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How was the package being sent? If it was Priority, or any method that provides tracking, you do need to provide tracking numbers to the customer.
If you don't have a ready answer for a customer, tell them you will speak to a manager and get back to them with the answer , or else ask them if they would like to speak to a manager to get the information they require.
The company itself didn't have the tracking info (in part because it crossed international lines between the US and Canada). My manager wouldn't know the answer any more than I did. I was just not skilled at dealing with someone who was griping over something that it was clear was out of my hands and kept going on about it. So finally I told them that I could not make the third party (US postal) go any faster.
I've had someone complain that they were angry that we "ruined their Christmas" because the package had the company logo on it and that we should have shipped it discretely so that it wouldn't be a giveaway to the kids who would see it out front.
Granted, sometimes our customers do have legit angry complaints. Sometimes the shipping third party company would royally goof up the package. (My supervisor told me of a case she had to deal with where someone accidentally put dog food inside of the company package instead of what was supposed to go.)
Another guy got the package sent to the post office, but because of some weight limit, they put it in a locker but accidentally gave the key to the wrong guy (looked up the tracking and they were right!) so we gave them a new one sent somewhere else so they wouldn't have to deal with that post office again.
I will complain online because I think it's pointless to seek a resolution from a store manager these days. So I don't bother. Just go online and write the review.
I'm seeing from this thread that the people who hate customer service believe the customer is almost always "wrong". That is a problem with the customer service rep.
Some customer service reps have no idea how unfair or possibly illegal, that their employer's policies are. They are just working to pick up their paycheck. They believe customers should try to make their job as easy as possible. But that's not the way the real world works. Try running your own business sometime. You'll have to know how to manage complaints or your business will tank.
Well, I have run my own business for 13 years, so I have a good idea of what to do to earn customer loyalty. Never had a problem that couldn't be fixed or left a customer unhappy.
Running to complain online doesn't give the company a chance to make things right - it's a form of bullying and blackmail that has become very prevalent with the whole social media scene.
If a customer has a legitimate gripe, a company will usually be able to "fix" it, or offer some type of compensation if they can't if they are a reputable company. It's a sad fact that some people love to complain in the hope they can get a "freebie" or reduced price, or just to vent because they are miserable.
Some complaints are simply unreasonable.
Sometimes customers can be downright a pain in the butt. While doing my temp job answering emails for a company in California, some guy from Canada kept saying he thought the package was taking too long and demanded to know tracking and said he couldn't find it. I said that we didn't offer tracking (that's the company's fault, not mine, though I didn't tell him that, of course). He started whining about the US postal service being too slow and being upset that we weren't using something else. The emails between us went back and forth. Finally, I emailed back "I'm sorry, but I cannot make the US postal service go any faster" and got told off by both the customer and my supervisor.
Sounds to me like the customer is not being a pain but has a legitimate case. It is your company that is responsible to get the item to the customer. It is your company that elected to not use tracking when virtually every packagedelivery offers it. I've had parcels shipped from China with tracking. It is your company that elected to use USPS.
For you personally, just stick to the facts. A tracking number is not available. And since you're representing the company, you need to quit even using the pronoun "I". Use "we". You're representing the company not yourself. You don't have to come up with a witty comeback or different response to every email. Just repeat "we apologize if the delivery is slower than expected, the item was shipped on <date> by <carrier> but we do not have a tracking number, please allow <xx> more days".
Sounds to me like the customer is not being a pain but has a legitimate case. It is your company that is responsible to get the item to the customer. It is your company that elected to not use tracking when virtually every packagedelivery offers it. I've had parcels shipped from China with tracking. It is your company that elected to use USPS.
For you personally, just stick to the facts. A tracking number is not available. And since you're representing the company, you need to quit even using the pronoun "I". Use "we". You're representing the company not yourself. You don't have to come up with a witty comeback or different response to every email. Just repeat "we apologize if the delivery is slower than expected, the item was shipped on <date> by <carrier> but we do not have a tracking number, please allow <xx> more days".
Maybe so, but that was, again, the company. Me, as the customer service rep, could do zilch about it. And they didn't seem to get it and kept asking and complaining, usually making snide remarks about how much they didn't like the US postal service, till finally I snapped and said "I'm sorry, but I cannot make the US postal service go any faster."
