Play nice
I handle customer service for Main Man's bidness. I'm brilliant at it, if I do say so myself. I'm incredibly upbeat, polite, funny, thoughtful, and insanely efficient. People hum the Brady Bunch's "Sunshine Day" when they're done talking with me.
Yeah, I'm pretty awesome.
But once in a very long while, I come across a customer that I just can'tkill please. Today was one of those moments. I answered the phone, and things deteriorated at dizzying speeds from that moment on.
I was dealing with one of those completely, hopelessly, and eternally irrational people. As an example, I was yelled at.... YELLED at.... and entirely blamed for the fact that FedEx will not be working on July 4th. Oh, and also because yesterday was Monday and not Tuesday.
........... wtf?
Exactly.
I tried my very best. I honestly did. But soon, I was pushed a little too far, and I just lost interest in fixing this guy's problem. Soon after that, he escalated his attack and got personal. So I took it a step further too, and against my better judgment, resorted to rudeness and complacency. Before I could stop myself, I went over the edge, and turned to the best weapon ever: Sarcasm.
He hung up.
But MAN, my last comeback was a gem. I'd tell you about it, but first I'd have to give you a whole lot of history, explanation, and context, and well... that would just suck the humour right out of it.
So my message here is this: If you're really pissed about something and need to call customer service, keep your anger and arrogance in check, because I guarantee you it will get you nowhere.
Just sayin'...
Yeah, I'm pretty awesome.
But once in a very long while, I come across a customer that I just can't
I was dealing with one of those completely, hopelessly, and eternally irrational people. As an example, I was yelled at.... YELLED at.... and entirely blamed for the fact that FedEx will not be working on July 4th. Oh, and also because yesterday was Monday and not Tuesday.
........... wtf?
Exactly.
I tried my very best. I honestly did. But soon, I was pushed a little too far, and I just lost interest in fixing this guy's problem. Soon after that, he escalated his attack and got personal. So I took it a step further too, and against my better judgment, resorted to rudeness and complacency. Before I could stop myself, I went over the edge, and turned to the best weapon ever: Sarcasm.
He hung up.
But MAN, my last comeback was a gem. I'd tell you about it, but first I'd have to give you a whole lot of history, explanation, and context, and well... that would just suck the humour right out of it.
So my message here is this: If you're really pissed about something and need to call customer service, keep your anger and arrogance in check, because I guarantee you it will get you nowhere.
Just sayin'...
posted by Berry at 2:00 PM
4 Comments:
The old saw about catching more flies with honey than with vinegar was never truer than when you are working with a CSR. Whatever the problem, this person did not cause it and most are truly trying to be helpful. So relax, take a deep toke and work with them.
If, on the other hand, they start the converation in a snippy, sarcastic way, then hang up and call the VP of Marketing. Or 60 Minutes.
I truly do hate these confrontations and they are very rare, but I SO love it when they demand to speak to the manager, and I say "Speaking". So they demand to speak to the owner, and I say (aside) "Babe, it's for you hon."
Man, I wanna know how you burned him.
I was always very polite until I worked in a restaurant in England. When I came back after that summer, I didn't take no guff from nobody.
Eventually that wore off.
I hate confrontations and deal with them regularly but once in a while, I just have to zing them back. It feels good.
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