Consumerist
Reader Lona says that people in her family have called her a consumer advocate since she was sixteen, and now she is going to share with us 2,177 words on the customer service tactics and techniques she uses to get satisfaction. She writes, "in 99% of situations, it allows you to reach an agreeable solution to almost any problem. It is something I do for family and friends, and for myself." Some of her methods have been mentioned in various ways on the site before but others are completely unique. And by the time you read her true success story at the end, you'll swear she has Jedi mind-control over customer service reps. It boils down to, without raising your voice, asserting control over the conversation from the beginning and then never relinquishing that power.
Lona writes:
"Keep in mind, please, that these rules require that you keep a calm, even head, or at least the appearance and sound of one, and you must have the audacity not to ASK for anything. You will be rude, and you will seem to have entitlement issues. But you will get the job done.
Here are the basic guidelines. The longer and more often you end up doing this, you will find yourself using your own language and tricks. Eventually, you will be able to determine within a few seconds whether the person you have on the phone is the correct person to speak to.
If all of this fails and you happen to be female, try asking a male relative or friend to do it, following the same steps. It sounds wrong, but people respond to voices, and in today's society, a male voice will sometimes go farther. I am female, however, and if you have a strong enough tone and voice, in most cases, you won't need to resort to that.
1. Always maintain a calm, collected tone
Keep your voice even, keep your tone low, and do not lose your temper. If you find yourself getting upset, place the person on hold for a moment, take a slow, deep breath, and pick the phone back up. If they have hung up on you, mention it when you call back.
2 . Before you call, outline the situation for yourself, and decide how you want it solved
Write down several options you would be willing to accept, and keep the page in front of you when you call.
3. Always get the name of the person who answered the phone, even if you speak to them for only a moment
Write the name down, as well as any other person you connect to. Keep notes of who said what.
4. When you get a CSR on the phone, immediately ask to speak to a supervisor
When/if they insist that they can help you, keeping your tone low and even, state again that you need to speak to a supervisor. Not want, need. If they again insist, state in a clear and calm, low tone, that they WILL connect you to a supervisor, now. Do not yell, shout, or raise your voice or tone. "No. You are going to get a supervisor for me. Thank you. I'll wait." Say "thank you" immediately. Do not wait for them to answer your request first. If they again insist, hang up immediately. Call back. If you get the same person, make the request again, and if they again refuse, hang up, wait one hour for a shift change, and then call back. Do not give the initial person your name. They do not need it.
5. Once you are connected with a supervisor, introduce yourself, and then inform the person that you have a situation that they are going to fix
Do not say "that you need to fix" or "that I want fixed" or "that I need fixed." You know they will fix it. "I have a situation that you are going to fix for me today. I appreciate your patience." If they say they will try, state again that you're sure they will fix it for you. "No, you'll fix it. Don't worry." Reassure THEM. It will confuse them enough that they will allow you to explain your situation.
6. Explain your situation in a calm, even tone. Do not pause for them to respond until the entire situation/story has been told
Simply tell it as if you are dictating a letter. Once the entire situation has been explained, do not pause. Immediately give them the first option of how it should be fixed, in a simple, declarative sentence. "...this is the situation as it stands at this moment, and the reason I am calling. So what you will be doing for me today is..." or "..so what we need to do today is..."
7. If the supervisor insists that your solution is outside of policy, ask for the full policy
Do not accept "It's just not policy to do this." You want a full description of the policy. This does not mean twenty pages, faxed. A simple description of the section they feel affects your situation is what you need from them. IF they again simply say "It isn't policy to __", you say "That isn't a policy. What, exactly, is your policy in this situation?" If they refuse to give you the policy, ask for their supervisor, or a corporate number - if you choose to or must call corporate, refer to *A - however, this will most likely not be necessary. If they give you the policy, continue to step 8.
8. Listen carefully to the policy, then scan your list for solutions that fall within it
If none of your solutions fall within their policy, inform them of your viable choices, and ask them how they are going to solve your problem. Do not ask if they will. Ask how. "So, how are we going to resolve this issue?" not "Isn't there anything you can do?" or "there must be something you can do." There is always something they can do. Do not ask. It is fact. If they inform you that there is nothing they can do, again ask for their supervisor or a corporate number.
9. At this point the person should be working with you for a solution. Continue to keep a calm tone until you reach an acceptable solution
Be sure to refer to the person by name at least twice, to make sure they know you remember it. If they say they will call back, ask for their direct line. If they do not have one, again ask for their supervisor or a corporate number.
10. You SHOULD now have a solution
Write down the details, making sure to read it back to the person on the other end of the line, and make sure to repeat their name, as well as writing it next to the solution that has been reached. If it is not an immediately solvable problem (returns, or delivery, etc) get a time estimate. "And this will be here by....". You can, at this point as well, ask for a direct line, in case you have issues and need to speak to them again. Then thank them for their time and hang up.
11. If longer than the specified time goes past and the solution has not gone into effect, call the same number and ask for the person by name
If this person is unavailable or does not exist (there is always the chance) go back through your notes and ask for the person you spoke to immediately previous. Throughout this conversation remember to keep your tone calm and even. If the person you spoke to is unreachable, again, ask for a supervisor, and then immediately ask that supervisor for a corporate number. If the supervisor offers to help you, you may either attempt to work with this person, or simply call corporate.
*A - Calling Corporate
12. Keep your tone even. Introduce yourself immediately and ask to speak to a person who can solve your problem
Use those words. "Hello, my name is ___. I have an issue. Please connect me to someone who can solve it today."
13. When you are connected, introduce yourself again. Repeat step 6
More than likely, the person you are speaking to will either do what you've suggested, or will offer an alternative. At this point, if you continue to follow these basic guides, you should reach a solution fairly quickly. Remember to continue to escalate until you reach someone who will solve your problem.
This works even if the problem is not your own. This works even if the problem is not your own, and you are dealing with the infamous Best Buy. I have a success story to share now.
Currently living with me is my sister-in-law. She moved from Texas. A year or so before she moved to California, there was an issue with her computer. Her parents are fairly computer illiterate, but had purchased the PC as a gift for her, and therefore did it on their own. They purchased a floor model, and were not informed, and did not know to ask, that the OS disk was not included. They were not informed that they would need to make a boot disk themselves, and neither was my sister.
Six months later, my sister's computer ran out of space, and she followed the on-screen instructions to free some up, running Disk Cleanup. Disk Cleanup removed essential files from the OS, causing the computer to brick. A full re-install was necessary. She called Best Buy and they told her it would cost over $100 to reload the computer. She called me in a panic, as she and her parents were living off her father's Army pension at the time and could not afford the fee.
I called the Best Buy store's direct number, and asked to speak to a manager. I was told none was there. I waited one hour, and called back. This time I got Jose. I introduced myself and let him know that I was calling on behalf of a friend that was having an issue, and thanked him for solving it for me today. I then explained to him that my friend had been given a computer without an OS disk, and now needed to reload the computer, but had been told it would cost quite a bit of money. He informed me that she was told when the computer was purchased that she needed to create a boot disk. I informed him that she was not, and that he would need to reload the computer without charge. He said he could not do that. I calmly pointed out that it is very bad policy to charge a customer for something he should never have done in the first place, and that the operating system was sold with the computer, and since the disk was not included, we basically had two options available to us - he could either issue her a free copy of Windows XP, or reload the computer free of charge. I asked him which solution he felt would be best for her. He told me that they could do neither, and I asked him how he would be solving it. He asked me to hold for a moment, then came back on the line, and told me to have her come in, and he would take care of it.
I called my sister and gave her Jose's name and told her to ask for him directly once in the store, because he would be taking care of her problem. She and her mother went, and he met them. Again, they were informed that it would cost to reload the computer. The exact charge came to $97.53 with taxes. In a panic, my sister called me, and I told her that he was not going to charge her. She said he was. I asked her to put him on the phone.
Here's the clincher - when faced with having to speak to me again, he quickly changed his mind and offered an acceptable solution to the problem: he would issue them a gift card for the exact amount, and they would use that to pay for the service. We all agreed to the terms, and he came back exactly two minutes later with a gift card for the exact charge, and handed it to the cashier.
At no point did I yell, or in any way raise my voice. I did not threaten him, or mention lawyers or the business bureau. I simply informed him of what he would be doing, and he did it. While it took a bit of reinforcement, eventually he did come up with a solution that was both within his policy, and right by the consumer. This is not a 'talent', it is a skill, and by following these steps you can usually avoid the horrific experiences many consumers have.
Not to mention gain a wonderful story. My sister tells it to anyone we meet who is having consumer issues similar to hers.
I hope this helps at least one person. You will really be amazed just how effective these methods can be.
- Lona"
Comments
I did not know that my wife contributed to The Consumerist. Hi, Honey!
Lona, I love that you have a sister-by-love. Not having any sisters-by-blood of my own, I have a couple of sisters-by-love.
Nonetheless, I can get behind the technique. I often say "I am *confident* that you, (insert name), can resolve this problem in this phone call" and I thank for their help.
