How To Be A Successful Customer

Too often we as consumers are critical of customer service representatives or others in the service industry and don't step back to look at ourselves and whether our actions had anything to do with the outcome of your problem or inquiry. Many of us like to believe that we can get whatever we want by acting however we want without worrying about the repurcussions when it comes to customer service. Just because we may be speaking to someone on the phone or in a store speaking to a clerk that you will never see again shouldn't give you the freedom to act like a jackass. During my time in my job I really have come to believe in the platitude that "You get more bees with honey than vinegar.," What does that mean exactly?

Well I am glad you asked, it means that there should be no reason to get upset right from the start even if your cable box is on fire and your DVR has been erased. Was it the fault of the person on the other end of the phone sitting in India answering your call? Nope. Do they want to help you? Probably. Will they do a better job if you are nice to them? Most likely, so why not start out that way.

Today, I went to lunch with my fiancee (soon-to-be-wife in only 8 days), her dad and brother to a nice restaurant in Astoria. While we were there we had a nice young waiter who had a great deadpan sense of humor. When the waiter delivered the bill, I said "Thanks Chris," and this almost shocked him that I had overheard his name and packed it away for memory. When you use someone's name, it shows that you have taken the time to pay attention and give them the respect that everyone deserves. No matter what our jobs are, we all deserve common courtesy and respect.

Now there is a big difference between being meek and backing down at the first sign of a problem and being nice but persistent. Yes people who yell do get more attention and are placated just to get rid of them but if you are nice you are more likely to not just be placated but have all of your wishes fulfilled to your exact specifications.

Mars Candy Stumbles But Recovers

So my friends David and Briana got married last month in Malibu and everything about the event was so much fun and I was really glad to be able to spend a week in LA with Keri and see all my friends and family. I also had the distinct honor of officiating at the wedding which I guess is a unique quirk that could only be legal in a state like California, where anyone can marry anyone just as long as it's a man and a woman (thanks Prop. 8).

Anyways, David and Bri ordered M and M's as their wedding favors that had their picture, name and date on printed each individual M and M. They placed the order three weeks before the wedding and were given every indication that their 10 lb box of M and M's would arrive in plenty of time before their wedding. Sadly, somehow their order got reduced to 5 lbs and kept getting delayed and more delayed with no clear reason for this delay. Weddings are stressful enough, this was something that did not need to happen during the pre-wedding week.

Anyways, when I joined the wedding planning on the Tuesday before the wedding we still had no M and M's. David finally got on the phone with Mars Candy to find out when to expect their wedding favors. Initially they told him not to worry, but hey this is their wedding and he had every right to worry. Finally, we got the answer that there were issues in their warehouse and there was a small chance that FedEx would be delivering the 5 lb box on Saturday morning by noon, which was the exact time that we needed to leave to get dressed for the wedding. The saving grace in this whole experience was the customer service manager for Mars that gave David $600, which was double the cost of his order, to go out and buy any favors that they wanted. In the end they went with Jordan Almonds and M and M's. This meant that David and Bri had almost $900 (600 from Mars plus the $300 order) worth of wedding favors. The company admitted fault, accepted the blame and got happy customers as a result. While I doubt I will get M and M's as favors for my wedding this give Mars a favorable outlook in my book. Good job Mars, but next time just get the order right in the first place.

What is this all about?

I have set out to give you the readers all of the tips that I have picked up over the years on how to beat the customer service system. Tired of waiting on hold and then finally reaching someone who has no interest in helping you? Better yet, they can't speak the language or grasp what you are calling to complain about? I spend many, many hours a week on the phone with customer service from a variety of different companies both in my personal and professional lives. I never give up and have learned that persistence, manners and patience will eventually lead to credits, discounts and the answers you were hoping to get out of your phone call.

It is actually a travesty that businesses large and small, think that they can take advantage of the average consumer. We as consumers need to do a better job of holding these companies to the promises that they have made by entering into a relationship with us or by providing a requested service.

There are some other blogs like www.consumerist.com that provide secret phone numbers and other advice, I am hoping to go farther than that. We don't need secret phone numbers to get the answers you want, you need to know what to say once you get to a representative and then to their supervisor and the supervisor's supervisor.

Please feel free to share your customer service horror stories. I will share my experiences, my money saving tips and other ways to make the companies work for you. If I can provide advice or consultation I will do my best to get back to you in a speedy manner and not leave you on hold with that annoying music or repeated advertisements.