The article is very brief, and focused on new reports about getting through to receive quick support from a company. They suggested three things mainly:
1. Reach out to a high ranking officer in the company - they state that many companies have "resolution teams" that take customer concerns straight to the top, and this might get a quicker and sometimes better response to an issue.
2. Use Twitter - they say that nowadays many companies have employees that patrol their social media sites watching for mentions that need attention, and that this may prove to be a quick way to get through for time-sensitive issues.
3. Use a 3rd-party - sometimes a business will not pay as much attention directly to a customer, but may do so to a third party. They say something as simple as disputing a charge through your credit card company will get their attention and cause them to deal with your issue.
Then, there was a single response to the article, from someone saying she had been in the customer service industry for over twenty years. She goes on and on with what I feel are true statements about traits that a real customer service representative should have. I present here some of her remarks to be used as a tool to examine if you feel you too have these traits to make it in the career field.
"I can tell you that we want to help the customers. The more upset you are, the more we want to fix what is wrong and get you off the phone happy and feeling good."Is this how you feel about being in customer service? Do you truly have the attitude that making the customer happy is a priority? Or is your attitude more of a "whatever it takes to get them out of my way" mentality?
"Being upset about an issue and giving us an opportunity to fix it, is different than just cussing, calling us names, being ugly, and hateful. Say you're mad - I like it when someone tells me that right off the bat, go ahead and vent - it's ok - we understand you're upset and you need to, and then just let us do our job. It IS our job and we love it and want to help. We feel just as good as you do when we solve your issue and you hang up the phone knowing it is solved."Is this how you feel when someone calls or comes in yelling and angry? Or do you quickly take offense and fire back with stern words of your own? A good customer service rep can take the abuse without fighting back, and then channel that into a passion to find a solution to make the customer happy.
"While we would never wish issues for customers, routine calls over and over can be a bit dull, sometimes someone with an issue allows us to think outside the box, sharpen our skills and learn new things. It gives us a challenge and allows us to do what we want to do - help you and make you happy."I am sure customer services reps can find it quite monotonous dealing with similar issues over and over again, and hopefully you can handle that without getting frustrated yourself. However, when a different issue comes up, are you raring and ready to tackle it until solved, or do you just seek to put a bandage on it or pass it to someone else to worry about? These are the kind of things you need to think about when desiring to enter into a field such as customer service.
What are your thoughts on providing great customer service? What would you say are opposing positions to some of the points presented above by these sources? Share in the comments below.
Jeff McCormack resides in Virginia Beach, VA. where he works as a web designer by day. In his off time he is a husband, father, and musician. Aside from being a freelance writer for this Customer Service Jobs blog, he also seeks to assist in career choices and information by contributing to other Nexxt blog sites.
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