Getting Good Customer Service at Christmas

Going Christmas shopping is stressful, so getting good customer service at Christmas for yourself requires some forethought before execution for the best result in the end. Especially during the Christmas season. In a recent article from the USA section of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Oct 28-30 issue, this topic was the focus.

The article reports a survey from Consumer Reports which found a whopping two thirds of it's readers were those who had walked out of a store due to poor customer service. It's difficult enough just getting your Christmas shopping accomplished in one piece so these tips for getting good customer service may be useful this holiday season.

Online Options

Today, consumers have technology on their side. Use this avenue to your advantage when you find yourself frustrated with the store you've been slighted at. Often, companies implement someone within their establishment to monitor the web regarding their business, looking for anything out there that may impede their business and good name. The article cites a manager of customer relations for Thumbtack.com who stated that if the situation in question is an escalated one, it's typical for them to respond in approximately an hour.

Be Pleasant

The last thing you want to do is create a counter productive situation by allowing yourself to become angry. If that becomes the case, the person involved in your complaint will more than likely become defensive and less positively responsive to helping you solve your problem. It doesn't hurt to schmooze a bit either. Giving away a compliment to the person assisting you may be to your benefit.

Name Dropping

Be your best advocate by pulling out all the stops wherever you can. Don't be shy about mentioning another business when the time seems right. For example, if you're told you won't be able to use a sale coupon a day earlier than it has on the coupon, don't hesitate to drop the "other guys" name to give yourself a little more pull. Let the store assistant know you'll be going to that other store if you can't get the sale price you're asking for.

Go to Management

You can always ask to speak to the store supervisor if your unhappy with your service as well. After stating your case you find you're still not satisfied, go a step further and ask to see their supervisor or the store's general manager. You can go beyond that too by writing a letter explaining the situation to the store president. Sometimes letting the highest level of management know what goes on daily in their company creates a cascade of improvements from the top down.

Source: USA weekend, Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel Oct 28-30 issue.