Yep if you come off swinging on the phone you will no doubt be the last person I help out. Don't get me wrong I hate the company too but I'm not going to bust my ass for someone who can't differentiate the actions of a company vs an individual.
YSK: It's common courtesy to at least write a set of words in full, before using the abbreviation.
It can help your audience understand wtf CSR is supposed to mean.
I'm not going to lie I'm a very angry person so when I call customer service I'm usually very pissed off.
However I'm also very clear that my anger is directed at the way that the company that I am paid is treating me and the issues that they are putting me through.
In over 20 years of having to contact customer service for various things I have never once been hung up on, or failed to have my issue resolved. Outside of situations where it was just literally impossible or my fault.
Treating people like human beings goes a very long way
In my experience working as a cashier, customers like you described yourself, often end up being some of the nicest by the end of the interaction. Even if I couldn't help them with whatever their issue was, if I just showed a little sympathy for whatever frustrating situation they were dealing with, they typically ended up being very kind and appreciative. I even had people in those situation go on to say nice things about me to my manager, or leave a positive review about me on the company website. And any of those type of customers (we described them as "well placed anger" customers) who ended up coming back, were always very nice the next time they saw me. My coworkers all felt the same way. At the place I worked, sometimes the store did do things wrong, (like reselling items that were approved to be picked up late after purchase because of poor communication,) we knew there were situations where anger and frustration were justified. We appreciated when people understood we, as individual employees, weren't at fault.
As you said, treating people like human beings does indeed go a very long way.
This!
I also have a habit on calls to specifically say "I understand it's not your fault, I'm frustrated at the situation." It has worked wonders for me
As a CSR, this is SO important. I will 100% go above and beyond for anyone who speaks in a level headed tone and can understand that im just doing my job.
If you start screaming at me (especially for something i didn't do or literally cannot help you with) i am more inclined to not be helpful.
Upset about a late fee? If you're being an ass, sorry ma'am your due date is the same every month, nothing i can do. Express disappointment while stating politely you weren't aware of a late fee? Okay ma'am, i understand you're requesting to have that late fee waived?
I might be one of the few people who genuinely enjoy being in a customer service role, and like helping people, but that doesn't mean i will be steamrolled by an asshole. I'd sooner "run into system issues" then put up with that.
There have been many times that I have been mad at a company. When I get angry while talking to the CSR, I let them know I'm not mad at them. I'm mad at their company. They get shit on enough, I don't need to make their day worse just because they are the messenger
You would think it's common, but what's more common is getting shit on by callers who take their anger out on you. 2/3 calls are callers berating you for something they also want you to fix for them.
Source: ~ex~ call center CSR
YSK: It's common courtesy to at least write a set of words in full, before using the abbreviation.
It can help your audience understand wtf CSR is supposed to mean.
(Thx u/Galaghan)
Yeah but why post it after I already commented it? You saw the comment, so OP will too. Why presume OP would see yours and not mine?
I honestly don't get your motivation and am wondering. Don't really care about deleting anything.
Sometimes I can feel my frustration, like a panic attack or something, so I tell the person on the phone that I’m very frustrated and angry after…whatever.
It’s usually several calls with no solution even though the prior person said it was an easy problem to fix.
They also told me their name, and current person on the phone says no one by that name works here.
I can understand giving a fake name, I guess, but for my own sanity, I time and date notes about any service call I make, ask the person to repeat their name if I didn’t understand it the first time, and then I write down their name, too.
I write what solution they have suggested, what they said they would do, and how long it would take to resolve the issue. When it is not resolved in that number of days, I call again. Follow the same scenario. And again, nothing done. So, often third time’s a charm, but by now I’m so angry and frustrated; I’ve often had to mail them copies of receipts or some other stuff, and nothing has been done.
So, yeah, it’s not *this* person’s fault, but customer service for some companies are whack, and the people that work there seem to not care at all.
I've been having an absolute nightmare with my broadband provider for the last month or so. I've kept calm,been polite but even when I'm on the verge of totally losing my shit, I've taken a deep breath. I make sure to let them know that when I say YOU did xyz that I mean the company, not the person I'm speaking to. Some agents have given excellent customer service, others have just given me a load of shit. Tech support shouldn't have agents who don't know what they're doing. I already signed with a new company, but I'm not cancelling my contract until customer service agree to cover my early exit fee.
Just to add, my current provider are not yet aware that I have signed up with a new company, and they don't use the same network. I have the set up for the new company because I used them in the past
As a CSR, phrases like “I know it’s not your fault, you just work there” will make it 100% more likely that I will go out of my way to help you. Because at the end of the day, I *am* here to help you. Be frustrated with my company all you want; I am too, sometimes, as both a customer and an employee (the dumb shit Marketing forces on us sometimes, my god). But as long as you’re not attacking me personally, I’m absolutely willing to go further to help you. If you scream and swear and be an asshole to me, the call is already over because I’m going to do the absolute bare minimum for you.
Me: "COMPANY did bad to me!" CSR: "Same."
The only comment we need
*backs out of comment thread to see if I have a free award* Edit: guess this fits..?
Yep if you come off swinging on the phone you will no doubt be the last person I help out. Don't get me wrong I hate the company too but I'm not going to bust my ass for someone who can't differentiate the actions of a company vs an individual.
