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5 Reasons To Stay Calm About Customer Service
Customer service calls are no enjoyable task. If you didn’t pick up the phone feeling angry, it’s quite likely that you will at some point during the process. Whether you’re already riled up about the service or product in question, or you’ve developed a short fuse with automated systems and long queue times, here are 5 reasons why every smart customer should keep calm during these calls.
1. Short and Sweet
Want to move on and forget about the call as soon as possible? Keep your rants to a minimum. You’re unlikely to get much satisfaction from shouting at the customer service advisor, and in doing so you’ll only delay the call when you could be spending that time resolving the issue.
2. Make Your Message Clear
In the heat of emotion, your specific problem or issue can very easily get lost. You may have developed a deep dissatisfaction with the company in general, from the price of your contract to the product or service you’ve received, but which one of these issues are you calling about? Leave your anger out of it and make it clear why you’re ringing, and what you want.
3. Get the Facts Right
You may be fired up about your latest bill or letter, but don’t impulsively pick up the phone before you’ve had some time to get your facts straight. If possible, make the call from home, where you can easily access any other letters or files to back up your claims. Ensure that you have a watertight story to put forward to the customer service advisor or complaints team before you act.
4. Rise Above It
Remember your parents telling you not to sink to the level of that horrible person at school? The same goes with the big bullies in the corporate world. Don’t kid yourself that getting worked up will win you the sympathy vote, and abusing the advisor certainly won’t do you any favours. However if you can prove why you’re in the right, you may just stand a chance.
5. Win the Battle
Keep a clear picture of what you want to achieve from the call in your head throughout the conversation, and don’t stray from the issue at hand. If you need to, draw up a list of bullet points to prompt you to cover everything, and try to negotiate a solution with your provider. By doing so, you’re far more likely to achieve an outcome you’re happy with, or at least an acceptable compromise.
Save your rants for Twitter and customer service directory reviews and stay calm when you contact your service provider, to boost your bargaining power and get to the bottom of the issue, fast. Whether you’re calling your mobile network, transport provider, utilities or retailer, it’s essential stay calm and cut to the chase if you want to get off the phone with a smile.
If you have success using these tips then please share your story with us.
This article is written by Kelly Gilmour Grassam with useful information from Every Contact Number. You can follow Kelly on Twitter @KellyGGrassam.
