{"id":5600,"date":"2014-06-27T12:01:51","date_gmt":"2014-06-27T16:01:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/lessonsfromarecoveringdoormat\/?p=5600"},"modified":"2014-06-26T23:22:14","modified_gmt":"2014-06-27T03:22:14","slug":"get-good-customer-service","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/lessonsfromarecoveringdoormat\/2014\/06\/get-good-customer-service.html","title":{"rendered":"Get Good Customer Service"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"file2891267308689\"<\/a>Do you complain about customer service people? If you were brought up to avoid causing problems, you may keep your mouth shut about bad service or defective products, and complain to friends. Reaching a person instead of an automated voice can be exasperating and put you in a bad mood. Irritability attracts poor service! Instead, force a smile, even if they can\u2019t see it, since it sets a better mood. Then nicely seek resolution.<\/p>\n

I get phenomenal service\u2014refunds few get, courtesy, direct phone numbers for future problems, replacement products and apologies\u2014all because they appreciate me being nice. I got poor service when I was scared of offending someone whose job was to help me or when I let my anger guide my communication. But resentment built and my emotions and frustrations made me rant and whine, making them less helpful. Such anxiety for what you\u2019re entitled to! Nice approaches get much better service.<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Know you\u2019re entitled to assistance for what you pay for<\/strong>. If you order a steak rare and it\u2019s well done, you\u2019r entitled to send it back. If you don\u2019t get the advertised discount, you\u2019re entitled to get it get it. Show that in your attitude<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Be friendly.<\/strong> Calm down before calling. Rudeness relieves momentary tension but won\u2019t create an ally for solving your problem. Friendly and polite makes the person try harder for you.<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Don\u2019t share personal problems or sob stories<\/strong>. Just nicely state the facts and what you\u2019d like.<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Explain that your patience is thin and you\u2019re upset<\/strong>. Admit it\u2019s hard to not get angry but you’re trying not to.<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Acknowledge the person didn\u2019t cause your problem<\/strong>. If your statement is wrong, your phone is dead or other typical problems, the customer service person didn\u2019t cause it. Don\u2019t take anger out on her or scold him. I open with a version of, \u201cI know you didn\u2019t break my phone and are trying to help me. I\u2019ll try not to take my anger out on you and appreciate your help.\u201d They greatly appreciate that!
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Do you complain about customer service people? If you were brought up to avoid causing problems, you may keep your mouth shut about bad service or defective products, and complain to friends. Reaching a person instead of an automated voice can be exasperating and put you in a bad mood. Irritability attracts poor service! Instead, force a smile, even if they can\u2019t see it, since it sets a better mood. Then nicely seek resolution.<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Whether verbal or written, don\u2019t jump into a complaint<\/strong>. Begin with a kind word to set a positive tone and<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Use clear, unemotional words about why you need resolution<\/strong>. \u201cI get crazy when my phone is out\u201d brings out violins. \u201cI\u2019m losing business without phone service\u201d is taken more seriously.<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Let the person know it\u2019s in the company\u2019s best interest to correct the problem. Explain that action you may take isn\u2019t worth them ignoring your situation.<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Respond firmly to lines used to get rid of you<\/strong>. \u201cIt\u2019s not our policy to\u2026\u201d I reply, \u201cIt\u2019s not my policy to accept faulty service or a customer service department that tries to brush me off.\u201d Sweetly, with a smile.<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 . Use humo<\/strong>r, such as, \u201cI\u2019m trying to stay calm. How am I doing?\u201d That gets the person on your side to see you as human, instead of another complainer.<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Acknowledge that the person didn\u2019t cause your problem.<\/strong> If your statement is wrong, your phone is dead or other typical problems, the customer service person didn\u2019t cause it. Don\u2019t take anger out on her or scold him. I open with a version of, \u201cI know you didn\u2019t break my phone and are trying to help me. I\u2019ll try not to take my anger<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Use clear, unemotional words about why you need resolution<\/strong>. \u201cI get crazy when my phone is out\u201d brings out violins. \u201cI\u2019m losing business without phone service\u201d is taken more seriously.<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Let the person know it\u2019s in the company\u2019s best interest to correct the problem<\/strong>. Explain that action you may take isn\u2019t worth them ignoring your situation.<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Respond firmly to lines used to get rid of you. \u201cIt\u2019s not our policy to\u2026\u201d I reply, \u201cIt\u2019s not my policy to accept faulty service or a customer service department that tries to brush me off.\u201d Sweetly, with a smile.
\nSometimes you may need to BUILD your courage to ask for what you SHOULD get. You\u2019re a customer they make money from! Get into the driver\u2019s seat. Being tough is unnecessary. Service people hear many rants and threats. Friendliness, with humor, makes them like you more and go the distance. I chat and joke, while reminding them how important it is to get resolution. A snail mail letter works better than an email complaint. Keep it short and sweet, literally\u2014a few paragraphs using my tips. Be polite and don\u2019t accuse. Just state the problem and ask how they can fix it.<\/p>\n

