It’s like “The Secret” for CSRs: by asking reps reps this one question, you can get many of your customer issues resolved faster and go on to live a life with less stress and more laughter.

NYT’s “The Haggler” polled his readers for their best customer service hacks. One that captured my eye with its grace and sophistication was the asking of the simple question, “What would you do if you were in my situation?” Apparently, this polite query often results in the customer service rep providing a really good tip that gets the customer on their way to getting real results.

Brilliant! Streamlined and sophisticated, and it defuses the potentially adversarial relationship. I love it.

A Guide to Complaints That Get Results [NYT via Lifehacker]

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