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Being a customer service rep sucks in today's entitlement culture (and that includes people of ALL age groups). You've got people wanting discounts for ALL kinds of stupid reasons. "It's my birthday, why can't I get $10 off?" And then you've got people trying to use expired coupons and use excuses like senior citizen discounts, military discounts, etc. Even if your company doesn't offer a military discount, you've got a customer berating you because "everyone else gives me a military discount but you can't? Do you not respect our military?".
My suggestion would be to get a different job. Listening to complaints is part of a customer service rep's job.
I've both seen in person and watched videos online of irate customers who were in the wrong thinking that crying "This is customer service?" or some other sentiment with the idea of "the customer is always right" behind it automatically makes them right, and I have no qualms about telling them that they aren't!
Some customers think that a business owes them the world and must give into their way simply because they give them some of their money. While I'll agree that you should do your best to serve the customer and make them happy, some people are unable to be pleased and need to be told to GTFO and that they aren't getting their way no matter how much they whine and cry.
How would you deal with a customer like this? What is the appropriate response? And any self-employed people, have you ever had to "fire" a customer because they were unreasonable or unbearable?
I always had a great answer "Let me call the manager here to help you" then I let it go and went and helped someone else....Sometimes they waited for 10 minutes, not my problem, I page once and that was it. Now I'm not in retail anymore and damn glad...
In customer service, there's still a level of professionalism to follow - even when the customer believes they are right when indeed they are wrong. These people will always exist. You tell them the truth, give them to best answer to your ability, and they blow up in your face or try to beat around the answer you got them or call out a manager that's only going to tell them the same exact thing. It's customer service, it happens.
Always keep in mind that customers sometimes start out frustrated because they aren't sure how to phrase their question in a way that you as a trained employee were trained to understand it. Someone might say something about a "letter" they got in the mail...well, you have no idea what this letter "said" - that's why there's generally training on probing questions in order to find out what the heart of the issue truly is. Of course customers are going to blame you if they are upset because somehow it must be your fault and they need someone to blame. Although, I agree that customer service isn't by any means an easy line of work. It is often emotionally draining and most can do it in their sleep, or lose sleep over it even.
The appropriate response is to remain professional and don't lose your cool. Keep your head on, don't take it personally, and apologize for any convenience that this may have caused them (even if you don't feel it's an inconvenience to them at all). If applicable in the given situation, interest them in available alternatives. Go the extra mile and attempt to help solve the issue. Of course some customers are so angry that they refuse any further help because you must not know what you're talking about, and that's fine, just ask, "Was there anything else that I can assist you with today?" and usually they'll say "No" and storm off or hang up the phone. If it's a good day for you, perhaps they will vow never to come back or use your company again =P
A friend recently had a situation, where a business she frequented and was very knowledgeable about ran into a problem like this. She had served as a volunteer within the organization and knew the "right" thing from what was actually done. She happened to be there when the phone rang and overheard the clerk hang the phone up saying, "no we don't do that stop bothering me and don't call us again." My friend reported what she heard to the president and they instituted a phone etiquette class that all had to attend. Interestingly enough, weeks later my friend was told that the party on the other end had called in and knowing the young lady was giving out incorrect info, sought out a manager and explained what had actually been said on the other end of the phone. Not only was the clerk rude, she was also giving out incorrect information and was fired.
My mechanic almost lost me as a customer yesterday, because there is a new guy working the desk who dropped the ball on getting the part needed for my car (bell crank sensor). This was a repair that was discovered back on 2/21, and they needed to get the oart, so we set the repair for 2/24, 3 days later. I walk in and he said he didn't have it. I asked when, and he said next Saturday (yesterday). I went in and he still said he didn't have it.
I was livid. I said "you could have CALLED me and told me this." I asked him the exact name of the part, and walked out. I was pulling up the name of another place I sometimes deal with when the General Manager, who had heard the tail-end of the conversation, walked out to my car and asked me what was going on, and I told him. He wasn't too happy because #1 I've been a satisfied customer up to this point and #2 this place is a new vendor, doing tire work, for my employer, and all it would take is a few words to the PTB and they could lose that business. He got things smoothed over, sourced the part locally, and I got my repair done. This part holds the rear suspension together, so it's not something you want to let go.
They also cut me a deal on the price of the total repair; it was supposed to be $200 or so, but I paid only $140.
