How to Avoid Being Screwed by Customer Service (Part II)

By Rachel Walker on May 15, 2008 in customer service |

Read How to Avoid Being Screwed by Customer Service (Part I) first.

A supervisor can help you. They have:

More ability to provide perks/freebies/refunds
Power to put a note (good or bad) in the file of someone else you spoke to.
Special training to deal with customer grievances to prevent them from escalating to the higher echelon/legal channels.

Don’t:

If you are obnoxious and just seem like you are out to get something, then it is unlikely that you will succeed. If you yell and threaten, it is also unlikely you will prevail. Unless you are a lawyer, the supervisor probably knows laws relating their industry better than you do.

Do:

Be polite.
Use the person’s name as often as possible.
Take thorough notes.
Be honest.

How Your Side of the Call Should Go:

Thank the supervisor for taking your call.
Briefly summarize any positive experiences you have had or have heard about their company.
Calmly and correctly outline your issue from the beginning.
Describe the response you received from the customer service agent.
“How do you advise we solve this problem so that I can feel good about your company again?”

Next Step: Lawyer

If you don’t feel that you have been properly treated, and you still want to put up a fight, then you can take your notes to a lawyer to see what your options are.

Good Luck!

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