A Guide to Getting Customer Satisfaction from a Rep's Point of View

As a professional in the customer service industry, I have decided to write a simple guide to the "Do's and Don'ts" on how to get satisfaction when calling into a call center. For those of you who work or have ever worked in the customer service industry, you will be able to relate. For those of you who have never been a waitress/waiter, customer service Representative, cashier or any other employee trying to satisfy the public in some way, this is hopefully going to assist you....

#1) DO- Have your account information on hand
(giving just your name is like finding a "needle in a haystack" when calling a large company)
DON'T get mad at the representative for asking for your account number or security information, it is for your own protection

#2)DO have a pen and paper ready before calling
(How many times have you went searching for a pen in a hurry and the 1st one never works??)

#3) DO Write down the date and time that you are calling and the representatives that you speak with and any other information given such as prices, confirmation numbers, ect...
DON'T interrupt the representative and DEMAND the "spelling" of their name
Names can be important but sometimes company's do not force their employees to divulge their real names. Dates and times you called could be more helpful. (Most companies can investigate and determine who you spoke with through computer technology if needed)

#4) DO Allow yourself enough time without being rushed
-Don't call on your lunch break unless it is absolutely necessary
-Don't call when the baby is hungry or tired...wait for nap time
-Don't call if you have someone in the background trying to take part in the conversation without listening...If they think that you cannot handle the issue, hand them the phone. (It is very hard to resolve an issue with a screaming husband/wife in the background and then having to repeat everything twice)

#5) "DON'T"- Do Not show your dissatisfaction by yelling, screaming, or swearing at the representative who has been hired to help you, especially when they answer the phone or when confronting them face to face.
a) Its sort of like "biting the hand that feeds you".
b) I'm 99.9% sure that the person that you are screaming at is NOT the person who screwed up your bill, account, or created the problem that you are having.
c) Swearing is about the only legitimate reason that a Representative has to disconnect a call
d) How much effort would you be willing to put forth if somebody called you screaming and swearing???
e) That Representative did NOT create the vectoring system that you spent the last 5 minutes swearing at while waiting for a rep to answer
f) It is NOT the representative's fault that the "HOLD time" was long and you are at work trying to resolve your issue....Long hold times mean it is very busy and the representative is not able to even breathe between calls so give him or her a chance.
****LONGEST HOLD TIMES ARE ALWAYS ON MONDAYS OR AFTER A HOLIDAY WEEKEND**** so avoid those days if possible

#6) DON'T call in and IMMEDIATELY ask for a Supervisor....
a) 9 out of 10 times, "supervisors" are Representatives that hold the same ranking and responsibilities as the one that answered the phone therefore..
b) the representative that answered has the same authority and could resolve your problem just as good as any "supervisor" that you are transferred to
c) You are simply wasting time if you don't give the 1st representative a chance to resolve your issue and may end up waiting for a "supervisor" callback that may come or may not.

#7)DO Accept RESPONSIBILITY
a) "I DON'T READ MY BILL" is an excuse like "the dog ate my homework"....It is not the company's fault that you choose not to read the bold print of upcoming changes in plans or fees.
THERE IS A HUGE difference when you ADMIT that it is your fault that you don't always read your bills, rather than blaming the company for putting the information on changes in your bill. (Would you rather have telemarketers call you more and inform you of little changes and waste time on the phone?.....(And if you are the 1 out of a million that would...don't hold your breath and think that a company is gonna call a million customers to notify them that a plan has increased by $.05)
b) Calling a year after the change or increase in your bill has taken place is not always gonna allow you to get "credit" for the past year but ADMITTING that you overlooked it and asking for consideration will get you as far as possible. Compromising is the best option.

These are the basics and the beginning of getting good customer service when calling a business. If you follow these suggestions, you will get more accomplished and more satisfaction in less time! And if you fail to get satisfaction after following these basics, then you have every right to complain with legitimate reasons (not getting your way is not always legit). Contact their consumer relations department with all the information that you wrote down. AND ALWAYS....If you do have a representative who goes above and beyond, let them know how happy you are by letting their manager know or by writing a short letter! We are quick to complain but slow to compliment! ENCOURAGE GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE!