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5 Ways to Improve Your Customer Service Experience

Have you ever been on the phone with customer service and wished you could stick your hand through the receiver and strangle the person on the other end? Ya, we've all been there. Having someone else solve a problem completely outside of your control is very frustrating.

Conversely, working with the public is a tough job. Customer service, sales, support, government, whatever the job may be; dealing with people face to face or over the phone is a challenging task. The stress of being a professional problem solver is often overwhelming.

Sometimes as customers we are rude, unkind, and demanding. Sometimes it's a representative who is aloof, unhelpful, or incompetent. As someone who has been on both sides of this dilemma, I thought I would offer some advice for improving the process.

So you may be asking, what can we do in such a quandary? I have just the solution..
Here are the top 5 ways to streamline your customer service experience.

5. This is not therapy.

The most effective way to leave your problem unresolved is by turning your issue into a therapy session. Do not tell your life story. I repeat do NOT tell your life story. Do not offer up the sordid details about your constipation, your daughter's lousy husband, or the bill collectors that are hounding you. The person who is assisting you is not responsible for any of these things, and as difficult as it is to realize, they probably don't care.


4. Wait.

After stating the issue that you're dealing with, wait. Simply stop talking. Being patient not only lets the employee process the information and begin thinking of solutions, it will also lower your blood pressure. Do not follow the initial problem with  a subsequent problem without a pause. Just because another complaint popped into your head as soon as you finished the sentence about the first complaint doesn't mean you should say it out loud. This is counter-productive and highly annoying.


3. Don't blame them.

Despite the satisfaction you might feel, airing your complaints about a previous bad experience is not going to help with your current experience. Never begin the conversation with a tirade, or by immediately requesting a supervisor. Do not threaten to kill anyone. Instead of focusing on your issues, the person helping you will focus on your negativity and their own mortality. Even though it may not be your intention, they will feel attacked personally. This is not the type of emotion you want to solicit from someone who is trying to help you.

2. Listen carefully.


Use the C-shaped sound receptors on either side of your cranium. This is very important. Listen to the proposed resolution, digest the information, dissect the information, and then speak. You may think the person you're speaking to is an idiot, but giving proper consideration to all resolutions will only benefit you. If in the end you realize that the person assisting you truly is an idiot, there is a glorious invention called chain of command.

1. Remember - They're Human.


We are all human. You have to remember that the person you are talking to is not a faceless entity hell bent on your unhappiness. This isn't "the man" trying to keep you down. These are people just like you providing for their families. When we are patient, kind, and empathetic towards other human beings, the same will generally be extended back to us. So sit back, take a chill pill, and work with this person instead of against them.

There you have it, 5 fantastic ways to keep yourself from having an aneurysm...and improving your customer service experience.

A poem for the cynic...

Stars
Open head and eyes bright,
Hope transfixed on a strand of light.
Purpose sought, doubt denied,
The glimmering shine where dreams reside.
Shaken mind and eyes tight,
Ambition fades into the night.
The specter come as wishes die,
Light held captive in the shutter's eye.

Children and lessons learned..

Today is my youngest child's birthday. I look at the innocence in her eyes, and I'm reminded of the innumerable lessons that I've learned in my time as a father. As parents, our charge is a difficult one. We are solely responsible for another human being's life, happiness, stability, and future. It is a daunting task, which proves exceedingly taxing as our children grow in maturity. It generally follows an arc that reaches the pinnacle of frustration during the teen years. My children are still young, so I can only hope to avoid such a precipice. As a whole, the thought of developing well rounded, mentally proficient, happy individuals is, on it's surface, completely overwhelming. Parenting is too often trial and error; an every day exercise in humility.

There are countless lessons taught to a child throughout their upbringing. As leaders we must imbue morality, knowledge, and insight. Also, we must provide sustenance and continually sacrifice ourselves. Like I said, it is a challenging task. I have witnessed too many parents, through difficult times, slowly lose joy in their children. The life in their care seems to become an obligation instead of a gift, a regret instead of the future. It is evidenced by the myriad of shattered relationships that have perished under the weight of emotion.

All too rarely we focus merely on the tasks of inculcation and provision. We lose sight of the bigger picture and neglect our own opportunities for growth. One of the most invaluable qualities of a child is the seemingly innate ability to speak volumes through behavior. I am slowly learning this lesson. I am learning to take in the moments as they come, gaining understanding through each solitary experience.

My children have taught me many things. Chief among them is happiness through a pure-unequivocal love. The sheer exuberance I see on their faces when they laugh or play teaches me to cherish each moment. Their acceptance of new ideas forces me to stretch my own capacity for understanding. The compassion they show others reminds me to always strive for empathy. Their candor towards perfect strangers causes me to remember that no matter our condition, we are all humans in need of affection.

The most important lesson that I've learned from my children is that life is not about surviving. It is about having a vibrant positivity that radiates through every aspect of our existence. It is about letting the chords of contentment reverberate throughout our entire being. It is about taking stock of ourselves now and without remorse. Of course there is nothing new about these lessons. I have known these things since I was a child myself. They are merely reminders of everything that cynicism has suppressed throughout adulthood. My ultimate desire is to fight hard against routine, follow these re-learned lessons, and grow alongside my children. 

Letting Go

For quite some time I've felt the need to relieve my brain of it's burden. To release the thoughts held captive in the recesses of my gray matter. My ambition is to capture these thoughts in an eloquent way, and write them down in cogent form. In letting go, my hope is to make room for more emotion, intellect, and subsequently peace of mind. So I embark on this journey of literary catharsis, in hopes that I may discover more about myself and more about the world in which I live.