While there may aspects of this that are skill, the ability to pull it off is aided by the personality of the person doing it. Clearly Lona is an alpha dog.
This won't work for everyone because the CSR's, like anybody, can sense if the caller really is an alpha or if they are just a meek person faking it. Of course, that doesn't mean most people can't learn to do this over time, just that the CSRs trained to ignore people and practice ignoring people 40 hours a week and are way ahead on the learning curve over someone who just read this.
Nah, this stuff won't work. Forget it. First person that tells me that I WILL fix their problem is gonna have a brand new problem to deal with.
Some very good points in this tutorial. I especially like the list of solutions. Never thought of that.
@headon: Yeah, I generally don't respond well to that either.
Definitely doesn't work with most credit card companies. They require you to give them security info.
I really wished more people I dealt with acted as you just described. When a person approaches me irrationally, making vehement, emotional demands, or throwing about accusations and trying to justify why I should take care of him or her, it really just makes me, the CSR, not care to help him or her anymore.
I've had a handful of people behave as you described, and it makes life a lot easier for both of us.
Fantastic article, it encompasses all the key points of selling. The most important point of selling is always be closing, and to be closing on your terms. Either they do what you want option A. or option B. There is no, no or objections and if there are it's to redirect them back to the original options or possibly an option c.
Being confident and sounding knowledgeable and always keeping control of the pitch (which the author employs many clear ways to keep control) leads people to do what you want even if it's going to cost them money.
Well, she certainly wore me down.
This is probably worth printing & saving for me. I'm not real assertive when it comes to confrontation. Sometimes it works for me ....other times I buckle. This woman should hire herself out.
@public enemy #1: Now if you ever happen to have any type of consumer relations position, there is nothing you can say at the start of a conversation "you're going to fix my problem today."
At this point you don't even know what their problem is, are you going to say "no i will not."? Of course not, at most you will say "I will try." and the author deals with that objection, because that's an objection to her sale of fixing the problem. However subconsciously it starts moving your wheels on wanting to meet a solution for the person which is the entire part of a sales pitch. Getting the wheels moving to an acceptable solution for both.
@headon: Except that it did. Read the whole article.
This sounds like an excellent back-up plan if initial attempts at solving problems fail. I wouldn't start with it, but I have finished with similar approaches...
@topgun: I do almost exactly what she describes when I'm dealing with customer service for OTHER people (family, friends) but when I try to do it for myself, and it gets stressful, I frequently end up crying. It's funny how people are funny that way. :)
@headon: Well now we know who it is throwing all the barriers up for us consumers are. Just because you don't like knowing you will be manipulated, doesn't mean the customer would be acting inappropriately or doing something that would warrant a "whole new problem" from the mighty CSR.
I agree that going to a supervisor immediately, is usually the best solution, especially if you already know there's going to be an issue. The guy/gal on the other end of the 1-800 number usually can't do much.
However, if someone talked to me like that, they'd get nothing. Her tone is condescending, patronizing, and demeaning. Be pleasant, state what you want, but don't talk to me like I'm stupid. I know you're calling because you have an issue. I also know your desired solution probably isn't going to follow policy.
In my experience people with this kind of attitude think that everyone owes them whatever they want, whenever they want it.-even if the problem is their fault. These are the same people who don't give the customer service to others that they think they deserve.
If you're going to go "Jedi" you should be informed. It's not my responsibility to explain to you in detail the policy because you don't like my answer. I've got 500 other people in the phone queue waiting for an answer just like you. Do your research-god knows there's plenty of places. You wouldn't just sign papers for a car or house before you know what you were getting into. Same goes for everything else. It's not my fault you're uninformed and ill-informed. If you have a legitimate issue that's one thing, but don't try and "Jedi" me because you screwed up and think I should fix it.
And why the hell would you buy anything from BestBuy anyway? Don't you read consumerist?
I agree with headon - anyone 'telling' me what I'm going to do goes immediately into the 'you're an ass' list and is not going to go very far.
I *do* agree with a few point - stay calm, clear and do NOT ever get argumentative. 95% of the time, you WILL lose.
IF you have a legitmate beef, it's best to state exactly what happened and allow the rep/supervisor to state what they can do for you. If it's a reasonable request they will very likely help you.
Asking for a supervisor is questionable - it really depends on whom you're talking to. Super mega-corporations - yes, a supervisor may be the way to go. For smaller operations, generally the rep has enough at their disposal to help you and appealing to them first may get you all you need, especially if you're nice about it. Getting angry NEVER helps and almost always harms.
