My Inner World

My Works for me Wednesday this week is about dealing with Customer Service Desks.

Since I started work in Ireland, I have always worked in Customer Service. I like the job and always get excellent feedback from customers. Being a Customer Service Rep (CSR) does not have to be terrible, but it sure can be sometimes. I firmly believe that to have a good customer service experience both the agent and the caller need to work together.

The agent needs to be friendly, efficient, knowledgeable and willing to go the extra mile. They chose to be in that profession and my feeling is that if it’s a job worth doing, it’s a job worth doing right.

The caller can make all the difference to the call by taking the following things in to consideration

• If you are calling the customer service desk, have all the relevant paperwork handy. You will be asked for your membership/account/tracking/reference number.
• Also have a pen and a notepad handy. (I have a zipper binder with the relevant papers, a pad, a calculator and a pen in front of me when I call.)
• When the call is answered, take down the agent’s full name. Feel free to ask for it if you didn’t catch in the first time. Also jot down the date and time of the call.
• Be short, sharp and to the point. The CSR will ask the relevant questions. It’s easy to get caught in a ramble. Remember, the quicker the CSR can start asking you the relevant questions, the quicker you are likely to be off the phone again.
• During the call, takes notes of what the CSR is saying.
• At the end of the call, confirm that your query is completed. “So, you will refund this money to my credit card and it will be there by Thursday?”
• If the answer is not what you are looking for, don’t shout or be rude. This will NOT get your query solved quicker and is more likely to make the CSR move you down on his or her priority list
• If the CSR is rude to you don’t get rude back, just ask for their supervisor. Believe you me, a CSR does not want that to happen. If they hang up on you, you have their name! If their direct team-leader is not to your satisfaction, go higher up the line. It’s part of their job.

Stick to these guidelines and the experience will be a better one for both you and the CSR!

Check out Rocks in my Dryer for more tips!