As you may have heard by now, the editors of Consumer Reports have, for the first time ever, compiled a list of companies with "naughty" and "nice" customer service policies for the holidays. The magazine's list of good and bad little (and big) businesses runs the gamut from huge retailers like Walmart (nice) and Best Buy (naughty) to smaller players like U.S. Cellular and J&R Electronics (both nice).
As I perused the list, I got to thinking: What would it be like to work as a customer service agent for one of the companies with "naughty" policies?
Imagine what a Spirit Airlines gate agent must hear from passengers who find out to their surprise that it will cost them $45 to take their carry-on bags with them on the plane -- that is, if they didn't pay the $30 carry-on charge in advance.
Or a Best Buy customer service agent who must regrettably inform a dissatisfied customer that the camcorder she purchased 15 days before is no longer returnable.
Verizon call center agents must be as mad as the customers who call to complain about a doubling of the early termination fee for a smartphone service contract by now, I reckon.
On the other hand, Buy.com customer service agents probably aren't feeling too stressed about that company's "you got a problem, take it up with the manufacturer" policy for people who buy TV sets with screens bigger than 27 inches -- the company's website contains no information on how to contact their customer service department. (Does it even have one?)
And L.L. Bean's customer service staff probably don't know what to do with the compliments they get over the outdoor outfitter's no-questions-asked, good-any-time return policy. They probably do have interesting tales to tell about the things customers return for refunds, though.
Still, customer service managers with staff morale problems might want to ponder whether those problems might not stem from customer-unfriendly policies. They could start by asking their customer service staff what kind of feedback they're getting from their customers, and if it's not good, management should work to implement friendlier ones.
As I perused the list, I got to thinking: What would it be like to work as a customer service agent for one of the companies with "naughty" policies?
Imagine what a Spirit Airlines gate agent must hear from passengers who find out to their surprise that it will cost them $45 to take their carry-on bags with them on the plane -- that is, if they didn't pay the $30 carry-on charge in advance.
Or a Best Buy customer service agent who must regrettably inform a dissatisfied customer that the camcorder she purchased 15 days before is no longer returnable.
Verizon call center agents must be as mad as the customers who call to complain about a doubling of the early termination fee for a smartphone service contract by now, I reckon.
On the other hand, Buy.com customer service agents probably aren't feeling too stressed about that company's "you got a problem, take it up with the manufacturer" policy for people who buy TV sets with screens bigger than 27 inches -- the company's website contains no information on how to contact their customer service department. (Does it even have one?)
And L.L. Bean's customer service staff probably don't know what to do with the compliments they get over the outdoor outfitter's no-questions-asked, good-any-time return policy. They probably do have interesting tales to tell about the things customers return for refunds, though.
Still, customer service managers with staff morale problems might want to ponder whether those problems might not stem from customer-unfriendly policies. They could start by asking their customer service staff what kind of feedback they're getting from their customers, and if it's not good, management should work to implement friendlier ones.
Looking for a "nice" job that will make you and your customers happy? Start at CustomerServiceJobs.com.
By Sandy Smith
Sandy Smith is an award-winning writer and editor who has spent most of his career in public relations and corporate communications. His work has appeared in The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Philadelphia CityPaper, PGN, and a number of Web sites. Philly-area residents may also recognize him as "MarketStEl" of discussion-board fame. He has been a part of the great reserve army of freelance writers since January 2009 and is actively seeking opportunities wherever they may lie.
Become a member to take advantage of more features, like commenting and voting.
Register or sign in today!