How do you deal with customer service people?

[Novbunnie]

Almost 2 months ago, I had to send my BRAND NEW laptop to hp because it stopped working on me. Every few weeks hp called me to tell me my laptop would be delayed. The first time they told me it would be delayed, I wasn't angry at all, but the second and third time annoyed me. Today was suppose to be the day my laptop gets shipped to me, but NOOOOO...hp calls me this morning to let me know that it is delayed AGAIN...so..I lost it. I screamed and I usually don't scream! I basically told her it was unacceptable and that I needed my laptop NOW. I could tell she got a scared and told me how she was going to put it down as the customer needs it asap. So I asked her why couldn't they do that from the beginning? Why do they have to wait for me to scream and then they'll work faster? Of course she didn't have an answer.

So I was wondering, does yelling at the customer service rep work? How do yall deal with these people?? I really do try to be nice but everyone has their limit. I just had to let this out, so thank you for letting me rant...i feel better...

 

[SPOILEDkiwi]

I never yell at customer service people, because it's usually not their fault. Did you try telling her you needed it ASAP in the beginning? I'm sure it was the repairs department that was delaying it, not the customer service people. I think if you're nice about it, they will try to help you out. Plus, they have the power to make your transaction difficult if they feel like it. When I worked in retail and a customer got rude with an associate about something, we always tried our hardest to make things difficult for them. Customer service people aren't paid a lot and have to deal with angry people for 8 hours a day, so I always try to be nice. If they get a little snippy, I kindly remind them that I'm not trying to be mean I just want my problem handled. That usually works.

 

[Speedy]

First, I always remember, generally the person who calls me is only the messanger. I've been in customer service before, and I've been the one they screamed at. It's probably why I became an alcoholic at the age of 33.

Anyway, I always preface my anger with a disclaiamer to make the person who called feel like I am not personally attacking her, I'll say something like, "I know this isn't your fault, but I've been screwed around enough. Can you please tell me who I need to scream at to get my "insert ihing here" returned/replaced/shipped/whatever?" You can let anger show in your voice, but alway, ALWAYS make sure you tell them it's not them you are upset with.

I know it's frustrating as can be hon, I'm going through something simular with my power chair. Once a week, faithfully like clockwork, one of the gals at the medical supply house calls me to say that my insurance STILL is reviewing my file. I've been waiting for almost four months for this thing, and it's a big a deal to me as your laptop, I'm just as frustrated as you are, but I know it's not her fault.

One of the things I've noticed nwoadays is that the younger folks are so used to the instant gratification of so many things, they tend to get impatient when something takes more time. It's not your fault, anymore than what's happening with your laptop isn't the fault of the gal you spoke with. Sadly though, it's the way society just IS now. We rely so much on things such as our cars, computers, cell phones, etc, that we do get upset when it's taken from our normal routine and sent off to some dude in a back room somewhere who could care less that you need it yesterday, he's probably had it fixed for weeks, but romancing the boss's secretary during his coffee breaks is more important.

I've lost my temper however at people. But I've always made sure that who I am losing it at deserves to be yelled at. Customer service people rely on others who do the actual work, and generally, in this age of CYA (Cover your a$$), they don't know you'd been promised this item long before. If she's been at her job longer than a few weeks or months, she's got a thick skin. Hopefully.

One more thing, don't feel too bad. You are not to blame for the "instant gratification" trend. It's a society thing, and it takes time to develop a manner of patience for some things. At the same time, those who hold us hostage by not putting our needs first have also learned the same thing.

 

[amanda]

It is completely tasteless, classless, and inappropriate to yell, scream, swear at or otherwise berate customer service people. Period. Do people come to your place of business and do those things to you just because you're sitting there, doing your job? Because that's what they're doing. Their job.

Whoever you berated was not the person working on your computer, delaying it, or causing you any inconvenience at all. They were just the person that had the misfortune of calling you, and they were probably making less than $10/hour. That's not enough to get yelled at by ANYONE. You didn't indicate that the person you spoke with was at all rude, unhelpful, or otherwise inappropriate to you. It's one thing if the person you are dealing with is acting inappropriately. By your own account, she was just doing what she's paid to do.

So congrats, you managed to be mean enough to make him or her write a note in your records that you needed your computer back quickly. Feel like you won? Feel like a big girl? Because that note doesn't make any difference. If they were able to fix your computer quickly, they would have. 'Customer needs computer ASAP' isn't going to magically solve whatever issue they're having. Something like that is just a tactic to get you to shut your mouth.

