The Customer Service Survey
VocaLabs' weblog providing news and commentary on the challenges of providing good customer service.
To Get Service, Get Angry
Wednesday - January 11, 2006 03:35 PM in
Crabby Old Lady: (large sigh) Look, I didn't lose the package...
Customer Service Rep: It isn't lost. It was delivered. Gloria signed for it.
COL: (frustration mounting) Do we need to have an argument this morning? Gloria in no way resembles my name and I'm not going to do your work of tracking down the package.
CSR: That is the company policy in these circumstances.
COL: (patience gone) Well, it's not my policy. You've got my money and I want my goods and you can [insert long string of colorful adjectives] well do the work to make that happen.
CSR: (long silence)
COL: Are you still there?
CSR: Yes. I am filling out the paper work to reship your order.
Of course the online retailer doesn't want to spend the time (and money) to track down every delivery mistake, especially since 95% of them are likely packages sitting on the customer's own back porch or left with a friendly neighbor. On the other hand, under the credit card laws in the United States, if the customer doesn't receive the merchandise, she has the right to reverse the charge on the credit card and the retailer will pay for the lost shipment anyway.
So surely there must be a better way to escalate this kind of problem without having to get angry with the customer service rep.
Posted by Peter Leppik
Posted at 03:35 PM by | | | |