1. Wednesday, January 9, 2013 - 9:07 PM
51hh, good article, thanks for posting.
In dealing with CSRs the adage of catching more flies with honey than vinegar is especially true. I keep 4 P's in mind when calling Customer Service: pleasant, polite, prepared and professional. Paper and pencil at hand, note date and time, note the person's name if they mention it, tell them mine, greet them pleasantly and ask for their name if they didn't offer it. If have been on hold for a long time, acknowledge that it must be very busy at their end. Tell them the reason for the call and ask if that is something they can help me with. Being pleasant and calm sets the stage for the entire interaction and I rarely run into problems getting the information/ prompt action I need. Throughout the conversation I take notes, and before ending the call, I recap what has been done, summarize any action needed in the future and thank them for their help.
The only thing I would add is that "taking it to the next level" is appropriate not just when you are not satisfied with a resolution, but also when you are very satisfied with how things have been handled. If a CSR has handled a difficult/complex problem well or gone above and beyond, I praise them and ask if there is someone I imight tell what a great job they have done.
In dealing with CSRs the adage of catching more flies with honey than vinegar is especially true. I keep 4 P's in mind when calling Customer Service: pleasant, polite, prepared and professional. Paper and pencil at hand, note date and time, note the person's name if they mention it, tell them mine, greet them pleasantly and ask for their name if they didn't offer it. If have been on hold for a long time, acknowledge that it must be very busy at their end. Tell them the reason for the call and ask if that is something they can help me with. Being pleasant and calm sets the stage for the entire interaction and I rarely run into problems getting the information/ prompt action I need. Throughout the conversation I take notes, and before ending the call, I recap what has been done, summarize any action needed in the future and thank them for their help.
The only thing I would add is that "taking it to the next level" is appropriate not just when you are not satisfied with a resolution, but also when you are very satisfied with how things have been handled. If a CSR has handled a difficult/complex problem well or gone above and beyond, I praise them and ask if there is someone I imight tell what a great job they have done.
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