I work with the general public. I've been yelled at, cussed out, called a racist and a thousand other things. I've seen people make my coworkers cry over and over again over stuff that isn't their fault and stuff that they had nothing to do with. They were just unfortunate enough to be the messenger to someone like the person that you acted like today.

People forget that WE ARE PEOPLE. We're not robots, we're not part of the furniture. I have never, not once, worked harder for someone that yelled at me. Usually, I work LESS hard for those people. There's a way to express your frustration in a manner that makes me want to do whatever is in my power to get you what you want. And then there's yelling at me. They are not the same thing. They are polar opposites.

I know this sounds very harsh, but I've been at my job for years, and I take this type of topic VERY personally. We aren't some group of idiots to be 'dealt with.' You should have every ounce of respect for a customer service person that you would have for ANY other stranger that you encounter in a professional capacity. Because they're doing their jobs, and I seriously doubt that you understand what it's like to be yelled at regularly for things that are completely not your fault and beyond your control.

 

[JoeyJo21]

I believe without a doubt the best way to deal with customer service people is to be nice and polite. I've had to deal with some major issues over the phone and I think rudeness won't solve a thing. Being friendly always gets results, even though you may be angry with your problem, it's not the staff members fault and these people are just doing their job. Today for example I'm going to have to call up about a few things, and I normally find that the people on the other end of the line will be really helpful and do their best for you if you show them some respect. They're human beings at the end of the day and I just talk to them like I would do anyone else.

 

[JAN!]

I work in a department that kind of includes customer service. If/when people yell at me, it goes through one ear and out the other. I (and pretty much all my co-workers) who get yelled at by angry customers tend to disable the headset button so the customer can't hear us while we could still hear them. We then proceed to laugh at how stupid the customer is acting and make fun of them. So you're not doing yourself or anyone a favour by yelling at customer service folks, or anyone for that matter. You just end up looking like a fool.
I don't know if the rep you yelled at was necessarily scared. She was probably quiet because she was either too used to people like you giving her crap for something that she herself did not do, or she was just quietly observing how ridiculously you were acting.
Remember: yelling at people doesn't mean you have power. You feel like you do because you are over-powering their voice with yours. But at the end of the day, if society were run like that, we'd be in a primitive age still. Just a thought.

 

[JAN!]

It is completely tasteless, classless, and inappropriate to yell, scream, swear at or otherwise berate customer service people. Period. Do people come to your place of business and do those things to you just because you're sitting there, doing your job? Because that's what they're doing. Their job.

Whoever you berated was not the person working on your computer, delaying it, or causing you any inconvenience at all. They were just the person that had the misfortune of calling you, and they were probably making less than $10/hour. That's not enough to get yelled at by ANYONE. You didn't indicate that the person you spoke with was at all rude, unhelpful, or otherwise inappropriate to you. It's one thing if the person you are dealing with is acting inappropriately. By your own account, she was just doing what she's paid to do.

So congrats, you managed to be mean enough to make him or her write a note in your records that you needed your computer back quickly. Feel like you won? Feel like a big girl? Because that note doesn't make any difference. If they were able to fix your computer quickly, they would have. 'Customer needs computer ASAP' isn't going to magically solve whatever issue they're having. Something like that is just a tactic to get you to shut your mouth.

I work with the general public. I've been yelled at, cussed out, called a racist and a thousand other things. I've seen people make my coworkers cry over and over again over stuff that isn't their fault and stuff that they had nothing to do with. They were just unfortunate enough to be the messenger to someone like the person that you acted like today.

People forget that WE ARE PEOPLE. We're not robots, we're not part of the furniture. I have never, not once, worked harder for someone that yelled at me. Usually, I work LESS hard for those people. There's a way to express your frustration in a manner that makes me want to do whatever is in my power to get you what you want. And then there's yelling at me. They are not the same thing. They are polar opposites.

I know this sounds very harsh, but I've been at my job for years, and I take this type of topic VERY personally. We aren't some group of idiots to be 'dealt with.' You should have every ounce of respect for a customer service person that you would have for ANY other stranger that you encounter in a professional capacity. Because they're doing their jobs, and I seriously doubt that you understand what it's like to be yelled at regularly for things that are completely not your fault and beyond your control.

Amen.

 

[ValleyO]

Can't say I've ever yelled at a CS rep before, but I know how frustrating it can be and and can understand why you cracked. What I find to be most effective is to just not take no for an answer. As long as you move up the power chain with a reasonable but firm platform I find that you'll get what you want at most places.

 

[i_wona]

I treat people with friendliness, courtesy and respect.

