How to be a Better Customer

How to be a Better Customer

Or The Guide to Improve Communications with a CSR

Let's all face facts. More and more interactions are being handled over the phone or over the internet rather than face-to-face. Our society has become a much more white-collar, customer service oriented environment than ever before. As a result, there will be many times that you will speak to a CSR or Customer Service Representative to resolve an issue for you. How can you ensure that you get the best possible service? How can you make these interactions as smooth as possible, keeping it positive and light and ensure you get the correct resolution? This handy guide will help you answer those questions and it can be applied to any interaction over the phone, whether you are speaking to technical support, a billing agent, or just general customer service. In short, it will help YOU become a better customer.

1. Don't Call When You're Angry

Everyone's first instinct is to call right when they find out something is wrong. More often than not, this leads to a worse call for everyone involved. At this point in time, you are irrational and will not listen to reason. In short, you are The Hulk, more Lou Ferrigno than Bill Bixby. More than half of the call will be spent listening to you vent rather than resolving your issue, which in turn, may cause more frustration as it's taking so long to resolve the issue. CSR's are trained to let personal issues go during a call. If they are not ready to take the next call due to heightened emotions, they are instructed to give themselves a time out or a breather before moving on. You should do the same. Chill out instead of Hulk-out.

2. Have Applicable Information Ready

Always have your applicable information ready at the start of the call. If you are making a payment, then have your bank and account information in hand. If you are calling for technical support, have your account information and the problem device accessible to recreate the issue. A common misconception is that all systems have a way to auto-populate your information or account status. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Sometimes, CSR's have to verify and re-verify basic information. It may be a limitation of their technology. It may be a requirement of their process. Either way, having the information ready will help shave off time on a call and make it start smoothly, setting the tone for the rest of the call. Not having the information makes you look unprepared and not at all serious about resolving this issue.

3. Fix the Problem

In most cases, you are calling a CSR because you are having an issue that needs to be resolved. Always keep this goal in mind. You want the problem to go away as quickly as possible. The CSR wants the exact same thing. Many people lose sight of this focus either because they are irrational (see number 1), too concentrated on assigning blame (see number 7), or too proud to admit when they may have done something wrong (again, number 7). Remember that you and the CSR have the same goal in mind. Keep that focus and it will be done as quickly and painlessly as possible. Now, if you're goal happens to be to rip some CSR a "new one" then please see number 1.

4. The Dynamic Duo

Problem resolution can only be accomplished by both parties. You need the CSR's help to resolve your issue. The CSR needs your help to get information on how to resolve your issue. Just as you cannot get the resolution you want/need if the CSR is difficult to work with, so it will be if you are the same way. Most times, CSR's are completely reliant on the customer to get information. After all, CSR's cannot actually see what you see so they must rely on your ability to communicate. In most technical related CSR training, they will do an exercise where CSR(A) must explain how to put together a puzzle to CSR(B) who cannot see the final picture. Imagine if CSR(A) could not or refused to communicate with CSR(B). Solving the puzzle, thus resolving the issue, becomes infinitely more difficult. Plus it makes CSR(A) look like a dick.

5. The Customer is NOT Always Right

Whatever you do, don't ever say the phrase, "The Customer is always right." CSR's, and truly any customer facing employee, have had this mantra drilled into their head. They don't need to be reminded.  If you are indeed right, the CSR will usually find that out in the course of probing and investigating your issue. In most cases, the customer that actually uses this phrase is actually wrong and is trying to force their opinion using a lame slogan designed to engender a false sense of importance in a feeble attempt at retaining repeat business. There are many things companies will do to try to keep a customer but there are always limitations. It doesn't matter how much a customer says that the sky is green, they will still be wrong as the sky is most definitely pink.

6. You Get More Flies with Honey

This goes along with entry number 1. Remember that when you call in for Customer Service, you are asking for help. This is not the time for you to instruct the CSR on how to do their job and to berate them. While it is the CSR's job to help you, it makes it more difficult when you are rude about it. When you begin to lose your cool, scream, and generally act in a vulgar fashion, you just appear like a child throwing a tantrum. People will be less inclined to work with you and help if you act in this manner. Remember that this interaction is a professional one for the CSR. It is best for you to carry that professional mindset as well. You will get better results this way. And unless you skipped that day in Kindergarten, there shouldn't be a reason why you don't know this rule. But then again, common courtesy is about as common as common sense, which is to say, not common at all.

7. Curses!

This is basically a continuation of number 6. Cursing at the representative is never appropriate, unless you are calling a phone sex operator, in which case cursing is not only appropriate but also encouraged. However, in the non-fetish related world of Customer Service, cursing has no place. It is perfectly understandable that you are emotional, and possibly angry, in which case you should follow number 1. And while you’re at it, check out number 3 again. Cursing does not help fix the problem. It doesn’t make the CSR go any faster. It doesn’t achieve resolution any sooner. It doesn’t even help make your point as a simple explanation would. In all actuality, the only thing cursing actually accomplishes is make you look ignorant and unable to express yourself intelligently. If that, and not fixing the problem, is your goal, then by all means, have at it. No one is going to stand in the way of you achieving your goals.

8. The Power of Humility

There is absolutely nothing wrong with admitting you are wrong if you are indeed wrong. The best CSR's are trained to accept accountability for an error even when it is not their error. The same should go with you. Be honest with the CSR and yourself and accept that there may be a chance that you are wrong. Far too many times, time is wasted on playing the blame game, which then impedes the problem resolution process. The usual mentality for Customer Service is to resolve the issue first and assign blame later. The usual mentality for a Customer is to assign blame first and resolve the issue later. The intended result should always be fixing the problem (see number 3). If blame needs to be assigned, it can wait until the more important issue is addressed. In most cases, the truth of who created the problem will come out in the course of investigation anyway. So if it was you, they will find out. And at that point, you had better not respond with "The Customer is always right." See number 5.

9. Ignorance is Bliss

There is nothing wrong with being ignorant of different processes or policies that may affect your account. The issue is when you think you know or you pretend to know. It doesn't matter how educated you are or how much customer service experience you have. You will never know the ins and outs of a company's policies and processes more than the CSR that works for that company. For some reason, customer's always have the uncanny ability to become the "expert" at whatever they are complaining about. For instance, being an "expert" at Customer Service or suddenly knowing "all about computers". FACT: if you were such an expert then you wouldn't need to call someone for help. No amount of failed experiences at call centers that litter your resume changes that. Listing your work history or educational background just makes you appear pompous and wastes time that could be better spent fixing the problem rather than vainly inflating your ego.

The next time you are calling into Customer Service for help, keep these guidelines in mind. Follow them and your interactions will go much more smoothly, much more quickly, and with greater success for resolution. If not, then you are free to contact me with any complaints. I'll have a customer service representative standing by.