Just pick up the damn phone and call
I’ve had a myriad of customer service issues over the last year (and currently) that I haven’t mentioned here. Any extra time thinking about it makes me feel even more infuriated, so I try to avoid it.
But this weekend, Steven and I were sharing customer service horror stories with my mom, and it got us all thinking – what is the deal with people NOT returning business-related phone calls? Ever?
I don’t get it. I leave a message with my info, you call me back in about a day. It’s that simple. It’s a business relationship, and that is what I expect. Unless your message said you are out, and left another person to contact, I expect to be called back.
So why am I not? How do people get away with NEVER returning business phone calls? Why do I have to call back, again and again and again?
It makes me even more upset, when I am just trying to be an easy-going customer to begin with. It makes me more likely to turn into a difficult customer, and I don’t want to be THAT customer.
What has happened to good customer service? Maybe someone has a good customer service story to cheer me up? Or maybe you’ll just join in my rant!
Themocracy
I agree. The same irritation often extends to e-mail.
Depending on the product, customer service is probably the most expensive thing they offer, it’s one-on-one time with someone who (probably) already gave you the money. And I’m not sure what kind of issues not returning them calls them in the end. Scads of companies out there with lots of customers but people say they have awful customer service.
I’ve generally worked for public places like state government or school districts. And you return those calls quickly before someone contacts someone up the food chain more publicly.
What happened to the plug-in that lets me edit my comments 🙁
Oh how this post resonates LOUDLY with me. For work, I left a VM with a vendor inquiring about the more expensive of two products (because we were using the less expensive version and I wanted to make sure he didn’t sign us up for the more expensive version – I needed to speak with him because he was cutting us a deal). Weeks go by and he doesn’t call back. So, I call again. Leave another VM. Didn’t hear back. So, this afternoon, I called one of the people he supervises and explained my situation. She was nice enough to give us the less expensive of the two offers without clearing it with him. But, again, as you said, why is it so difficult to return a stinking phone call? You’d think they’d spend less time returning the calls than they would having to listen to one VM after another!
I was taught early on the 24-hour-follow-up method of doing business. So I am pretty anal about making sure I abide by that, even if it’s just to say, “Sorry, I don’t have an answer for you yet (with reason why)” and it bugs me when other people don’t. And seriously, if it goes on too long (more than a few days with some regularity) I am apt to elevate to a supervisor.
Surprisingly, I had a good experience with Comcast a few weeks ago. I called and got my problem resolved in 10 minutes. I told the rep that was the fastest and most competently I’d ever had an issue resolved with Comcast. She was pretty happy! But still…it is sad that was remarkable and not the norm. :p
I am of the mindset that there is no such thing as customer service any more. So sad.
As someone who worked in customer service for years, I know it’s pretty damn easy to give good customer service. People now are just lazy, don’t care, aren’t getting paid enough so they hate their job, etc.
It’s a live and learn type of situation when it comes to customer service. When I deal with really bad customer service at a store (cough cough The Gap), I don’t buy their clothes. When I receive excellent customer service (at Victoria’s Secret), I’m more likely to open a credit card with them and continue to buy their product.
I had a horrible experience with HP computers, and so I returned a really expensive laptop and refuse to do business with them. It’s not going to do anything in the long run to hurt the company, but saves me the unnecessary stress.
Definitely little to no customer service left anymore. It really stinks!
I work in retail and try my best to provide good customer service. It’s difficult to do when my co-workers don’t do the same.
What I hate is customers who are always difficult. They think that if they’re a PITA from the beginning that we’ll bend over backward to help them out. Not how it works. There’s a woman who comes to our store once every week or two. I turn the other way when I see her.
I get horrible customer service at the check-out lanes at places. That’s the last impression that customers have before walking out the door!
It’s REALLY fun when you call a doctor because you have a patient who is having trouble breathing and they don’t call you back for twenty minutes. Then you find out they’re just sitting at a desk in the ER. AWESOME.
