Customer service

Use gender-specific pronoun when appropriate

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Many writers and speakers engage in semantic gymnastics to avoid any hint (in their minds) of bias. One consequence is that the person often violates a basic rule of grammar. A perfect example involves the pronoun their. You might see (or hear) a sentence like this: “A friend of mine needs new tires on their … Read more

Accessibility, prompt response heighten customer satisfaction

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Tis the season to shop, as retailers are noticing. An improving economy and a proliferation of smartphones are encouraging people to open their wallets. According to a survey by the National Retail Federation, more than 151 million people in the US stated they shopped in-store and/or online over the Thanksgiving weekend. If you were in a store or shopping mall at the time, you can probably attest to that. Another estimate put this year’s Cyber Monday (Nov. 30) sales at $3 billion, up 12% from 2014.

Like you, I have been shopping recently. And like many, I recently placed an order online, though through a retailer’s website. The incident offers some lessons that online retailers might learn from.

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Calm demeanor helps ensure great customer service

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great customer service, good customer service, how to get customer serviceRecall the last time you had a problem with a product or service. What was your frame of mind? Did you want to stomp into that store (or pick up the phone) and chew someone’s butt? Not surprisingly, most people feel that way.

If choose to follow through on your rant, you may find that the reaction from the customer service person isn’t quite what you expected. You see, customer service people are humans, too, and can only take so much. They should be resilient, but even the best training doesn’t steel them for the worst barrage.

I’ve been there a number of times. In fact, I wrote about an incident I had many years ago. As I relate, I was ready to tear into the first teller I faced when I walked into the bank branch. Thankfully, I had calmed down by the time I entered the branch.

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Avoid these customer service mistakes

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Assorted customer service issues I encountered recently serve as important reminders of what not to do. Let’s hope you can learn from these incidents.

customer service skills training, customer service training programs1. Provide accurate instructions/directions. While leaving a hotel last Saturday, I asked a person at the front desk where I would meet the shuttle bus. She gestured toward the front of the building. I then asked whether I needed to stand on this, the near side, or the far side of the street. She said I should stand on the near side. So I did.

You can imagine my surprise when the bus cruised out of the parking structure attached to the hotel and blew right past me. Turns out I was supposed to exit the rear of the hotel and look for the bus stand. As a result of her poor instructions, I missed that bus and had to arrange alternative transportation.

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Customer service calls should be answered promptly

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As the country digs its way out of the Great Recession, you’d think that businesses would be making great strides in their customer service endeavors. Most do, I’m sure. But on occasion we encounter a firm that could use a refresher in how to provide quality customer service.

I recently needed to call my bank to inquire about changing the signatures on a checking account. Normally, I’d meet at a branch with the other person to sign the signature card. Our schedules don’t mesh, however, so I needed to know what my options were. That’s when the “fun” began.

I called their customer service number two times in as many days. In each case I was on hold for at least 10 minutes. It would’ve been longer, but I hung up. Couldn’t take it any longer. (In fairness to the bank, I was told–by an automated voice–that “due to high call volume, you’re expected wait time is 15 minutes.”) Why the high call volume? This institution, like others in the financial world, routes calls to a central office. That may be good in theory, but it can have serious consequences. As in my recent instance.

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