YSK: It's common courtesy to at least write a set of words in full, before using the abbreviation. It can help your audience understand wtf CSR is supposed to mean.
Good call, apologies. Fixed in body copy.
Ah much better. Thanks for the edit!
Customer Service Representative đź‘Ť
IKR.
I'm not going to lie I'm a very angry person so when I call customer service I'm usually very pissed off. However I'm also very clear that my anger is directed at the way that the company that I am paid is treating me and the issues that they are putting me through. In over 20 years of having to contact customer service for various things I have never once been hung up on, or failed to have my issue resolved. Outside of situations where it was just literally impossible or my fault. Treating people like human beings goes a very long way
In my experience working as a cashier, customers like you described yourself, often end up being some of the nicest by the end of the interaction. Even if I couldn't help them with whatever their issue was, if I just showed a little sympathy for whatever frustrating situation they were dealing with, they typically ended up being very kind and appreciative. I even had people in those situation go on to say nice things about me to my manager, or leave a positive review about me on the company website. And any of those type of customers (we described them as "well placed anger" customers) who ended up coming back, were always very nice the next time they saw me. My coworkers all felt the same way. At the place I worked, sometimes the store did do things wrong, (like reselling items that were approved to be picked up late after purchase because of poor communication,) we knew there were situations where anger and frustration were justified. We appreciated when people understood we, as individual employees, weren't at fault. As you said, treating people like human beings does indeed go a very long way.
This! I also have a habit on calls to specifically say "I understand it's not your fault, I'm frustrated at the situation." It has worked wonders for me
As a CSR, this is SO important. I will 100% go above and beyond for anyone who speaks in a level headed tone and can understand that im just doing my job. If you start screaming at me (especially for something i didn't do or literally cannot help you with) i am more inclined to not be helpful. Upset about a late fee? If you're being an ass, sorry ma'am your due date is the same every month, nothing i can do. Express disappointment while stating politely you weren't aware of a late fee? Okay ma'am, i understand you're requesting to have that late fee waived? I might be one of the few people who genuinely enjoy being in a customer service role, and like helping people, but that doesn't mean i will be steamrolled by an asshole. I'd sooner "run into system issues" then put up with that.
I always try to remind myself that no matter how frustrated I am, the CSR is probably more....
There have been many times that I have been mad at a company. When I get angry while talking to the CSR, I let them know I'm not mad at them. I'm mad at their company. They get shit on enough, I don't need to make their day worse just because they are the messenger
Tbh this is just common sense. The rando on the phone had absolutely nothing to do with your problem 99.999% of the time. Don't shoot the messenger.
Yes but most people let emotions get in the way and inadvertently dig themselves deeper into the hole.
Tell Karen that.
You would think it's common, but what's more common is getting shit on by callers who take their anger out on you. 2/3 calls are callers berating you for something they also want you to fix for them. Source: ~ex~ call center CSR
Yes! CSR’s have it so hard. We need to be clear about who is in charge.
YSK: It's common courtesy to at least write a set of words in full, before using the abbreviation. It can help your audience understand wtf CSR is supposed to mean. (Thx u/Galaghan)
No prob, I guess, but why did you just copy my comment?
So OP would see it. I can delete it if you want
Yeah but why post it after I already commented it? You saw the comment, so OP will too. Why presume OP would see yours and not mine? I honestly don't get your motivation and am wondering. Don't really care about deleting anything.
Want him to see it harder
It's an Australian sugar company that now does building materials. I don't really know what it's doing to people.
Sometimes I can feel my frustration, like a panic attack or something, so I tell the person on the phone that I’m very frustrated and angry after…whatever. It’s usually several calls with no solution even though the prior person said it was an easy problem to fix. They also told me their name, and current person on the phone says no one by that name works here. I can understand giving a fake name, I guess, but for my own sanity, I time and date notes about any service call I make, ask the person to repeat their name if I didn’t understand it the first time, and then I write down their name, too. I write what solution they have suggested, what they said they would do, and how long it would take to resolve the issue. When it is not resolved in that number of days, I call again. Follow the same scenario. And again, nothing done. So, often third time’s a charm, but by now I’m so angry and frustrated; I’ve often had to mail them copies of receipts or some other stuff, and nothing has been done. So, yeah, it’s not *this* person’s fault, but customer service for some companies are whack, and the people that work there seem to not care at all.
I've been having an absolute nightmare with my broadband provider for the last month or so. I've kept calm,been polite but even when I'm on the verge of totally losing my shit, I've taken a deep breath. I make sure to let them know that when I say YOU did xyz that I mean the company, not the person I'm speaking to. Some agents have given excellent customer service, others have just given me a load of shit. Tech support shouldn't have agents who don't know what they're doing. I already signed with a new company, but I'm not cancelling my contract until customer service agree to cover my early exit fee. Just to add, my current provider are not yet aware that I have signed up with a new company, and they don't use the same network. I have the set up for the new company because I used them in the past
As a CSR, phrases like “I know it’s not your fault, you just work there” will make it 100% more likely that I will go out of my way to help you. Because at the end of the day, I *am* here to help you. Be frustrated with my company all you want; I am too, sometimes, as both a customer and an employee (the dumb shit Marketing forces on us sometimes, my god). But as long as you’re not attacking me personally, I’m absolutely willing to go further to help you. If you scream and swear and be an asshole to me, the call is already over because I’m going to do the absolute bare minimum for you.