What I can’t stand is the automated phone calls (both making and receiving). They never seem to have a number for the reason I called, and it takes for ever to get through all of the menus. My time is just as valuable as theirs. The ones that call me with recordings or whatever are frustrating because there’s no way to get them to stop. I am, however, less likely to do business with them (or vote for them) if they are constantly harassing me, and I’m not above telling others about a horrible experience (or a good one).
I don’t know either, but it drives me nuts! Also…when I write 100 emails, and only 5 people respond (babysitting related, this is!), well, argh!!! What’s up with this? It’s rude!
I worked as a Starwood customer service rep (the hotel chain that runs Sheraton, Westin, and the W Hotels) at a call center one summer. Luckily for me it was not the type of job where I was supposed to return calls, people simply waited on hold for a really long time until they talked to a person. Sometimes because of call over-loads I would get bounced calls from people trying to call the hotel directly, the computer screen would indicate this, and I would have to answer the call and pretend that I was at that particular hotel. Those were really funny. I could usually get away with it until they asked me a really pointed question, like, “how’s the weather?” or “what time does the Dave Matthews concert start?” Then I would usually admit I wasn’t there. Some people were amused, some were NOT. It was really bad when it bounced calls from people STAYING at that actual hotel who were trying to call the front desk. They would yell demands at me like, “could you connect me to room service?!” or “the people in the next room are too loud!” What was I supposed to do?
A few months before I left the job, they started putting in their own automated answering system. Retarded, because reserving a hotel room is a really complicated process. Their prototype system didn’t work well, and when people finally got to me, they were frustrated/really pissed off. I left soon after that, I couldn’t take talking to angry people, all day, non-stop.
Mica – Oh yeah. We have friends who never respond to emails we send them. For months…
Gary LaPointe – I understand the cost behind it. It just makes me frustrated that so many people are getting screwed over by bad service and that they don’t even realize it because they dont fight it (like I do). Well, now I am sort of referring to something else. Don’t even want to go into that. Thanks for telling me the plug-in was off!
SoMi’s Nilsa – Jeez! And you were even trying to make a deal that involves profit for him! WTF? There is almost NO excuse for that.
diane – And I think that IS the rule most people should use, when possible! Why do WE know this and act on it, but most people DON’T?!?! Wow, that IS impressive for Comcast.
sizzle – It IS sad. AND, they are just making nicer customers turn into bitchy, impatient ones (me).
Amy – I am the same way – I ban them if they screw me over, unless I am absolutely dependant on them. It doesn’t affect them too much, but gives US a piece of mind!
Jamie – Agreed 🙁
Etta – I wish you worked at the HD by me! Hee hee. Steven used to have customers like that. I wonder if it is THOSE people who turn normal, nice people into bad customer service givers. Because I worked at McD’s for a LONG time, and we had one family of awful customers that came in EVERY Sunday and tried to screw us. What is wrong with everyone?!
Susan – LAME! What is up with that?!
Odie – Oh gosh. I HATE those too. I always just try to press 0 to talk to a real person, but sometiems they even prevent you from doing THAT!
Bethany – Oh gosh. That reminds me of when I was job searching and almost NO ONE was polite enough to reject me. I just sat there, wondering… never getting anywhere…
Jen512 – Oh gosh. They were just setting you up to deal with nasty people! What a bad system. I am happy you got out of there!!!
I agree, they were essentially trying to replace us with a machine. Oh, and from the other post, in regards to the bed in the break room, it was a Westin “Heavenly” bed put there so we could better our sales pitch to people over the phone. It was an awesome bed, but you weren’t allowed to do much besides sit on it. 🙁
Jen512 – Aww man! A bed there but not to sit on?!?! TORTURE!!!
I admit that I’m not much for voice mail and returning phone calls, but that’s more personal. And it depends on who it is.
I hate leaving voice mails for anyone, as there is usually something that I want to discuss with the person at the other end without wondering if I explained it well in a message.
Text and email have become more important to me than a phone call. But that doesn’t mean if it’s business related, I won’t return my calls. I get at least 30 calls a day at work and often when I’m in the server room and away from my desk. Any messages left must be returned pretty quick as it may be some VIP that can’t access email.
But, with all that said, it irritates me when I don’t get a return call back.