I get phenomenal service\u2014refunds few get, courtesy, direct phone numbers for future problems, replacement products and apologies\u2014all because they appreciate me being nice. I got poor service when I was scared of offending someone whose job was to help me or when I let my anger guide my communication. But resentment built and my emotions and frustrations made me rant and whine, making them less helpful. Such anxiety for what you\u2019re entitled to! Nice approaches get much better service.
\n************<\/p>\n

Join The Self-Love Movement\u2122!<\/strong><\/a> Take the 31 Days of Self-Love Commitment<\/strong><\/a>—\u201cI commit to do my best to do something loving for myself, however big or small, for the next 31 days<\/strong>.<\/strong>\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0and get my book, How Do I Love Me? Let Me Count the Ways<\/a><\/strong> for free at http:\/\/howdoiloveme.com<\/a><\/strong>. Read my 2014 31 Days of Self-Love Posts HERE<\/strong><\/a>. Join the Self-Love Movement\u2122<\/strong><\/a>! on Facebook<\/strong><\/a>. Watch the video<\/strong><\/a> made with Hoobastank’s song–The reason–that illustrates the power of self-love.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Do you complain about customer service people? If you were brought up to avoid causing problems, you may keep your mouth shut about bad service or defective products, and complain to friends. Reaching a person instead of an automated voice can be exasperating and put you in a bad mood. Irritability attracts poor service! Instead,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":83,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,14,2],"tags":[966],"class_list":["post-5600","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nice-people-can-finish-first","category-positive-mental-attitude","category-self-empowerment-confidence","tag-god-customer-service"],"yoast_head":"\nGet Good Customer Service - Lessons from a Recovering Doormat<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, nofollow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Get Good Customer Service - Lessons from a Recovering Doormat\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Do you complain about customer service people? If you were brought up to avoid causing problems, you may keep your mouth shut about bad service or defective products, and complain to friends. Reaching a person instead of an automated voice can be exasperating and put you in a bad mood. Irritability attracts poor service! 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Let Me Count the Ways, a She's appeared on hundreds of TV and radio shows, including Oprah, Howard Stern, and Good Morning America and has been quoted in dozens of publications, including the New York Times, Chicago Sun-Times, Cosmopolitan, Redbook, Marie Claire, and Men\u00b9s Health. After being a consummate People Pleaser who felt unworthy of getting her own needs met for many years, Daylle found a path of self-love that enabled her to build her self-esteem and reinvent herself into a dual career. She learned to get taken seriously without being overtly assertive when she became one of the first women to start an independent record label (on a dare!) and learned to play ball nicely and successfully in an industry dominated by men. To help independent musicians empower themselves, Daylle writes music business books for Billboard\/Random House, including the very popular Start & Run Your Own Record Labe and I Don't Need a Record Deal! Daylle's books have been translated into over 10 languages and are popular around the world. She speaks for colleges, organizations and corporations. Through her company, Project Self-Empowerment, Daylle creates programs and materials to help people empower themselves. One goal is to raise the money to self-publish her book, How Do I Love Me? Let Me Count the Ways and give it away for free in colleges and through organizations, to give thanks for all her blessings. Daylle uses her writing and speaking to help others find the kind of contentment and empowerment that she has.","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/lessonsfromarecoveringdoormat\/author\/dschwartz"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/lessonsfromarecoveringdoormat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5600","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/lessonsfromarecoveringdoormat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/lessonsfromarecoveringdoormat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/lessonsfromarecoveringdoormat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/83"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/lessonsfromarecoveringdoormat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5600"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/lessonsfromarecoveringdoormat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5600\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5607,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/lessonsfromarecoveringdoormat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5600\/revisions\/5607"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/lessonsfromarecoveringdoormat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5600"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/lessonsfromarecoveringdoormat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5600"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/lessonsfromarecoveringdoormat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5600"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}