Mind you, it's not like he was my only customer. I had about 700 other guys to try and get to and for him to go back and forth in an email to keep whining about the US postal service was really not helping matters.
If a customer has a legitimate gripe, a company will usually be able to "fix" it, or offer some type of compensation if they can't if they are a reputable company. It's a sad fact that some people love to complain in the hope they can get a "freebie" or reduced price, or just to vent because they are miserable.
Some complaints are simply unreasonable.
When people write reviews online, they aren't trying to get a "freebie" or reduced price. They are venting and hoping to warn others about the business. I've found a lot of truth in some of these reviews.
When people write reviews online, they aren't trying to get a "freebie" or reduced price. They are venting and hoping to warn others about the business. I've found a lot of truth in some of these reviews.
I'm seeing more and more companies respond to negative online reviews by implying that such reviews are fake. For example, a customer wrote a bad review on Yelp and the business replied, essentially claiming that they have no record on file of such customer at this location on so and so day, etc. Many different companies are now taking this approach from what I'm seeing.
Another thing you have to be careful of is a company's employees writing positive reviews. One time, I saw tons of great reviews and looked up some of these people's names on Facebook and what do you know? They all work for the company.
Speaking of customer service, I spoke with a contractor today who was just plain cranky. He provides a service and I may be in the market. His web site (it's a family owned business) offered a free estimate and I truly have no idea what I'm looking at for price so I filled the online form and sent it. When he called I explained the situation and he asked me what I was looking to spend. huh? How about you give me a ballpark so we don't waste your time coming out (since he didn't seem interested in scheduling my free estimate) He threw a number out and I told him I really had hoped to spend less and he ranted about how I'd never sell my house if I don't have the work done because melinials will never want it and if it costs $7K now they'll want the selling price reduced by 15K and on...and on...and on...
I deal with contractors every day and this guy was a bastid! (I'm currently in New England)
I apologized for offending him and he was all like: OH NO - IT'S JUST (more tirade). "so if you ever DO decide to spend the money, you can give me a call" (nasty voice)
I said Okay, can you just send me an email saying "I spoke to you yada yada"
Oh no! I'm not going to do that! (some excuse) I just wanted something to remind me who he was - seriously I was considering possibly using his company and I've contacted a couple.
Okay then, can you please tell me the name of your company? Then he listed his company name, history, Angie List awards, BBB involvement blah blah blah.
WHAT THE MIGHTY MOOSE WHAT HIS PROBLEM??? And seriously? This is the guy that represents his company? Has he never considered customer service training?
Okay WHEW! I feel better. Hope I didn't stress anyone out.
Maybe so, but that was, again, the company. Me, as the customer service rep, could do zilch about it. And they didn't seem to get it and kept asking and complaining, usually making snide remarks about how much they didn't like the US postal service, till finally I snapped and said "I'm sorry, but I cannot make the US postal service go any faster."
Mind you, it's not like he was my only customer. I had about 700 other guys to try and get to and for him to go back and forth in an email to keep whining about the US postal service was really not helping matters.
(Eventually, he got his package in the end.)
From the customer point of view, there is no distinction between you and the company. You *are* the company. When *you* let there be a distinction is when you have failed. You have to keep your emotions out of it. That's simply part of the job and if it's a part you cannot do then you shouldn't be in customer service.
When people write reviews online, they aren't trying to get a "freebie" or reduced price. They are venting and hoping to warn others about the business. I've found a lot of truth in some of these reviews.
They are one-sided reviews, and it is necessary to keep that in mind when reading them. I've left negative reviews myself, but only after letting the company know of my dissatisfaction and giving them the opportunity to rectify the situation (and they didn't).
Jane Doe purchases a product and drops it on the floor. It breaks. After demanding a replacement from the company - which was declined - she heads to social media to complain the company would not replace a broken product. This gives the general public the impression that the product is faulty and breaks easily. Naturally, the part about dropping the product never gets mentioned.
Reviews on social media are only as good as the comments are valid and true. Unfortunately, that is too often not the case.
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