We’ve said countless times before that one of the biggest problems with customer service is that companies — especially large, multinational retail and telecommunications companies — give so little latitude to, and put so little trust in, employees on the front line. Thus, every word and every interaction is scripted, and often with a corporate goal, like getting the customer off the phone quickly or upselling some unasked-for add-on service, that provides no benefit to the consumer. [More]
customer service
Everyone Sees Themselves In This Rage-Filled Customer Service Meltdown Video
By 9.12.13
Sometimes a picture, story, or video posted online seems so over-the-top that we think that it can’t possibly be real. It has to be a viral marketing ploy, a prank, or somehow involve Jimmy Kimmel. Listening to this recording that purports to be a real customer service call to a home security company, we desperately wanted it to be a hoax…but the court of Internet public opinion has ruled that it probably isn’t. [More]
Olive Garden Waiter Boosts Tips By Impersonating Time-Traveling Alien
By 8.16.13
We’re all tired of customer service platitudes and the same spiels that every restaurant server gives. When someone finds a way to make the experience fresh and funny, it gets customers’ attention, for better or worse. One Olive Garden waiter writes that he decided to mix things up by pretending to be a favorite TV character: the title character from the BBC’s Doctor Who. [More]
It’s Safe To Say You Wrote An Effective Complaint Letter If An Airline Billionaire Notices It
By 7.2.13
Here at Consumerist we’ve read our share of complaint letters. Some are witty and pithy, others are full of rage and utilize all capital letters. Success can be varied, no matter how perfect your letter happens to be. But we think it’s safe to say that when the billionaire head of an airline Tweets your missive to his three million followers, you done good. [More]
Some Best Buy Customer Service Reps Not Thrilled With Having To Stick To Script
By 7.1.13
Anyone who has called up customer service knows how frustrating it can be when you reach a rep who insists on sticking to a script rather than having a genuine conversation about your issue. A phone agent for Best Buy’s website says the company recently instituted a new script and those who don’t follow it verbatim are risking their jobs. [More]
Seattle Fines Comcast — Twice — For Being So Bad At Customer Service
By 6.25.13
The city of Seattle has an agreement with Comcast requiring the cable company to answer 90% of calls within 30 seconds. If you’re a Comcast customer, you are probably laughing, while also crying a bit as you flash back to interminable waits to speak to a Kabletown rep. But Seattle isn’t taking this standard lightly, as it has attempted to fine Comcast twice in just the last few months. [More]
Customer Service Rep Entertains Possibility Of Future Resident’s Mail Going To Guy Living Now
By 6.6.13
On the low end of the customer service representative spectrum there are those company stooges who seem to not give a rat’s patootie whether or not your problem is solved. In the middle, there are your pleasant, efficient CSRs who can handle customers with aplomb and resolve issues tidily enough. And then, oh then, there are those CSRs on the high end of the spectrum, the ones we love the best. [More]
US Postal Service Ships Cover, Forgets My Magazine
By 6.3.13
Thom’s copy of The Economist got separated from its cover. That’s very sad. We have to give the Post Office an A+ for effort, though: they made sure he received evidence that there was ann Economist that week. They delivered the least useful part of the magazine, because that’s the part that had his address printed on it. [More]
Just Being Friendly To Customer Service Reps Can Reap Rewards
By 5.14.13
We’ve always advised readers to keep their cool when dealing with customer service, regardless of how grievous the error or inept the service. And if you want to get even more out of your customer service call, attempting to make a personal connection with the rep could be the key. [More]
Barclays Replacing Security Questions With Voice-Recognition
By 5.9.13
We know you all love calling your bank and being asked the same security questions over and over; and we’re sure that bank employees get a real kick out of having to ask these questions and hearing customers groan. Barclays thinks it has the answer to the problem — voice-recognition software. [More]
Workers Dealing With Customers Say They’re Not Getting Enough Guidance From Management
By 4.30.13
The more we see big businesses floundering around, flopping all over themselves in the race to replace CEOs and try to figure out why customers aren’t streaming in the doors, the more we wonder how they could all be getting it so wrong. A new survey of “non-desk” workers could provide part of the answer, as those employees say they’re not getting enough information from the bigwigs in charge. [More]
Time Warner Cable Entices Us Back With Discounts, Forgets To Give Them To Us
By 4.30.13
When Michael quit Time Warner Cable, it was easy. Too easy. He didn’t face retention staff begging him to stay. They canceled the account, and let the couple go. Temporarily. After only a few days, Time Warner began to call them to win them back, With some coaxing and special discounts, Michael and Mrs. Michael came back. Then they learned that the deal that enticed them back was not, strictly speaking, real. [More]
Ex-Borders Manager: Here’s Why Only Perfect Scores Matter On Customer Service Surveys
By 4.23.13 — Updated: 4.26.13
Why is it that when we take customer service surveys, store employees beg us to either give them a perfect score or not bother? Reader C. used to work for a now-defunct retailer whose name rhymes with “disorders.” She was in management, and explains why a perfect score, and only a perfect score, counts. [More]
Celebrity Chef Gives Us The VIP Treatment After We Miss Out On Restaurant Week Deal
By 4.23.13
Consumerist reader Tom is not the kind of guy who usually goes out for fancy meals. But heck, it was his wife’s birthday coming up and one of her favorite local restaurants was participating in Jersey Shore Restaurant Week. It would be perfect — a nice dinner + plus a great deal = a happy wife and an equally happy wallet. But then Tom realized the deal had just expired, and decided to throw a hail Mary pass via social media. [More]
Delta Employees Dig Through Trash To Find “Daddy Shirt” Worn By 7-Year-Old’s Late Father
By 4.22.13
Warning, if you have a heart, you might need to grab a couple of tissues before reading this story, which serves as proof that there are customer service reps out there who actually care about customers. A little boy who lost a shirt worn by his late father was reunited with the treasured possession after Delta Airlines employees searched through the trash to find it. [More]
McDonald’s Wants To Fix Service That Customers Find ‘Chaotic’
By 4.11.13
No one expects four-star service at a fast-food joint, but at the same time you expect service to be, well, fast. And somewhat competent. McDonald’s currently faces falling sales, and 20% of the complaints they receive are about customer service. Customers complain about “chaotic” service and “unprofessional” employees. Logical conclusion: time to work on their customer service. The chain is overhauling their ordering system in an attempt to make fewer mistakes and speed things along. Will it work? Maybe. [More]
Using The EECB Gets Me A SimCity Refund, But What About Everyone Else?
By 3.12.13 — Updated: 3.13.13
Consumerist reader Kevin was one of many SimCity gamers ticked off last week (likely plenty are still fuming this week), but unlike many of his fellow players, he was able to procure a refund for the deluxe digital edition. What in the what? “But EA doesn’t seem to be giving out refunds!” you might’ve just yelled at the screen. Kevin attributes his success to the executive email carpet bomb, or the EECB. [More]
Help Us Help You: One Company’s Social Media Rep Explains How To Get Complaints Resolved
By 3.5.13
A common refrain here at Consumerist that we try to promote is “kill’em with kindness.” Shouting, writing angry emails in all caps and generally freaking out at customer service representatives are all tactics guaranteed to make your quest for a positive resolution a lot harder. And as one company’s social media rep writes in to explain to Consumerist, often complaining customers aren’t doing anything to help her help them. [More]
