05/15/2008, -0/+2Agreed. I've worked call-center - tech support, specifically. While I love helping out customers, sometimes there's only so much I can do...and there seems to be no way to avoid pissing off a customer by telling them you're going to transfer them to a specialist. They always seem to get in a jab about your incompetence.
- viacombusta, on 05/15/2008, -1/+3excellent article.
i've done most of this already. it's how i got a $99/month unlimited everything cell phone, a free directv hd-dvr, and lowered all of my credit card interest rates.
just tell whomever that you want to cancel your service and see what they will do to keep you. - diizy, on 05/15/2008, -0/+2Expecting your problem to be solved is one thing, DEMANDING you solve a problem is another. You gotta give courtesy to get some, it's really about respect. And no, I love Customer Service, so i'm not leaving, i've taken a seat.
- 5xSTUN, on 05/15/2008, -0/+2I remember a Bloom County cartoon in the 80s where Opus the penguin is trying to book a flight on a major airline. The price quoted to him over the phone is exorbitant, so he says to the clerk, in a huff, "I will take my business to your competitor!" and brusquely hangs up. After a sagely single-panel aside to the reader, he calls the competing airline, only to find that in the last few seconds it was bought out by the airline that he'd hung up on, and the price has just doubled. With a dejected sigh he books the flight.
- inactive, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1Yeah, I had something similar happen with a Chase rep. She reminded me that since my credit history was shallow, it may be a good idea to hang on to the card. The rate was so high and the limit was so low, it was pointless, so I cancelled it anyway. She wasn't pushy at all, and almost seemed like she was looking out for my credit score. Not bad service at all.
- sasibaki, on 06/07/2008, -0/+12.Creates a cone-shaped polygon mesh. ...
* Specify center point for base of cone: Specify a point (1)
* Specify radius for base of cone or [Diameter]: Specify a distance or enter d.................
http://designhelper.blogspot.com/ please visit my blog and have a nice day...... - RealmDown, on 05/16/2008, -0/+13rd page #6, which is where I read it. See the #6 ? What gives you the impression that I did not read the article ?
- breadfred, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1I am a rep for a insurance company. When people start shouting, or are irritable, they usually have a good reason for it - not every colleague of mine is as experienced as we would like. That is not surprising. Everyone has to learn, and that does impact on customers, however much you want to avoid this. The majority of my customers are happy once you have explained this.
Unfortunately there are also a number of customers who just take the mickey. They lie through their teeth. I don't have respect for them whatsoever and they do not get anything from me what they are not entitled to. - inactive, on 05/15/2008, -1/+2You forgot the part where you tell the kids to stay off your lawn.
- quill, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1My trick is to getting good service (to fix something, like in this article, or just in general) is to bring my wife. I don't want to look like a wimp in front of her, so I fight harder.
Also, she has a magical power that makes everyone instantly act friendly and helpful. Men, women, young, old...all are affected. It's a good thing that she hasn't used her powers for evil...
(As for myself...I could be waving stacks of $100 bills in front of a salesperson and get zero service.) - inactive, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1Fair enough, that's why the article sounded immature.
- Antares29, on 05/15/2008, -1/+2Screw that. If they treat their customers like ***** because they aren't paid enough, then fire the lazy bastards. Keep hiring people until they find a group that has some work ethic. Nobody deserves a raise if they do a ***** job.
- xtinamo, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1I would agree with you except that this group of people with good work ethic and willing to be paid unlivable wages just doesn't exist. Companies are also not willing to keep training people then firing them, too expensive. Trust me, I used to interview entry level positions and while there were a few inexperienced hardworkers, soon enough they moved on to jobs that paid according to their skills.
- melondoc, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1A counterpoint about someone getting exactly what they paid for!
http://fridayreflections.typepad.com/weblog/2008/0 ... - LoudMusic, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1Step one, don't pay for things using marketing terms like "guerrilla" as an adjective.
Rawr. - DharmaDog, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1How does it makes sense that a customer must beg and plead and whisper sweet-nothings into the CSRs ear to solve a problem that YOUR company caused. You should be willing to solve the problem period. I shouldn't have to stroke your ego to get you to do your job.
And yes, I've worked in a call center and sympathize with you about the real asses that call in, but you've clearly developed an attitude that it's you against the customers.
Provide the service you would want if the tables were turned. - elevatedms, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1I hate it when websites and magazines tell people to figure out how much their time is worth by applying how much you make an hour to figure out if X is worth the cost. How many non-salaried people can customize their work schedule, decide to work that one extra hour, and see a direct correlation to their paycheck? Freelance writers and designers, salespeople, day traders and envelope stuffers to name a few. But the vast majority of people that are going to take this advice are upwardly mobile yuppies that are looking for validation to be egotistical about how much they make.
- robthom, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1The Guerrilla Guide to Getting What You Paid For (Without getting arrested)....
Dugg a million times over for the title. Truer words are rarely spoken. - agisten, on 05/17/2008, -0/+1hmm, so what??
- kiwiboyus, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1As a Manager in a support center I will tell you now, that being a dick and demanding more than is reasonable will not get you anything and screams for the CEO will get you passed back to support. Be polite and reasonable and you will normally get what you are asking for or at least as close as possible. Now if a rep is a dick ask for a manager, but you better tell the truth because I listen to the calls and if I don't hear the agent saying what you claim I''ll be less likely to help.
- akatherder, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1If they value their job (which admittedly some of them don't) they still have an incentive to make you happy.
- follower64, on 05/16/2008, -0/+1Reader's Digest? Is my mom using Digg now?
- Antares29, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1This isn't really something that should be in the governments hands. Fight back using your wallet or, if you get really screwed over, with the justice system.
- DharmaDog, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1That simply could not be further from the truth in my experience. I had the biggest pricks calling in demanding completely unreasonable things. I wasn't telling the customer no to be rude or as some power trip, but because what they were asking for was so far outside of the terms of service or warranty that it was mind-boggling anyone would expect these requests to be honored.
I had one guy that had the basement of his business flood. The water destroyed several servers. He fully expected us to replace them. I said no. He became irate. Issue gets escalated. I was on the phone while my manager relented and made a compromise with him. I was stunned. Another time a "doctor" called in saying he was having problems with a tape drive. Refused to troubleshoot or describe the problem. Not only wanted a replacement for that server, but a new tape drive for every server he owned in his four offices, which he admitted freely were working fine. I say no way. Maybe I'd shotgun a new tape drive to that one location, and if that didn't resolve the problem he would have to troubleshoot, but there was no way I'm replacing tape drives that he admits work fine. He gets irate. Escalates to my manager. He orders me to replace all the drives.
I have other examples. Being an unrelenting prick does work. - truebeliever83, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1Truer words never spoken! I work in sales for a software company and it amazes me how many people expect us to bend over backwards because they spent $600 back in 2004. If you decline to buy a support plan, don't call me pissed off in 6 months because you can't log on and demand free service. You cheaped out at the time and you have to pay for that now. Such is life; you get what you pay for.
-
Show 51 - 85 of 85 discussions
© Digg Inc. 2009
— Content created and posted by Digg users is