I sympathise with your situation, though, as it is so frustrating to be given the runaround - it's sometimes difficult to balance "being nice" with the feeling that the shop is taking advantage of your patience and is screwing you around. I agree - if they could have it done straight after you yelled, then why couldn't they have it ready from the beginning? If you were nice from the start, why couldn't they value that and get the job done quickly for you?

Having said that, I do not yell at people, espcially since (as Speedy said), the SA is usually just the messenger. If I get unsatisfactory customer service, I usually take the "nice" out of my tone and make clear, assertive statements, ask why XXX hasn't been done and when it will be and tell them that their service is unsatisfactory. I don't get abusive or scream. If that fails, I ask for management and explain the situation to them. If that fails, they've lost a customer!

 

[i_wona]

I realise this is not the case in the OP’s first post, but I forgot to add that I think customer service and customers themselves are starting a downward spiral... I often feel that while customers are getting ruder, SAs are as well: “the customer is always right” is no longer a business mantra!

I have read thread (and had personal experiences) with SAs going beyond the boundaries of rudeness with their customers by insinuating things and making some seriously inappropriate comments about people to their faces.

Really, it seem that people in general have become ruder and more daring – it’s just bad luck that some of these people end up as SAs and others end up being customers. Really, if you have courtesy and basic manners, you would not treat anyone abusively, regardless of whether you’re a customer or an SA.

And it's the same on this forum - I've read many a post where people get shirty and rude because they don't agree with another tPFer, whereas other can pleasantly and reasonable disagree without resorting to rudeness.

It’s a vicious cycle, like the chicken or the egg LOL

 

[missbanff]

First, I always remember, generally the person who calls me is only the messanger. I've been in customer service before, and I've been the one they screamed at. It's probably why I became an alcoholic at the age of 33.

Anyway, I always preface my anger with a disclaiamer to make the person who called feel like I am not personally attacking her, I'll say something like, "I know this isn't your fault, but I've been screwed around enough. Can you please tell me who I need to scream at to get my "insert ihing here" returned/replaced/shipped/whatever?" You can let anger show in your voice, but alway, ALWAYS make sure you tell them it's not them you are upset with.

I know it's frustrating as can be hon, I'm going through something simular with my power chair. Once a week, faithfully like clockwork, one of the gals at the medical supply house calls me to say that my insurance STILL is reviewing my file. I've been waiting for almost four months for this thing, and it's a big a deal to me as your laptop, I'm just as frustrated as you are, but I know it's not her fault.

One of the things I've noticed nwoadays is that the younger folks are so used to the instant gratification of so many things, they tend to get impatient when something takes more time. It's not your fault, anymore than what's happening with your laptop isn't the fault of the gal you spoke with. Sadly though, it's the way society just IS now. We rely so much on things such as our cars, computers, cell phones, etc, that we do get upset when it's taken from our normal routine and sent off to some dude in a back room somewhere who could care less that you need it yesterday, he's probably had it fixed for weeks, but romancing the boss's secretary during his coffee breaks is more important.

I've lost my temper however at people. But I've always made sure that who I am losing it at deserves to be yelled at. Customer service people rely on others who do the actual work, and generally, in this age of CYA (Cover your a$$), they don't know you'd been promised this item long before. If she's been at her job longer than a few weeks or months, she's got a thick skin. Hopefully.

One more thing, don't feel too bad. You are not to blame for the "instant gratification" trend. It's a society thing, and it takes time to develop a manner of patience for some things. At the same time, those who hold us hostage by not putting our needs first have also learned the same thing.

Very eloquently put!! I agree 100%.

 

[Cristina]

It is completely tasteless, classless, and inappropriate to yell, scream, swear at or otherwise berate customer service people. Period. Do people come to your place of business and do those things to you just because you're sitting there, doing your job? Because that's what they're doing. Their job.

Whoever you berated was not the person working on your computer, delaying it, or causing you any inconvenience at all. They were just the person that had the misfortune of calling you, and they were probably making less than $10/hour. That's not enough to get yelled at by ANYONE. You didn't indicate that the person you spoke with was at all rude, unhelpful, or otherwise inappropriate to you. It's one thing if the person you are dealing with is acting inappropriately. By your own account, she was just doing what she's paid to do.

So congrats, you managed to be mean enough to make him or her write a note in your records that you needed your computer back quickly. Feel like you won? Feel like a big girl? Because that note doesn't make any difference. If they were able to fix your computer quickly, they would have. 'Customer needs computer ASAP' isn't going to magically solve whatever issue they're having. Something like that is just a tactic to get you to shut your mouth.

