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| James "Kimo" Rosen is a retired Professional photographer and publisher.Rosen lives on the beautiful Garden Island of Kaua'i with his best friend Obama Da Dog. Rosen also posts the Sunrise daily on his Facebook Timeline. |
The trick to great customer service
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| This meme was used on Facebook to promote this blog! |
I don't know about you but customer service has gotten out of control. Many companies employ people in foreign countries for their customer service. Our local cable company Oceanic Time Warner cable employs agents in India and some Mainland states with cheaper labor laws.
Whenever I call customer service and hear someone with a very defined sharp accent I will usually hang up. I always call back and wait until the person fielding the call has a voice I like, a voice that I feel compatible with. The voice that works best for me is a higher soft pitched female tone. After-all, if your comfortable with the agent your bound to get more accomplished.
I once called the cable and tried to get a reduction on my cable bill since I thought I was being taken advantage. I went on and on about how the cable company is like buying a used car or real estate in that nobody in their right mind pays rack rate or sticker price. Plus, most people have found a way to get shows for free or next to nothing by back dooring them via the Internet, Netflix and Hulu. I had this out with a male supervisor, he wouldn't budge. I called back 2 days later and found a female voice that I liked, I plead my case and they accommodated me with a discounted fee.
Don't be afraid to hang up on a voice you don't like, it will reflect in your overall customer satisfaction.
Hana Hou, (Encore) Shared from Facebook...
11 comments:
You actually got a discounted rate? Wow, I have tried discussing my dissatisfaction with them several times and they're just a "brick wall" to me on the phone.
As for the outsourcing: I've never felt I was talking to an outsourced rep when I call. Do you know for sure that our local Oceanic outsources their reps? I think it could be a mistake to hang up simply because of an accent. I've had some great experiences with reps who have a foreign accent, and then some not-so-great ones. My worst experience was with a rep who I am very confident is a Hawaii resident. Not someone in India.
Anyway, I never judge who I'm talking to simply based on an accent or what sex they are. But, the fact that some companies outsource jobs is something I strongly oppose, it angers me and it definitely affects my decision on whether I wish to be a loyal customer to such a company.
They definitely outsource, particularly after business hours. i have talked to reps in Florida and reps in Philippines... I know this because my number one question is where are you located? and yes, it's just a simple matter of myself feeling comfortable with a voice I like...
Please don't call them and mention me. ;-(
I've done this several times with Time Warner. Here's the script I followed if you're interested:
TW: "Hello, thanks for calling Time Warner"
Me: "Hi, I'm having trouble paying my bills and I was wondering if there are any promotions or special deals on service running in my area."
TW: "Let's check..."
At this point, they may find you some deals and promotions and get your monthly bill lowered. Great! If not...
TW: "I'm sorry sir, there are no promotions running for you at this time."
Me: "Well in that case I'm going to have to cancel, I'm sorry."
TW: "I understand sir, but I'll have to transfer you to one of our cancellation specialists"
Don't get scared saying the "c" word (cancel)!
This is the fun part. The first tier customer service reps at most organizations cannot process your cancel request. They transfer you to a higher level rep who's job it is to keep you as a customer. They are authorized to offer you upgrades (faster internet, more channels, HBO) or deals like half off for 6 months.
Read more;
http://www.reddit.com/r/Frugal/comments/15izkp/called_time_warner_asking_them_to_lower_my_bill/
Ok, next time I call, I will ask where they are. (I never thought to do that!)
So far, the only "accent" I've heard is maybe a hint of pidgin. The last person I talked to was a female & she was the meanest one. In fact she was behaving so bizarrely & I know it couldn't have been in response to my own self because I was being very humble, soft-spoken and polite, I had to assume she was either having a really shitty day, or she just sucks as a rep & should be fired. (Or both.)
P.S. a great feature of Time warner, they will ask you if you want to hold on and take a brief automated survey. If you take this survey you will be called back automatically within an hour and offered a free movie on pay per view. So hold on after the call.
Main reps are still in Hawaii, just not all of them...
I'm waiting for the 3% add health care gratuity tax to arrive on everything.
TRUE STORY; dateline Kauai Home Depot
I went to the self serve checkout and bought 3 pipe fittings for a gas connection for my new generator last month. One of the items did not have a skew number to scan. Ask the service girl to check the price and place on my checkout. She asks, "how much"? (hawaiian pidgin) ... I said, "thats what I'm asking. I need to know the price so I can pay for it"? She responds, "how much one or two"? My perplexed look and snapped back, "You mean how many....only one!"...... And the hawaiian legislature wants Hawaiian pidgin as a teaching aid in all schools....Really?
Kimo, I don't pay for TV. Only Internet.
Rick, I spent my son's entire childhood trying to teach him the proper use of the words "much" vs "many" and I lost the battle! You know why? Because nearly all his teachers in school misused the word & opted for pidgin style! It was infuriating because I wanted him to at least learn that there's a massive difference in how you use "much" vs "many" in sentences! This is one of the downfalls of raising kids here. You can't win the grammar battle.
But, now I think he has finally got it right. It only took 27 years... LOL!
either way remember everything is negotiable, even your internet bill! Who ever paid sticker price for a new or used car? same concept!
Well, maybe I'm doing it wrong. I have threatened to cancel the service twice & I was sent straight to someone who was very quick & willing to let me cancel! I don't want to be one of those aggressive & nasty customers... So, I don't know what other tactic I can use that I haven't already tried.
Hey SAM,
They called your bluff, regroup when that happens and call back another day at a different time. Also helps to have a script in hand for reference, think it out before your call. This is a business negotiation not a generic call. Also never call when you are mad or stressed...
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