I've uesed tactis like this for a long time - it stems from those of use who are skilled at 'social engineering' as some folks like to call it...
Another tip - that works at a LOT of companies, is to call the tier 2 or 3 customer service reps (assuming you have a line to the higher ups), and introduce yourself as rep #blah1234, and you need to see if you can get a situation resolved for customer/account #123456(actually our own account, but they don't know that - they think you're in their other call center or somewhere else within the company), as you don't have access to resolve it directly. 9 times out of 10 they will jump right to the solution, because they think they are speaking to someone within their own company, and you don't get any run-around, or retentions, or sales offers either - you have to know a bit of background on the company and how things work, and the lingo (probably the most important) - but if it's a company you deal with a lot you will pick up on these things very quickly if you're of the mindset.
YMMV
These aren't the droids you're looking for.
Works for me every time.
While remaining calm and rational is certainly a plus, I would have to say if someone called me on the phone and told me what I was and was not going to do, I would not give them the time of day. My typical response to someone who was rude to me and refused to have a discussion about the problem and options to fix it is, "Here is our corporate number. Thank you and have a nice day." I have been in the customer service representative business for years. I am a firm believer that if there is an actual problem, it needs to be addressed and fixed right away. However, having dealt with many people who were simply out for their own gain, you need to prove to me you have an actual problem by being polite and listening to me as well.
Echoing the general response that a customer 'telling' me
what I'm going to do is going to get very little help. We deal with enough rude people, angry screamers, and jerks to deal with yet another passive aggressive person who is positive that we can pull a rainbow out of our ass because you decided you'd rather bitch than actually read a few pages before you dived in.
I like to add a fool proof step when you get corporate involved. I always ask to be connected to the CEO. I never get the CEO of course, but I do get the CEO's Executive Assistant. The Exec Asst. in most large companies have a great deal of authority and power, they're job is to keep the CEO's away from things that are un-CEO like to handle.
I explain my problem to the Exec Asst. highlighting the problem as it related to more than one CSR and Supervisor etc and add the kicker "what you have in your company is not an isolated case, but a pattern" then I end with....
"My concern is not as much about you fixing my problem, but as the owner of a business myself I'd hate think that other customers of yours are going through the same things when dealing with your company that I have"
Works like a charm.
The reason this worked for you is because you remained calm. Telling people what they WILL do does nothing but make people go on the defensive. Just because it worked once doesn't mean it will work any other time. Don't follow this article, trust me, it will do nothing but help you. All you have to do is be polite, explain your situation, and if they can't do anything, escelate to a manager. Never tell someone who you NEED what they ARE going to do.
I used to fall into the "a customer telling me what I'm going to do won't get the time of day from me" category years ago.
Then I figured, I'm working in a call center making $10 an hour. I don't get paid enough to go to war with 80-90 people a day. Once I quit caring and just started giving customers everything they wanted (within reason of course), my call times dropped and I found myself being a lot less temperamental off the clock, a lot less likely to be late or call in sick.
Being the better man over the phone nets you absolutely nothing unless you're just in it to fight with people all day long... in which case, more power to you.
Ermmm, ...it will do noithing but hurt* you...
I work in tech support, and it seems like one of my callers yesterday telepathically knew this article was going to show up on Consumerist today. We had a cluster node go down that manages roaming profiles, so no one in the 16,000 employee company could get their profile settings to load properly, and to make matters worse, some of our file shares went down. The lady insisted that I would fix her problem and would put her on a server that worked. When I said I could not do that, she insisted that she talk to my manager. I informed him she wanted to tak to him, and he told her the same thing - it can't be done.
Asking to speak to a supervisor immediately is ridiculous. Telling me that I WILL fix their problem is ridiculous. In our company, over half of the issues have to be escalated to another department -- we're middle men in a lot of cases -- so I will NOT be fixing your problem. Do not order me around. You will NOT say, "You will do this for me," and expect a solution that does not involve my locking your account for general stupidity.
You called us for a reason. We do a particular job, and you ordered a service from us. Respect us, and we will respect you. Do not order us around as if you own us, because in most cases, the customer is not always right, regardless of what your high-horsed author told you above.
I have to agree with the people saying that someone telling me that I "am" going to help them would put me on the defensive posthaste. I would not be inclined to help them anymore than I would the person who calls in screaming and yelling.
I find that being nice usually takes care of the problem, or at least gets it resolved in a manner I can live with. No matter how annoyed I get, I try to think that I should be thankful I can afford these things that annoy me - cell phones, cable, etc.
I know it sounds corny, but when I find myself getting hot under the collar, keeping this in mind helps.
