Bad Customer Service? 10 Ways to Be Heard

Have you ever had a bad customer service experience? Of course you have! Who hasn’t these days? In today’s corporate environment profits are frequently the only motivation for most companies. Honoring promises made to customers, ensuring customer satisfaction, or even treating customers as human beings is rarely a factor in the consumer experience.

I recently signed on with Rogers, a communications company. I based my purchase decision on a promotion they offered only to find that the promotion had not been honored when I received the substantially higher bill a month later. So, I called the company and spoke to Bradley, a “customer service manager,” who assaulted me with apathy after making me wait on hold and on the call for an hour and a half. “I am not prepared to do anything for you to resolve the situation” he indicated over and over again. I was appalled and disgusted that this corporate giant felt it was their right to promise the world, deliver so little, and charge me substantially more than I agreed to for the “privilege” of being their customer.

At first I was outraged, and then I started thinking that perhaps it’s time that we, the collective consumers, take a stand against horrible customer service by expecting nothing less than what the companies agreed to when we purchased from them. So begins my quest for a better customer service experience and to actually be treated like a human being not only while making a purchase, but also if the product or service fails to deliver on the promise.

So, I’m asking you to join me in my quest for better customer service, in a mission I’ll call Occupy Customer Service. I’m not suggesting that you engage in rage or other less-than-productive behaviors, but rather to stand up to companies and hold them accountable to their promises, their guarantees, and their claims about their products or services. If we all stop accepting poor treatment and lousy service, perhaps eventually companies will realize that we, the customers are their greatest asset. Perhaps there will be a return to the wacky notion that happy customers beget more happy customers. Perhaps treating customers with respect, honesty, and dignity will even become a trend? Perhaps we’ll even return to the ideal of treating others as we wish to be treated? Outlandish!

So, how do we occupy customer service? Keep reading to learn 10 ways…

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Charles E.

9:46AM PST on Feb 19, 2012

Comment to rule # 10-Had to contact cable/phone & electric provider yesterday for my MIL. Opened with I know that I have reached the right person to help me because the few times we had a problem in the past, anyone at this # has ALWAYS been right on with a solution. Phone/cable-She used to have separate with different co. Finally was able to get her out from under that bundling everything to one co. one bill & save her an initial $50 per mo. Discounts are continually being offered that are usually good for 6 mo to a yr and I found out you could call back in as they expire & get on the next batch. The power co. she had (I've been doing business w/them since 1962 & am NOT going to change (until they billed her $1356 to even up her balanced billing. Found they had been charging her over 3 times the average price. Switched bringing her bill down by over half.Contract up for renewal; called in giving them history of account & reiterating that our experience had been such that we brought her on board & effectively server as an advertisement for them in our area, my MILs area & to anyone else that asked. Then went to contract up, time to renew. what can you do for me?Being nice not only got us a better deal, but they seem to remember me when I call back & make it that much easier.

send a green star

Zuzana K.

7:43AM PST on Feb 19, 2012

Cheers for the great article. Agree perticularly with tip 10. I always do, and it makes interaction so much nicer. I always make sure to 'thank you for your time' and wish them 'a nice day' becuase it must be an exhausting job.

LM S.

3:40PM PST on Feb 14, 2012

good ideas, thank you.

Bee H.

3:34PM PST on Feb 14, 2012

They all sound very effective. Thank you.

Sheri P.

7:24PM PST on Feb 12, 2012

yep, great tips...thanks!

Eternal G.

6:13PM PST on Feb 9, 2012

Very worthy tips!

8:41AM PST on Feb 6, 2012

@Debbie-Growing up we liver in an area where if you wanted TV you had cable as no antennae would be big enough.Retired couple behind us would sit up all night watching TV.Cable would go out, call in next A.M. & wait 3-4 days for service.Old man did some digging, found who owned the franchise.Woke him up at home 2:00A.M.Was told that he needed to call the office during hr. Owner was told been there done that.My cable goes out, you get a call.They had the best maintained line until they died.Yr later rural area I was in finally got cable.Office was over 100 mi. away.Service on our end was nonexistent.CSR told me the same thing you were told & hung up on me.Called our city manager's office informing them since they were the ones that awarded the franchise, they were now responsible.Told the girl about the older couple, she laughed, said hang on just a min.Asked me whose name & # I wanted.She gave me the GMs name, home #, address; same for maint. manager.Called back up there & waited for them to put him on the line.Told him it was story time.Old couple, your name is, your # is, your address is, do I need to go any further?Sir, your cable will be repaired b4 days end.Less than 5 min. bot a call from a very apologetic maint. mgr.Told him, your name is, your home # is, your home address is, & you will get the 2nd call when my line goes out.Strange, unless it was system wide, my line never went out after that.All because a CSR challenged me by telling me 'Oh, you

Debbie C.

1:52AM PST on Feb 6, 2012

I.m a big believer in 'Word of Mouth.'

I had a problem with a company one time, and he told me there was nothing he could do.
I told him that I work at a company with over 400 people and that I have a BIG MOUTH.

That was 16 years ago and I still tell people what happened. I know for sure that I talked 4 people out of going to them.

Kathy P.

10:33AM PST on Feb 4, 2012

thanks, companies over all try to cheat customers so they make more and look innocent

Patricia A.

4:31AM PST on Feb 2, 2012

I agree we should (politely - you don't want to lose the moral highground by losing your cool) complain - AND KEEP AT IT - so many of us are overwhelmed with problems we just give it up as a bad job - and these blighters know it!

Mind you I did have an amusing time when I tried to compliment one company as their delivery driver was exceptionally kind and courteous - the poor girl I spoke to at their head office just couldn't get it into her head that I wasn't complaining, no matter how many times I said 'No, this isn't a complaint, I just wanted your management to know how good and kind your driver was today' - no wonder there are so many complaints - the compliments don't even get heard!