Customer Service Information |
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4 Customer Service Mistakes Companies Should Avoid Making
1) Being placed on hold endlessly. Don't you just love it when you call a company and they place you on hold, leaving you to listen to their latest on-hold, recorded sales pitch, over and over again. Would you think it normal business practice for a retail store clerk to ask you to "wait a minute" while they disappeared into the back of the store for ten, fifteen, thirty minutes or longer? People do things over the phone that they would never do in person. It's bad business either way to leave a customer hanging without at least coming back to let the customer know how much longer they'll be holding. 2) Getting rude with a customer. As the saying goes, even if the customer's wrong, the customer's always right. There's never any reason to get rude with a customer. If a customer gets rude with you, let them blow off steam and remember that their behavior is not an attack directed against you personally. Always keep in mind that as long as you remain calm and in control, you can address the reason behind the customer's anger. 3) Ignoring a problem. Ignoring a customer's problem won't make it go away. The same can be said of fixes that work for the company but not for the customer. Some customers have problems with a service or product that don't fit comfortably into any category. Those are the problems that need special attention, not standard responses. Too many companies ignore this and try to use the "one size fits all" method of complaint resolution. Companies have to realize that their policy must fit the customer's needs, not the other way around. 4) Making the customer jump through hoops for a refund or exchange. I recently had to return a product to a national bookstore chain. Before the clerk refunded me, she asked me for all sorts of personal information. I refused to give this information. I explained that I hadn't given this information out when I made the original purchase, and didn't see the purpose in giving it out to get my money refunded. After 15 minutes and a visit from the store manager, they finally relented and gave me my refund. The time spent waiting in line, plus the time spent to get my refund, added up to 20 minutes. This company wasted 20 minutes of a customer's time, all in the effort to get information. If you have to disregard your customer's time in order to gather a marketing profile, you're defeating your long-term marketing goal, which is to retain a satisfied customer base that makes repeat purchases. About The Author Russ Mate is President of MateMedia, Inc: www.matemediainc.com, sales@matemediainc.com Your Partner on the Web - Toll Free 1-877-309-7521 - MateMedia offers the following services: Web Hosting, Web Design & Development, Search Engine Optimization, Domain Name Registration
MORE RESOURCES: When the customer is not always right Financial Times NTTA customer service, Tarrant County district clerk spar over mistaken charge The Dallas Morning News Customer service: China's quick EV battery swaps, and sidewalk story time in Pakistan The Christian Science Monitor Oregon employment officials promise more effective service with reduced phone line hours Oregon Public Broadcasting CCC Named a Stevie® Award Winner for Customer Service Department of the Year in the 2024 American Business ... Business Wire Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority opens new PRC Customer Service Desk Cherokee One Feather Softbank commits to AI customer service Tech Monitor Manhattan Associates revolutionises customer service with GenAI powered chatbot - Directors Club News Directors Club News No, GPT-4o isn't going to kill teaching or customer service Business Insider Impersonal service: OSU research identifies when consumers prefer bots over real people cleveland.com New York State Alerts New Yorkers of Temporary Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) Outage on Sunday, May 19, for ... Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Realtor Lammert delivers customer service from the inside out Leader Publications ‘Honesty, integrity, and doing things right:’ Les Schwab Tire Center makes customer service a priority Canon City Daily Record How operational excellence transforms financial services | Process Excellence Network Process Excellence Network The importance of customer service, growth, and community engagement – Jeff Rosen | Rosen Automotive Group CBT Automotive News Availity Wins Two Bronze Stevie® Awards in 2024 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service Business Wire Company Webinars; POS, Non-Agency Products; STRATMOR and Customer Service; Freddie and Fannie News Mortgage News Daily What Consumers are Saying About AI and Customer Service Customer Think Verizon (VZ) Enhances Customer Service With GenAI Integration Zacks Investment Research Verizon sharpens GenAI tools to impro... Mobile World Live Opinion: If it's not dead already, customer service is certainly on life support • Asheville Watchdog Asheville Watchdog Frequently asked questions and customer service CSPI Newsroom Poll workers emphasize election confidence, customer service • Indiana Capital Chronicle Indiana Capital Chronicle Top Banks Offering 24/7 Customer Service in 2024 Business Insider Customer Service & Support Hillsborough County (.gov) ICICI Bank has an important warning on 'customer service frauds': Shares these tips to spot such scams The Times of India Palo Alto Networks and IBM to Jointly Provide AI-powered Security Offerings; IBM to Deliver Security Consulting ... IBM Newsroom They've got your back: Meet American's system customer service managers - American Airlines Newsroom They've got your back: Meet American's system customer service managers American Airlines Newsroom SoftBank looks at 'softening' angry customer calls with AI The Japan Times Rebuilding the IRS Improves Customer Service and Reduces the Tax Gap Center For American Progress The Marriott Maze: Navigating Customer Service Over $11, When Does It Stop Being Worth It? View from the Wing Verizon unveils human-assisted GenAI tools for customer service Telecompaper EN Porsche claims first place for customer service among premium car owners in J.D. Power Study Porsche Newsroom AI enhances flexibility and efficiency for customer service centers, new research reveals | Binghamton News Binghamton University How AI can enhance customer service The Keyword | Google Product and Technology News How customer service factors into the claims experience Canadian Underwriter The correct airline customer service numbers to help avoid scams The Washington Post Forbes Recognizes Regions Bank for Best Customer Service Regions Financial Corporation Customer Assistance Programs DC Water Lee Michaels’ Scott Berg: How to make unhappy customers happy Greater Baton Rouge Business Report |
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