Myself, I cut the desk guy a break because he is new (2 weeks on the job). He's not some wet behind the ears kid, either, so I know he's going to file this away as "lesson learned" - never **** off a regular, and always call if there are going to be delays in a scheduled repair.
I've both seen in person and watched videos online of irate customers who were in the wrong thinking that crying "This is customer service?" or some other sentiment with the idea of "the customer is always right" behind it automatically makes them right, and I have no qualms about telling them that they aren't!
Some customers think that a business owes them the world and must give into their way simply because they give them some of their money. While I'll agree that you should do your best to serve the customer and make them happy, some people are unable to be pleased and need to be told to GTFO and that they aren't getting their way no matter how much they whine and cry.
How would you deal with a customer like this? What is the appropriate response? And any self-employed people, have you ever had to "fire" a customer because they were unreasonable or unbearable?
As a lawyer, in some cases I have to "fire" a customer. One does this carefully both because of the possibility of retaliation and damage to the base of people who send me work.
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.
What am I supposed to say in situations where there really is no good answer? If I say nothing, I get told off as I'm required to say something. If I say something, I'm most likely going to upset the guy.
BTW, my supervisor was a nice person. I think she was just telling me off for losing my cool. There is a strange feature that almost would let us rate account holders (Don't know what it's for and neither does she.) She said that there were some customers that she dealt with that she'd like to give in the negatives out of five stars.
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.
Last edited by ContraPagan; 03-04-2018 at 06:56 AM..
Always keep in mind that customers sometimes start out frustrated because they aren't sure how to phrase their question in a way that you as a trained employee were trained to understand it. ...
I agree with everything you said, except for the trained part, as noted in the quote below. Now days I run into far too many staff who just don't have a clue. I'm not complaining about them as a person -- often they are nice and friendly, but they really can't provide any service of value. Can't count how often I've asked for a product and they happily take me to the wrong thing. And when I explain it's the wrong thing, they insist it isn't and I must just not understand what I'm asking for. Example I ask for square drive screws and they take me to squares.
Or you go to a large hamburger chain and ask for no lettuce and get the deer in the headlights look. In contrast go to Chick Filet and get a smile and "My pleasure."
Quote:
Originally Posted by nuts2uiam
A friend recently had a situation, where a business she frequented and was very knowledgeable about ran into a problem like this. She had served as a volunteer within the organization and knew the "right" thing from what was actually done. She happened to be there when the phone rang and overheard the clerk hang the phone up saying, "no we don't do that stop bothering me and don't call us again." My friend reported what she heard to the president and they instituted a phone etiquette class that all had to attend. Interestingly enough, weeks later my friend was told that the party on the other end had called in and knowing the young lady was giving out incorrect info, sought out a manager and explained what had actually been said on the other end of the phone. Not only was the clerk rude, she was also giving out incorrect information and was fired.
Last edited by tnff; 03-04-2018 at 06:49 AM..
Reason: I can't type.
I've both seen in person and watched videos online of irate customers who were in the wrong thinking that crying "This is customer service?" or some other sentiment with the idea of "the customer is always right" behind it automatically makes them right, and I have no qualms about telling them that they aren't!
Some customers think that a business owes them the world and must give into their way simply because they give them some of their money. While I'll agree that you should do your best to serve the customer and make them happy, some people are unable to be pleased and need to be told to GTFO and that they aren't getting their way no matter how much they whine and cry.
How would you deal with a customer like this? What is the appropriate response? And any self-employed people, have you ever had to "fire" a customer because they were unreasonable or unbearable?
I'd say you have a personal problem. I have worked in retail a long time and rarely come across irate or rude people. The main reasons are that I treat them well, listen to their concerns, and meet them at least halfway when they want or need something. Upset customers are upset for a reason, and it's usually because they feel like the business does not care about them and just wants their money. Of course the business exists to make a profit, but in order to continue to do so, we need to take care of EVERY customer, and that includes customers who are angry.
I have a customer who rants and raves and the past couple of times I've found it really helpful to break in with affirmation "I can tell you're frustrated" or "I completely understand". Another thing that helps is to take out a pencil and paper and have them give you their contact info so they can see you write it down. Follow up with an email and try to fix their problem.
Usually customer service is the face of the organization and is rarely the origin of the actual problem. If you can make them know you're going to the source to get results.
However if there's nothing you can do - oh well.
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