I work with the general public. I've been yelled at, cussed out, called a racist and a thousand other things. I've seen people make my coworkers cry over and over again over stuff that isn't their fault and stuff that they had nothing to do with. They were just unfortunate enough to be the messenger to someone like the person that you acted like today.

People forget that WE ARE PEOPLE. We're not robots, we're not part of the furniture. I have never, not once, worked harder for someone that yelled at me. Usually, I work LESS hard for those people. There's a way to express your frustration in a manner that makes me want to do whatever is in my power to get you what you want. And then there's yelling at me. They are not the same thing. They are polar opposites.

I know this sounds very harsh, but I've been at my job for years, and I take this type of topic VERY personally. We aren't some group of idiots to be 'dealt with.' You should have every ounce of respect for a customer service person that you would have for ANY other stranger that you encounter in a professional capacity. Because they're doing their jobs, and I seriously doubt that you understand what it's like to be yelled at regularly for things that are completely not your fault and beyond your control.

Ditto to JAN!'s amen.

Well put, amanda. I worked retail in college, I handled returns at CompUSA. I went through this almost daily.

 

[kbell]

It is completely tasteless, classless, and inappropriate to yell, scream, swear at or otherwise berate customer service people. Period. Do people come to your place of business and do those things to you just because you're sitting there, doing your job? Because that's what they're doing. Their job.

Whoever you berated was not the person working on your computer, delaying it, or causing you any inconvenience at all. They were just the person that had the misfortune of calling you, and they were probably making less than $10/hour. That's not enough to get yelled at by ANYONE. You didn't indicate that the person you spoke with was at all rude, unhelpful, or otherwise inappropriate to you. It's one thing if the person you are dealing with is acting inappropriately. By your own account, she was just doing what she's paid to do.

So congrats, you managed to be mean enough to make him or her write a note in your records that you needed your computer back quickly. Feel like you won? Feel like a big girl? Because that note doesn't make any difference. If they were able to fix your computer quickly, they would have. 'Customer needs computer ASAP' isn't going to magically solve whatever issue they're having. Something like that is just a tactic to get you to shut your mouth.

I work with the general public. I've been yelled at, cussed out, called a racist and a thousand other things. I've seen people make my coworkers cry over and over again over stuff that isn't their fault and stuff that they had nothing to do with. They were just unfortunate enough to be the messenger to someone like the person that you acted like today.

People forget that WE ARE PEOPLE. We're not robots, we're not part of the furniture. I have never, not once, worked harder for someone that yelled at me. Usually, I work LESS hard for those people. There's a way to express your frustration in a manner that makes me want to do whatever is in my power to get you what you want. And then there's yelling at me. They are not the same thing. They are polar opposites.

I know this sounds very harsh, but I've been at my job for years, and I take this type of topic VERY personally. We aren't some group of idiots to be 'dealt with.' You should have every ounce of respect for a customer service person that you would have for ANY other stranger that you encounter in a professional capacity. Because they're doing their jobs, and I seriously doubt that you understand what it's like to be yelled at regularly for things that are completely not your fault and beyond your control.

ITA. I was in my companys CS dept for years b4 finally getting transfer THANK goodness! I heard every swear in the book & some new ones! I was called names, screamed at, spoken down too, etc. Some of my co-workers cried over horrible calls, even went home. I say speak to CS the way you would want to be spoken to. Don't get me wrong, no one is prefect & I have had my moments, but I've never screamed or berated anyone. When I was in CS a screaming person would cause me to hold the phone that much further away from my ear - hence I wouldn't even hear all of what they screamed. If you want someone to listen then speak at the proper level. I will also say - it was the calm caller who explained their situation clearly, spoke to me with respect & had legit issues that I bent over backwards for.

 

[missmustard]

As a former Customer Service Rep, let me tell you screaming will get you NOWHERE. For people who've never worked a cust serv line, it appears it's us reps who do everything they need. But most, if not ALL the time, we're just the messengers between the tech dept and you.

I've had a fair share of angry customers. And as someone else said, the only thing yelling will do is delay your request even more. Just think about it: Would YOU be more willing to do everything you can to help someone if they're being mean to you? Of course, the job of a cust serv rep is to help, but you have to remember we are human too. We're not helping machines, and we can get upset as well, especially if we have to deal with this kind of thing for 8hrs a day, 6 days a week.

You'd be better off keeping your cool and asking to speak to a supervisor.

 

[Novbunnie]

i'm always nice to customer service people, it just happens to be this one time that i just lost my cool. i've never yelled at them before, this was just a one time thing...