how do you keep from flipping out when you get incredibly heinous customer service?

Question

okay, we've all experienced lousy customer service. it could be the lazy, nose-picking waitress, the gerby nerd help desk guy with small-man complex, talking to india and getting lost in translation, whoever-whatever! but when you have to deal with the ones who give you DUMB answers and you KNOW they don't have a clue, or you know they are just being spiteful because they are minimum wage slaves, or they just had a bad day and want desperately for you to share in the experience...yikes, i feel like i need to take a valium sometimes after talking to these people! help me get my mantra...

nut up?? okay, were you the guy at the mall who got mad cuz the girl didn't give him enough fries and then told him to get back in line if he wanted more. wow, i didn't know that anyone could throw a chair that far...so when did they let you out? seriously, that is soooo tempting but wrong on quite a few levels, eh?

okay, it's funny, but most of the people on the "flip side" are assuming that i am the one who is being mean. and that i'm "self-centered"...wow, that is really telling. sounds like the numbnits in customer service are giving such heinous service because they have bad attitude before they ever pick up the phone! methinks...

Answer 1

I worked as a customer service rep for many years. Most companies do train their employees that ONE CALL or ONE VISIT resolution is the ideal for any problem.
Unfortunately, customer service has a high turn around because it is, usually, a low paying job without benefits.
Companies usually end up hiring a majority of people
with no work ethic what so ever.
Ie: foreign immigrants both legal and illegal. These people often have accents so thick most Americans can not understand them. Many of these Cust service reps don't understand much English, themselves. (They lie in the interview.)
Also, teenagers who don't care about anything except when they go on break to call their boyfriend or about how cutee the guy in the next cubical is.....
Also, excons who got this job when they got out on parole
and really don't care if they work or not cause they are planing something that will get them right back in jail.
Occasionally, you'll get a retiree who is working to earn extra money or a mother with kids trying to help out a spouse or support her kids herself.
The last are the 2 types that are the best and most efficient types to deal with. They usually get the problem resolved with one call or visit. But, these people are few and far between.
After one call to a place, I request to speak to a supervisor, and stick to my guns and hold or keep calling back till I get one. Then, when supervisor is on the phone, I ask for their bosses contact info. When they ask why, I tell them I'm sick of dealing with morons and would like to speak to someone who actually can accomplish one call resolution.
That usually puts me right through.
Sometimes, I just go online and find out who the CEO of the company is. I then call their corporate office and ask for that person's office. I usually get the secretary. I tell her who I am explain that I have a severe customer service complaint and issue and could she direct me to the director of customer service.
The secretary will, usually transfer you.
I then deal with the person who is really in charge of customer service. (I do this when I have the name of a customer service rep I am really annoyed with.) The rep usually is out of a job.
There is no excuse for ad work ethic in my book.
I was a very good CSR and never got a single complaint from a customer because I did my job right the first time.
My advice. Calm Down. Realise you have the power to get this person wrote up without pay for a day or 2, or fired.
Make a phone call to a superior (see above.) Mission accomplished. No further headaches.

Answer 2

I worked in customer service for a wireless company for FIVE YEARS. I was paid FAR above minimum wage to deal with people. I was good at my job and attempted to be helpful and thorough. Everyone around me, did the same. If you think YOU have it bad, think about how I felt dealing with nasty and stupid customers, FORTY HOURS a week. If someone didn't hear the answer they wanted, they yelled. If someone didn't get the credit they wanted, they yelled. If someone just felt like it, they yelled. I was yelled at from the time I logged in, until I went home. It's easier to yell and be angry with people on the phone, we are "anonymous slaves." It got to the point that I started laughing at people as a way of attempting to get them to see how trivial their problems were in the grand scheme of things. That didn't go over well, and I finally quit due to stress and issues of having to deal with angry idiots all the time. Keep in mind the person you are talking to is just like you. They have a family, and life and problems far worse than what you are calling them about. Their job is to HELP you, and they are doing it to the best of their ability. I have NEVER been mean to ANYONE since I actually worked on the "other side" when dealing with customer service. It is the MOST difficult and thankless job, and there is such a high turnover....no wonder nobody ever knows what they are doing or how to help YOU correctly. If everyone was nicer to them, they might stay a little longer and be able to help you more efficiently. OH, and keep yourself in check with the waitresses......they WILL have someone spit in your food next time, or worse (if it has not already happened.) Guaranteed! I know someone who worked in a resturaunt under many titles for years. I myself, was known to scoop a dessert off the floor and serve it if the customer deserved it when I was a teenager.
If you have a problem, tell the person. If you don't feel it has been resolved, ask for a supervisor. Believe me, they will be MORE than happy to hand your demanding and non-understanding butt to the next higher level and be rid of you forever. (Until 5 minutes later, when they get the next angry customer.)

Answer 3

If I have a complsaint, Iwritealetter to theVPcust servioce, tell them what happened, where, and what time. I simply remind them that customer service is important, and unless i at least get an explanation I will take my business elsewhere.
I managed cust service for a few years.
True, some customers were idiots, but they were also the reason I had a job.

Answer 4

Kill them with kindness.
I used to be the person who had to take "supervisor" calls when one of my reps had failed to assist a customer with their request. Rude people took me longer to help. Happy people were helped more quickly because they didn't get me flustered.
And remember, some people just are not good at customer service and there is nothing that anyone can do about it. These people are obviously working in the wrong places.

Answer 5

I just do my best to make sure that, even if the person on the other side of the counter is making my day worse, I make theirs better. If I give in to the temptation to be rude back, the the bad attitude sticks and my day, from that moment on, just begins to suck (and not in the fun way).

Answer 6

You sound like a racist. You hate lazy people, small men, Indians and everyone seems sub standard to your intelligence, you bash the slaves, then you want some drugs to help you feel better about being superior.

I think I'll call Al and Jessie and cry about this. You have damaged me for life.

Answer 7

That is seriously one of the most annoying things, I hate people that are just rude to you because they want to take their anger out on someone else. Its like it gets passed on when someone is unnecessarily rude to me then I get upset and get unnecessarily rude to the next person that annoys me in some way. I hate it, I try not to pass it on and just forget about it, I know what you mean though those people can ruin your day.

Answer 8

Customer sevice jobs suck. Especially when your being dog cussed by the drunk man cuz the cook go his order wrong. You don't know what CSR go through and if you do than I feel sry for you. Have some compassion and quit being so self- centered.

Answer 9

All I have to say is Empathy is the best way to get your Mantra.
Sounds like you already know where they are coming from, and be straight forward when it happens to you, say whats on your mind in a polite way. "I understand" that you might be having a bad day can you direct me to someone else please, and by doing so you might just get them to reflect upon their mood, some people dont realize that they reflect their mood in their voice and body language, so let them know that you notice and dont appreciate it, and they'll get the clue.

Answer 10

I've always found that if I nut up and create a scene that I get what I want. I think of it as "getting your way through intimidation". It works just about everytime.