@headon: yes they will. this approach need be reserved for companies with abysmal service after originally being requested to resolve the matter.
@ewray4381:
@watchmanseven:
well put by both & i quite agree after having been in customer service for years.
@headon: Did you even read the article? She's not saying add emphasis to the "will", just say it. Good job with comprehension.
Another great post that identify more CSR who post comments here.
How long is your wait on hold, while they spend time posting to this site??
I have to agree that "telling" them what they are going to do seems to be a little aggressive. I have had quite a bit of luck when initially saying to the CSRs "I know there's probably not anything that you can do about this but I just wanted to share my concern with..." I try to be as nice as possible and put them in a position of power.
Most of the call center employees that post on here have an attitude issue! They seem to be on a "power trip" so much of the time! That may be part of the problem. "Don't talk down to me! I'm a phone jockey!"
When I read posts like that on here, I tend to get ruder and ruder with call center reps... It seems like a terrible job filled by terrible people.
@evslin:
Giving people what they want? At many calling centers that is a firing offense because you are paid to do--and metrically monitored for--what the company wants which is usually in direct opposition to what the consumer wants. You are lucky to be in a call center that lets you get away with actually helping customers. The tactics listed in the OP are not for dealing with the rare exception like you but for dealing with the deliberate system of corporate intransigence.
I think that the OP--and those criticizing her--may underestimate the power of her tenacious personality, which gets results using many of the same tactics used against consumers, such as presumption of cooperation and "forced choice" false dichotomies.
The first mistake is asking for a supervisor immediately. I have worked a few csr jobs and supervisors 1) don't like to take calls and will quickly get you off the phone, 2) do not get quality reports on their calls so are free to speak their mind and 3) are less qualified to help then the reps themselves. The last one is because sups worry about payroll and team stats and don't keep up with policies and procedures. I've had plenty of calls where multiple supervisors did not help when the customer was clearly right and I had to fix their mistakes.
If everybody asked for and got a supervisor every call, then why have reps? And would not those supervisors simply be demoted to reps? Sounds like an Oprah snippet to me.
@nickripley: If you're talking down to somebody you called for help, then thats the kind of service you should expect.
ok. get it. do i need to wave my hands around while making the call? at what points?
something i'd like to interject that i learned along the way...the rule of threes. media companies use it a lot. so do writers. for some reason we respond well when we hear something 3 times. for customer service calls, i write down the csr's name & make it a point to use it 3 times within the first few seconds of the call.
-hi, this is jane. how can i help you today?
-hi, jane! well, jane, i have an issue with my account that i need rectified today. you can help me with that, right jane?
it works pretty well for me...err, except when i get "hello, this is ajatashatru urjavaha. what is i can be doing today you for?"
Wow, all of the customer service schills coming out of the woodwork on this are a hoot. The veiled threats are quite funny. To all of you I say this. You WILL solve my problem today. It's your job! I will talk to you supervisor, becuase if you are so stupid that you read this article and actually felt upset and threatened by it, then you are bad at your job, and I need to talk to your supervisor. Stop schilling and answer the damn phone, your hold times are terrible this month!
@Oregon: The CSRs posting on here are probably at home, posting after waiting an hour for the "shift change".
I don't go the supervisor route until I'm sure the base level CSR is useless or powerless. I will tell you that that's frequently the case, but if you've called Amazon, Newegg, or JetBlue, you're dealing with a smart and useful person who's empowered to solve your problem and either cares about your (Hot Topic, Seattle City Light, Digital Federal Credit Union, Ford Motor Company (our fleet vehicles are Fusions), etc...these are all good examples of places where Tier 1 practices a philosophy of getting the job done.)
The last time I called Newegg about a part *I* ordered in error for one of our office machines, they couldn't have been nicer, didn't nail me for a restocking fee, and had the correct part in my hands in 2 days. Total call time: 1 minute, 4 seconds, most of which was me asking the RMA twice because I can't write. Can't beat that if you ask me. But I have a feeling we slobber all over the companies with good service mostly because of how bad others are.
9 years of technical support/customer service and if someone tells me "you will fix my problem" I'm instantly going to be put off. Just like your mother told you, asking nicely, not demanding is the way to go. Asking to speak with a supervisor right off the bat throws up a red flag that you're a problem customer. Speaking to the customer service rep as a human being works much better than treating them like a system or a robot. Granted this is for first encounters. If you get the run around after 2 or 3 calls, THEN it's time to play hardball.
I'll go out of my way to help someone who is polite and courteous, seeing if I can bend rules, but if someone makes demands and approaches in the way you described, I'm sticking to policy.