The Reviewer is focussed on excellent customer service in every industry, and especially in the retail industry, we are very aware of negative customer feedback. As consumers we all have had our share of bad customer service experiences. At some stage we have found ourselves disappointed and frustrated about something we have purchased, whether it’s been a product, service, meal, a haircut, etc.
So, what makes customer service complaint worthy and how do you complain about an unsatisfactory event that can achieve a reasonable satisfying resolution?
Here are a few reasons to complain about Customer Service:
1. The employee was indifferent of your problem.
First and foremost, it is the employee’s responsibility to listen to you. If you are being cut off and interrupted, you are not being heard. If details you have shared are being ignored, you have every right to feel frustrated. If the customer service employee seems to indicate that your worries aren’t a big deal to them, this belittling of your concerns isn’t helpful to solving the problem you’re dealing with.
These are perfectly valid reasons to consider complaining to management, as well as reasons to express frustrations in follow-up feedback.
2. The representative blamed it on YOU AND offered no help.
We can all agree that some problems are our own error. It happens. You don’t know how to use the product/service to its fullest capabilities, and you’re disappointed, have questions, or think you made the wrong purchase.
Even if it is your own error, the customer service department is there to help you understand how to make full use of the product/service. Once you have confronted them about your confusion about the product/service, they should show you the best ways to use it or fix the problem you have – even if the problem is self-created.
If a customer service person has decided not to help you or has been unfriendly and caused you to feel embarrassed about what’s happened, that is unacceptable and worth a complaint to management.
3. The customer service team was unreachable, or communication was otherwise consistent.
A company might have extremely knowledgeable service people, but if those people can’t be reached by the customer, they aren’t any help to anyone. Remember that it is reasonable to expect that customer service questions get answered quickly by the customer service department. If you cannot reach customer service, be sure to take it further to top level management where they should help you.
4. The customer service person did not follow through with their offers or proposed solutions.
You may have had a great call with a customer service person who promised a satisfying solution, but if that promise isn’t kept, you have every right to be upset.
Situations such as these lead to more time spent contacting the company, having conversations about your situation, and enduring downtime from using the product or service you’ve purchased which can be disappointing and time-consuming.
5. The product’s offerings have been misrepresented in marketing and ongoing service conversations about its features.
This one applies to quite a few areas. Certainly, it’s not necessarily the customer service persons’ fault that the marketing team was obsessive with selling the product/service. Taking your frustrations out on a customer services person isn’t always going to be the solution, as they weren’t in the wrong.
But it is the customer service person’s job to be honest with you and make sure you have what you need to get your work done. If the information being shared with you is inaccurate, that is not adequate customer service, which leaves you with even more reason to complain. It is also their job to contact the marketing department and make sure that they correct what was wrong.
As a customer you can complain when you receive poor customer service. Done correctly and positively, your complaints can also help teach the company about how they can better serve their customers in the future. Everybody knows mistakes happen and negative customer interactions happen. Remember, it is not always what you say, but how you say it. Using some of the tips we have provided could assist everybody in finding a solution and the best possible outcome for all concerned.
We look forward to hearing about when you complained about customer service and what your experience was like. We look forward to hearing about other valuable tips for others to know how to effectively complain when they receive bad customer service.
P.S. Be sure to tell us all about your awesome experience at www.thereviewa.com.