The author is a dairy farmer from Brainerd, Minn.
On the flip side, being a good customer can improve customer service. I put together some tips to benefit your customer service experience.
It’s in the details
When you begin a phone call, start by saying your name and phone number slowly and clearly. If a customer service representative has to refer to the recorded phone call, they don’t need to listen to the end of your message to find this information.
If you have to leave a message, outline what your problem is and the issue you need help solving. Remember to treat others as you would want to be treated yourself. Follow the Golden Rule. Be polite and courteous.
Whatever you do, don’t make threats in your message. Being a bully won’t help your situation and could potentially harm it. Even if you are exasperated, try to stay level headed and on point with your message. Be realistic about the time it might take to solve the problem and give the company ample time to respond. Respect the rules. If the sale has ended, the sale has ended. And be polite; say please and thank you. This can go a long way into getting quicker customer service.
After you have finished leaving your message, state your name and phone number once more. If you have voicemail on your phone, be sure that it includes your name and phone number. Otherwise, the customer service representative might not be sure they are calling the right place.
Survey results matter
Some companies will ask you to fill out a survey concerning their service right before the call ends. There has been a big change in the last several years in how customer service representatives are evaluated in their jobs, and surveys are weighed heavily. This new emphasis on surveys seems to be the current rage.
Many companies, for example, will not rehire support representatives unless they get at least 15 surveys, and several negative surveys can slash an employee’s bonus. Even a medium rating can count as a negative and affect an employee’s status.
Emily Bailey, a registered nurse with a Midwest Health Care Agency, explained the importance of surveys in her line of work as well. She said if a patient doesn’t like a nurse, they will always send in a bad survey, but if a patient likes a nurse, they usually don’t send in a survey at all. This can lead to some rather skewed results.
Knowing this, you might put aside a little time to fill out some surveys and help the good employees you encounter keep their jobs. That’s part of being a good customer!
OCTOBER 2024 issue:
